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The Key to Reality by F. Ted Atchley A desperate father holds the key to victory in an alien civil war. If he chooses well, he'll reunite his family. If he chooses wrong, they all die. An Elite Cybersecurity Analyst. A Desperate Rebellionâs Best Hope. Brandon thought the assignment was just another standard security assessment. Wrong. As he peels back the layers of a deepening conspiracy, he discovers everything he thought he knew about his reality is a lie. And heâs the only one who can save it. Exiles from another reality see Brandonâs new knowledge as the key to victory over their tyrannical king and his immortal army. Pursued by both loyalists and rebels as he crosses the borders between realities, Brandon must protect his family, while figuring out who to trust. Choosing well means rescuing his family, and saving both worlds, but choosing poorly will empower a malevolent evil to wipe out humanity. |
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Worse Than Dying by Brett Van Valkenburg After his father suffers a nervous breakdown, Noah Barnes is tasked with caring for his family in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. A dark novella about fight and family, as one survivor confronts untold loss and struggles with unimaginable choices. Worse Than Dying takes place in a small town in upstate New York toward the beginning of an inexplicable uprising of the living dead. This powerful story is a more adult take on the zombie horror genre with fast pacing, mature themes, and, of course, plenty of disfigured, flesh-eating corpses. "Beautiful. If a sequel isn't forthcoming, it's a shame." -talesofworldwarz.com |
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The Nameless Restaurant: A Cozy Cooking Fantasy by Tao Wong There is a restaurant in Toronto. Its entrance is announced only by a simple, unadorned wooden door, varnished to a beautiful shine but without paint, hidden beside dumpsters and a fire escape. There is no sign, no indication of what lies behind the door. If you do manage to find the restaurant, the décor is dated and worn. Homey, if one were to be generous. The service is atrocious, the proprietor a grouch. The regulars are worse: silent, brooding, and unfriendly to newcomers. There is no set menu, alternating with the whim and whimsy of the owner. The selection of wine and beer is sparse or non-existent at times, and the prices for everything outrageous. There is a restaurant in Toronto that is magically hidden, whose service is horrible, and whose food is divine. This is the story of the Nameless Restaurant. |
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Then Dark Below by Lily Anne Crow Desperate times call for dangerous plans and deadly allies. A treacherous Magister has been caught, but the battle has only just begun. Between the missing prince, enemies within the royal halls, and darkness lurking around every corner, Osmund needs all the help he can get. Tamrion struggles within a web of secrets. When he discovers an enemy close to home, Tamrion must embrace his destiny and become the true lord of house Kinto, before his family and city both fall into ruin. After narrowly surviving a clash with an old foe, Phrai retreats to heal the wounds on her body and of her heart. The storied assassin must decide what she really wants, who deserves her blade, and whether she should even join this fight. Can a cold-hearted killer become the hero Tourenne needs? Shinowyn plays a dangerous game of manipulation, using any means necessary to free her grandfather from inhuman captors. But even the descendent of a great seer cannot foretell all outcomes. If she wishes to defeat the darkness below, she must be willing to risk everything - even her grandfatherâs life. Osmund must bring this unlikely cast of characters together in defense of the city of Vercolline, the kingdom of Tourenne, and humanity as a whole. While Fate hangs in the balance, Osmund and his allies must conspire to stop the encroaching darkness. But who can they trust? And how will they defeat creatures of legend with little more than wits and whispers? Then Dark Below is the thrilling second instalment in Lily Anne Crow's debut fantasy series, A War of Whispers. |
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Alpha: The Hierarchy, Book 1 by I. Ogunbase Vampires exist and have finally been categorised into three main groups by the remaining governments dealing with the outbreak; The Ferals, blind and grey skinned, the Stalkers, pack hunters and the Mirrors, dark reflections of humanity. When a researcher goes missing, Matt is thrust out into the world to find them and bring them back into the safety of the Walled Cities. Except, rumours of a new category is spreading. And at the rate at which events are going, it might be already too late for survival. |
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Servant of a Pale Sword by Tim Akers A lone pilgrim travels to the Temple of Absolution to free himself from a great sin. But when the priests of the temple cut too deep, Lohit Maast is left with no memory of who is or what burden he sought to escape. Among his things is a strange and powerful sword, its blade forge from materea, the very bones of the world. Is he a thief? An assassin? The hero of some great campaign? Or is he something far more dangerous... |
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Revaâs clan, the Mauli, tattoo wishes into reality. Once revered, the Mauli now live in hiding, with a precious few imprisoned in a pit beneath the Aliâiâs palace. Burning for justice, Reva strides into the capital city, announces herself a wish giver, and allows herself to be bound. She knows the only way to save herself and her people is to grant her greatest enemy his every wish. Already outcast by her skill and arrogance, Reva feels she has nothing to lose and everything to gain. However, she faces not only the Aliâi, but the mighty White God and his followers, the animosity of the Mauli, and the burdensome eye of Mata, a dark god with an ambitious priest who has a wish of his own. Within the confines of the Aliâiâs palace, Reva secures love and friendship, but to destroy the Aliâi, she may be forced to sacrifice more than she has ever wished for. Wish Givers is an epic fantasy novel with a tropical island setting and themes of freedom, found family, and the pursuit of dreams. |
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Veil Us in Gold by Shepard DiStasio Find a weapon lost to myth, and Drake can save the world. Find a creature lost to war, and they can save themself. Drake ElĂœnus was never supposed to be in TÄrÄmen. They were never supposed to be working for TÄrÄmenâs royal family. They were never supposed to do the things theyâve done. But Drake hasnât stood a chance since the day their home was burned to the ground, the boy they loved was executed in front of them, and wayward magic cast them into a life of lonely immortality far from anything theyâd ever known. All they have is revenge. But when the culmination of their efforts backfires into a death sentence, their only hope is to make a deal with the very queen they tried to ruin. The world around Drake is unraveling. Whispers of ancient monsters bubble beneath the surface. Fights escalate on the borders of a country that has not been its own in fifty years. Treaties are no longer worth any more than the blood they were written in. And a mysterious general they all call the âWhite Roseâ is apparently the face of it all. With the gilded gold of society finally peeling, Drake might have a chance to escapeâbut only if they confront who they were truly supposed to be. The first book of the Sins of the Divine series and DiStasio's debut, Veil Us in Gold explores what it means to be good, the secrets people will do anything to keep hidden, and the monsters that prowl not only in shadows, but inside hearts as well. |
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Mother of Pearl by Blanka H. Madow Lured to a mystical land, Valeri must learn to harness a power deep within her. Orphaned at a young age, sisters Valeri and Amelia shouldered the household responsibilities in their small village of Noor. Valeri was the hunter; Amelia the gatherer. While fishing one day, Valeri follows her instinct into the depths of the ocean despite a raging storm. She discovers the Mother of Pearl shell - which unbeknownst to her, unlocks the secrets of her ancestral power. Knocked unconscious by the storm and washed ashore in a foreign land, she soon realizes she is thousands of miles from her sister, and there are wicked plans afoot. As she struggles to find a way to return home to her sister, Valeri befriends Prince Rulin at the magical court. In each other, they find purpose. But she must harness the newfound power within her blood first. |
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Poisoned Empire by Elyse Thomson Cinderella (feral) meets The Lies of Locke Lamora in this lush romantic fantasy set in a world inspired by the Eastern Roman Empire. Black-marketeer Selene has poison magic and the cynicism to match. When she and genius metals mage Iliana are arrested by the same scheming, noble fathers who tossed them out at birth, they suspect apologies wonât be forthcoming. Forced to either impersonate their half-sisters or die, the friends are stuffed into fancy dresses, packed off to the capital, and thrust into the perilous, glittering world of the imperial court. Traitors lurk in Prince Belisariusâ court, and only his loyal strategos Marduk is above suspicion. As noble-born villains siphon away the souls of their daughters to magnify their magic in secret, Belisarius plots to expose them allâby inviting every noblewoman in the empire to compete for his hand in marriage. But two infuriating imposters in attendance quickly become his bane. When the friends are discovered, they expect imprisonmentânot a deal. Vast riches are on offer if Selene poses as fiancĂ©e to the handsome prince while Iliana simpers for the towering strategosâa ploy to lure traitorous enemies to the capital. Yet even as they help secure the throne, false affections flirt with real passions, and Selene and Iliana are convinced theyâll either lose their hearts⊠or their heads. |
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The Modern Mythos Anomaly by Juniper Lake Fitzgerald "Memory's haunt conjures the most arrant of ghosts..." Python is a drifter, a vampire living his eternal life on the road and liking it that way. Beholden to nothing and certainly to no one. But such a lifestyle doesnât come without creating enemies. Most notably, a pesky vampire hunter he cant seem to shake. When he stumbles upon a seemingly abandoned cabin the woods, Python sees the perfect escape and a place to hide. But what he didnât expect was for someone to be home⊠When recluse warlock Calystoâs peaceful life is upended by the arrival of a chaotic disaster in the form of a loudmouthed vampire, he and his teleporting house become the target of the hunter, too. Calysto knows itâs all Pythonâs fault that heâs in this mess. That is, until Calysto makes a mistake, and in his hurry to flee transports them over one hundred years into the past. Confronted with lives they both had hoped to forget, not to mention the memories they most definitely did, Calysto and Python must try to put aside their many differences and increasingly complicated feelings to learn to work together. Or else they risk being stuck in the past -- and with each other -- forever. This is an adult book with themes that are not suitable for minors. Content warnings are included before the title page, available for view within the sample. |
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The Sun Prince by L. R. Schulz THE BONDS OF KIN MUST HOLD The King-Radiant has fallen. Zapour has been liberated and the siblings triumphant, but at what cost? Two years have passed since their victory over the Eagles. Peace between the nations has not gone as planned. Gelvard has seized control of Lumindal and a cloud of war now surrounds Trost. The sun is dying⊠A new power has risen from the west. A man who calls himself the Sun Prince has his eyes set firmly on Zapour. But is he friend or foe? The bonds of kin will be tested as new threats arise, though not all threats are new. An ancient evil awakens, and new bonds must be forged if light is to shine another day. |
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When The Rain Begins To Burn by A.L. Davidson The bones are piling up, Judah... While traveling across the country on a much needed vacation, Noland and Judah Calhoun stop to appreciate the scenic views of the Appalachian wilderness. To shield themselves from the less-than-friendly locals as they rest from their long journey, Judah parks their RV in the middle of a clearing well off the beaten path. A concerning storm rolls in overhead, shifting the sky to a sickly green that drowns out the night sky with a thunderous roar... Waking the next morning to discover the wheels of their RV have sunk deep into the saturated ground, Judah steps outside to assess the situation. Within seconds, his flesh is set alight as the unnatural rain begins to eat away at his hand. The storm rapidly consumes the skin and sinew of living creatures, turning the once peaceful clearing into a boneyard. Stranded and unable to leave the supernatural tempest, Judah and Noland must weather the storm together, facing not only the horrors of nature, but their own personal demons they refused to acknowledge for far too long. All the while, the bones start to pile up... ----------- ("When The Rain Begins To Burn" is a 2023 BBNYA nominee, Indie Ink Awards nominee for Best Setting and Best Cover, and Queer Indie Ink Award nominee for Best Horror, Best Novella, Best Debut, Best Cover, and Best Romantic Relationship. You can read more on A.L. Davidson's Patreon with regularly updated bonus short stories set before and after the novella). |
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Christmas in the Empty Cabin by E. Reyes Horror and the supernatural donât take holiday vacations⊠Take a holiday trip with E. Reyes to the dark side of the most wonderful time of the year. While youâre there visit⊠A hot holiday toy that brings terror to a department store. A man caught in a blizzard as he searches for help for a dying friend. A girl who wakes up to surprise visitors on DĂa de los Muertos. A man who recounts a sick and twisted Thanksgiving. A boy who becomes intrigued by a mysterious house and the girl who resides there during fall break. A family man who struggles with a dilemma that may cost him his soul. âA beautifully written collection⊠a unique and creative delight⊠I devoured it and loved it!ââJulie Hiner, author of Final Track âA great collection of thrilling and shocking tales that will get your heart pounding!ââEric Woods, author of Pummeled âA great range of short tales for anyone looking for a quick, mysterious read.ââM.E. Aster, author of Three Halves of a Whole âCaptures the melancholy, dark side of the holidays.ââElford Alley, author of Ash and Bone |
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âFor who could love a beast, forever?â Jay is a sensitive, traumatized young man selling his body to pay his college tuition fees and to send money to his gravely ill mother. Roman is a centuries old vampire who has no control over whom he bonds with. When they cross paths, itâs supposed to be for only one bite, but it ignites the fires of love within Roman. Jay gets caught in his own feelings for Roman, who needs to feed on humans to survive, even if following his own moral compass. And although danger lurks in the form of another bloodthirsty predator, Roman and Jayâs journey through life is also wrought with human monsters, as dangerous as the mythical ones. Will Jay and Roman find the forever loveâa love transcending difference, mortality, and immortalityâthat they are both yearning for? |
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Devilâs Hill: Stories by E. Reyes Stephen King has Castle Rock. R. L. Stine has Fear Street. E. Reyes has Devilâs Hill. Welcome to Devilâs Hill, Arizona; a place that runs rampant with the occult, paranormal, and supernatural. As Halloween approaches and a group of teenage witches inadvertently summon an ancient deity into a scarecrow, they set off a chain of events that unleashes true evil upon the town. In these interconnected stories, youâll encounter ghostly spirits, killers, malevolent deities, and other unexplainable horrors as the town of Devilâs Hill is plunged into darkness. Donât miss out on the terror that awaits in Devilâs Hill! Praise for Devilâs Hill: âWhere do fans of R.L. Stine's Goosebumps go when we grow up? There's plenty of room in Devil's Hill, Arizona...if you dare.ââJulia DeBarrioz, author of Cazadora âAbsolutely worth reading.ââHeather Miller, author of One Night Stand at the End of the World âI would FOR SURE recommend this book to horror lovers and horror newbies alike, and I will certainly be looking for more E. Reyes in the future!ââSpooky Octopus Reads |
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Home by Maxime Jaz What if the edge of the world wasn't far enough to confront your biggest fears? Damian has it all: first-class ticket home, whisky to drown his fear of flying, snark, and arrogance to push away everyone. Just not the wife. Heartbroken flight attendant Gabe likes his flights uneventful. His training and gentle nature are enough to keep him from busting Damian's face in. Probably. A plane crash forces lives and worlds that couldn't be more different to become one. They fight each other, their biggest fears, a life so rough survival is just the beginning... can they win battles brewing far away, at home? |
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The Warhog Paladins by Jer Patch Mia Lark is running out of options. Without a neural implant, she'll be shut out of the Corporate jobs on her home planet, but without the cash to pay for it, she's desperate to find a way in. There is one way to score that implant and pay it back later: the game planet Revivium. It sounds easy enough: enter the game, earn enough Bitz to cash out, and exit before the game finds a way to kill her. Once she's in-game, though, Mia realizes Revivium is anything but simple. A realm-wide quest is a great opportunity to score her Bitz and punch out, but she finds a magical artifact that links back to a forbidden quest line: the Helm of the dead leader of the Warhog Paladins. The helm's friendly AI, Hex, Leads Mia on an entirely different quest, to find the main guildhall where she can discover what became of the old Warhog Paladins--a quest that could get her killed in Revivium, where Game Over means death... |
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Evening of the Mutated Undead by E. Reyes First, it was the UFO sightings. Then the monsoon began. And then residents of a shady neighborhood got what they never expected⊠Mutated zombies. Evening of the Mutated Undead is a heart-pounding survival horror novella centered around Jeff, a small-time drug dealer in Arizona. Chaos ensues on a seemingly ordinary evening as a horrifying zombie outbreak strikes during a relentless monsoon. To Jeff's horror, these undead creatures don't just eat their victims but mutate their bodies, leading to a gruesome blend of unworldly mutation and decomposition |
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Jack Forest, Soul Collector by E. Reyes In the gripping novelette Jack Forest, Soul Collector, the town of Devilâs Hill, Arizona, becomes the stage for a chilling and morally complex tale. Jack Forest, a man returned from the dead on Halloween night, is compelled to serve as a soul collector for Hell. Tasked with branding the souls of woman abusers, he embarks on a haunting mission. As Jack navigates the shadowy realm between the living and the dead, he is torn between the ruthless directives of Hell and his own sense of justice. The line blurs when faced with a momentous decision that challenges his very nature. This gripping narrative explores themes of redemption, the consequences of oneâs actions, and the power of individual choice. Jack Forest, Soul Collector delves into the darkness of the human soul and the depths of compassion that may yet emerge from the most unlikely circumstances. |
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When 16-year-old Kallis goes to see Aristophanes' latest play, she's inspired to sneak into the Assembly and try to make her name as an orator. Against the backdrop of steampunk antiquity â an Ancient Athens where automatons line the city walls â Kallis sets out to incite a revolution. Sheâs going to create a world where no one is forced to be someone theyâre not: a world where women can be artificers and orators, where oneâs future isnât determined by the track set out by their parents. |
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Emelie has always known to stay away from the woodsâthe elders in her village wonât let her forget it. No matter how the wind between the trees calls to her, sheâs to stay away. When her exiled childhood best friend Halvar emerges from the woods unharmed, she begins to question the things sheâs been taught, and whether there is life outside of their village. But when Halvarâs reappearance coincides with a series of murders, Emelie must decide if she prefers the safety of her puritanical people, or the chance to escape to a new life with him. As Emelie explores who she really is and what she really wants, dark secrets of her village begin to come to light. As the bodies start piling up and lines are drawn, Emelie needs to decide which side she stands on, and she may just need to unleash her inner nature to survive the fallout. |
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KNIGHT: The Shintori Chronicles Book III by Elle Samhain Avery isnât sure she should even still be alive after Morganaâs Legion left two Reapers dead⊠and one Saved. She and her friends have located the fifth and final Knight of Od placed in the realm of the living by the Beldam - the Knight of Spirit. The oddball Princess Yumi has waited with bated breath and uncertain heart for the Berserker Witch. Can she be trusted to resist the demon she harbors? The ragtag band of Reapers must confront the monsters of their own pasts before they can ever hope to save the future. |
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The Orchid and the Lion by Gabriel Hargrave Dorian Vidales left his cushy but constrictive life on Earth behind to become the star femme Dom at a space station brothel. Convinced that love makes people stupid and will ruin everything heâs worked so hard for, Dorian remains happily married to his career. But when Laith Ritter, a gorgeous trans man, is hired at the brothel and Dorian gets roped into training him as a sub, heâll find it hard to follow his own âdonât get attachedâ rule. At first, having a bratty, inexperienced live-in sub is more chaos than he expects, but it soon becomes everything he could never admit he needed. As he trains Laith, Laith helps Dorian find himself outside of his high-strung, overly controlled work persona. With their relationship growing more and more serious, Dorian realizes this is what was missing in his otherwise glamorous life. But amidst the glitz and glamour of the space stationâa haven for people otherwise disenfranchised by Earthâs Purity Lawsâtrouble is brewing. When a pro-Purity politician gains power and begins pushing her political agenda, Dorian and the man heâs falling in love with will be thrust into a dangerous fight to keep the station free. The trials they face will test their burgeoning romance and change their lives forever. The Orchid and the Lion is the first novel in a kinky, sensual series about love, self-acceptance, and fighting for what you believe in. |
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HEMLOCK: The Shintori Chronicles Book II by Elle Samhain Rumors of the Berserker Witchâs murders have traveled fast and far. Avery Porter and her friends barely escaped with their lives when two Knights of Od revealed themselves in battle. With the High Priestess of Centralia murdered by the Knight of Earth, Avery has no choice but to put her faith in the demon of the Crossroads. As the demon Balthazar and the Goddess of the Witches lead them to the ritual to put the Knights down for good, the final Knight has caught word of their search. Armed with their name, Avery must get to the last Knight before their beacon signaling the end of the world is ignited. |
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In the Comfort of Shadows by B. Nacole Verona doesn't believe in Hell when her life is already a living one. After all, she's underemployed, reeling from a harsh breakup, and her graduate degree is slipping through her fingers. As if her life can't get any worse, a mishap with a cursed grimoire sends her to Limbo where she finds out that she's the reincarnation of the witch responsible for condemning Lo-the Archdemon of Wrath-to Limbo until the curse is broken. With death looming over Verona's head and a bargain burned into her skin, Verona agrees to help Lo before his patience runs out. But as Verona digs for answers, attraction between her and Lo spikes, secrets are unearthed, and untapped magic itches in her veins. |
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Render to Silver by Catherine Labadie The Founts of Silver are holy women blessed by the favor of their God...or they are cursed vessels meant to be shattered. Given no other choice, Fount Marzanna clawed her way up their ranks until she was able to begin planning her escape with one of her fellow Founts from Aebbenary, the prosperous island ruled by Silver's decadent church. Instead, the accidental working of a Miracle sets her apart and attracts the notice of the High Priest. He intends to use her to spark a revival in the city, and eventually the world, which has begun to turn away from a religion that rewards greed and ambition as piety. He's not forthcoming with how, and while tensions in the city rise, while two rival houses contemplate war, Marzanna realizes the role she resents with all her heart won't let her walk away without untold sacrifice. |
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AEGIS: The Shintori Chronicles Book I by Elle Samhain Avery Porter is a Reaper in the walled-off city of Ardua, tasked with the duty of sending souls to the afterlife. Her day-to-day life comes to a sudden halt when she is kidnapped by another Reaper and his exorcist companion, taking her far beyond the walls. At first their claims of a demonic force lurking in selected Reapers seem outlandish, until Avery sees them for herself. The Knights of Od were created by the goddess of the underworld to swallow the land of the living; fueled by the elements and the unrest among the Shintori gods. Their last chance lies with the Knight of Spirit, the last to be unleashed onto the world. Can they reach it before the Beldamâs Legion does? |
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Davy Jones, the captain of the Flying Dutchman, has never believed in any of the superstitions his crew whisper about when they think he's not listening. Sirens? Mermaids? Selkies? All just myths perpetuated by lonely men on the sea. Davy is satisfied with his riches. He doesn't need anything else. At least, that is what he tells himself. But the truth is that he is not living, only surviving. And Davy is tired of surviving. What happens when one night he meets a beautiful creature who promises him everything he's ever wanted? Dead Reckoning is a historical erotic retelling of the legend of Davy Jones and is not recommended for readers under the age of 18. |
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The Tenfold Tenants by E.V. Belknap Corvinian Hark thought he'd be the next great villain. What he ended up as, is a caretaker of magical tenants. This setback was supposed to have been temporary. It has been temporary going on eight years. But things are looking up, or at least he was told things are looking up. If you were to ask Corbin, things mostly keep looking sideways. Because his latest tenant might just be human. It means no more magic in the hallways and keeping skeletons from wandering out of the closet. But mostly it means that if he can't figure her out, he'll be out of a job. Which would be rather unfortunate, as it is where he keeps his bed, and all of his stuff, and all of his friends. He'll just stick her between the vampire and the harpy and hope she doesn't notice, shall he? |
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ÎᜱÎčÎżÏ by Andromeda Ruins A queer and anti-establishment retelling of the fall of Icarus. The Elysians are here to protect us. They uphold order, they keep citizens safe⊠unless you are their kid. When you are the child of an Elysian you get to see what they are truly like. You get to see their fears, their anger, their hatred. You get to be subjected to their wants and whims. Most importantly, you get to be trained by the âbest of the bestâ to become an Elysian yourself. At least thatâs what we were told. We werenât told what that training would cost us. What it would do to our bodies and our minds. How it would make us into what the Elysians really are, mindless abominations. These monsters are in every corner of our society. They are heralded as Gods among men, but not for long. I am doing everything in my power to show who they really are behind their masks. Soon, everyone will see these nasty creatures for what they are⊠ÎÎŹÎčÎżÏ is a tragedy following Icarus as he takes a look behind the curtain of the Elysian Program and sees the disgusting framework that he was disillusioned to. Now the only thing on his mind is bringing down the program and the entire ATLAS corporation. Will he be able to when the world seems set against him? |
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Atra Hart has spent the last seven years locked away in Vanishing Plains Psychiatric Hospital. In that time, her shadow has transformed into its own entity and is growing stronger by the day, threatening to devour her mind. She calls that shadow Dread, and only her missing father knows what it is. When a fire breaks out at the asylum, Atra makes her way to freedom just in time to see an electric-purple rift sunder the sky. Like Dread, the rift is only visible to her. Atraâs already loose grip on reality unravels when she learns the rift is a gateway to the world of the dead. And the Queen, an ancient evil lurking on its fringes, wants Dread for her own. Even worse, Atra canât tell if any of this is really happening. She might have escaped one asylum, but the closer she gets to unearthing answers about Dread, why her father knows itâs there, and its role in the Queenâs plans, the more she risks getting trapped inside her own mind forever. Maybe some truths are meant to stay buried. |
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The Memory Tree by Ellie Lieberman "The Memory Tree reminds us that it is okay, and sometimes necessary, to remember the not so good during the holiday season... It almost feels like we are given permission to feel bittersweet, which is something I personally find comforting the older I get."- Roadside Reader A collection of old ornaments come alive to aid a grandmother, on her last Christmas Eve night, in telling family stories and imparting her final wisdom to her granddaughter. |
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Rosemary & Iron by Dorian Valentine When a ritual to restore Mana goes wrong and sends him into the distant past, CĂ©lestin Edevane seeks the help of a strange man inhabiting an even stranger estate in order to prevent the calamity that destroyed Mana. Faced with a fascinating world unlike his own, filled with vampires, fae, witches and old gods and an unexpected love affair...will he even want to return to his time? |
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The Reluctant Mage by Journey Windrow FAERIES, TROLLS, AND VAMPIRESâIS IT THE END OF THE MUNDANE REALM? I lost The Great War of the Elflands and everyone I loved. Then the Guild of Light Mages appointed me, Miranda Hunter, as Mage-in-Charge of Boston. Harpies and hornpipes! MUNDANES BREACHED THE VEIL TO THE REALMS OF MAGIC. How? Got me. I'm no quantum mechanic. Predatory preternaturals are pouring in like some joker put up a sign that says THIS WAY TO MUNDANIA . THERE ARE TROLLS IN TUNNELS. Canât mundanes identify troll stench? Nope. They donât believe in myth and magic. BABIES ARE MISSING. Changeling fae kids turn up, leaving mundane parents looking for their missing children. The mystery is how to get them back. A VANISHED GIRL Add one transportation spell to faery and itâs a magical abduction. WITH PRETERNATURAL PREDATORS STALKING ME WITH INTENT TO KILL, HOW DO I SAVE EVERYONE ELSE? There's only me, my hellhound, and my sidekick, Nigel-the-Absent, to protect the mundane world. I need sleep and calories to fuel my magic. WHAT COULD GO WRONG? With my sort-of-dead husband winding through my mind like a ghost, Iâm drowning in self-doubt. I SHOULD PACK SOME SNACKS! |
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All Orbits Decay Homeward by Matthew Zakharuk Before xe died, M-741 was humanâbut a starshipâs systems wonât run themselves. Remade into a maintenance synthetic, xe is stripped of all but xir labour, to keep the rich in orbit while Earth festers. Or rather, thatâs what shouldâve happened. M-741 has an error in xir programming. A glitch of xir past, a call from someone xe once knew. To answer it is to risk being recycled. To ignore it is to forsake the only thing that remains of xem. |
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In this dark fantasy set in a world of Machiavellian Angels and honour code demons, one outcast Angel and a vampire spirit of war must work together to prevent an atrocity causing a spiral into a deadly war between the races. Azshael is a disgraced Angel lost in remorse and shunned for falling in love with the enemy. Unexpectedly tasked with investigating the death of a vampire elite on Angelic soil, it quickly becomes personal when he discovers her murder bears similarities to that of his dead vampire lover. Seeking answers, he joins forces with the 'Serrate' Lytta, an ancient vampire war spirit and sacred warrior bound in flesh, and the potent pair unearth a conspiracy which could destroy the long-standing truce and reignite the war between the races. As a day of reckoning looms, Azshael will need all his wits to survive. But surviving is the one thing heâs always been good at. Heâs not the âdead angel walkingâ his enemies think he is. |
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The Wizardâs Butler by Nathan Lowell "He thinks he's a wizard," they said. For five grand a month and a million dollar chaser, Roger Mulligan didn't care how crazy the old geezer was. All he had to do was keep Joseph Perry Shackleford alive and keep him from squandering the estate for a year. They didn't tell him about the pixies. |
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Broken Wings by L. Stoddard Hancock After an ancient war that left the outside air toxic, the shielded city of Utopia is the only safe place left in the world. Or so its citizens are taught to believe. Many dismiss the lies fed to them by a familial line of crooked presidents and choose to live outside the city's walls. But when a new president takes control, he wages a war on these Outsiders, and their leader's daughter Deryn Leon is caught in the crossfire. Five years later Deryn is a slave. Beaten and starved, she has little will to go on. But when a chance encounter leaves her with a means for escape, the forgotten fire inside of her ignites once more and she takes the opportunity with one swipe of a knife to her owner's throat. But escaping Utopia isn't easy. While hiding in plain sight, Deryn is discovered by Xander Ruby, the Utopian Guardian inadvertently responsible for her capture in the first place. Xander, who is guilt-stricken by everything he has done as a Guardian, wants nothing more than to get Deryn home. He takes her in and they soon form a powerful bond that will not be broken, even when the reality of this cruel and beautiful world threatens to tear them apart. |
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The Lion and the Dahlia by Gabriel Hargrave Itâs been months since Earth supported a pro-Purity coup on Baldwin, and Laith Ritter is settling into his new home on Europa Station. Heâs a hit at work, heâs building a life with his boyfriend and Dom, Dorian Vidales, and heâs found a family, one that he would do anything for. Heâs even caught the eye of his handsome coworker, Omar. On the surface, it would seem Laithâs star is on the rise and still climbing. But in reality, heâs struggling. And so is Dorian. Heâs desperately trying to find his boyfriend, Kenny, and figure out how to help his coworkers who got arrested the night of the raid. And unlike Laith, Dorianâs not as big a hit as he used to be, which is hurting his already fragile ego. With their relationship already shaky, the last thing they need is to get swept up in more chaos. But some always manages to find them... When a client is found murdered, itâs up to Laith to figure out who really killed him and why. But the list of suspects is longâand some of them are people he cares about. As he and Omar work together to clear an innocent manâs name, Laith uncovers secrets that heâd rather not know, ones that throw what he believed about some of the most important people in his life into question. Can he find the murderer before itâs too late? And can Dorian and Laithâs rocky romance survive the chaos? The Lion and the Dahlia continues the epic kinky queer sci-fi romance series that began with The Orchid and the Lion and sends Dorian and Laith hurtling towards a fierce battle to reclaim the home they lost. |
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The Blue Fairy and the Pyromancer by Zeiss Schreiber An isolated fairy seeks answers. A sorcerer trying to lay low. An inquisitor determined to catch the sorcerer. And a secret that will alter the course of all their lives forever⊠As a fairy, Breeze has been taught never to talk to humans or leave the forest. But when she meets a human sorcerer, she learns that everything sheâs been taught puts fairykind in danger. She must find Nana, her caretaker, and learn the truth to save her people. Kieran, the sorcerer, knows magic is forbidden. On the run from a dangerous inquisitor, he must lay low or risk being caught. He has always had to hide his magic â any other action on his part would have him hunted by inquisitors; and inquisitors make witches and sorcerers pay in blood. Faith is determined to bring down the sorcerer. But sheâs hiding her own dark secret. A secret even she isnât aware of. The kind of secret that puts her â and everyone around her â in danger. Three lives, entwined by fate, converge. Will they find the answers they seek? Or will they destroy one another in the process? |
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Levi Kaster and Orion Kaster are the perfect family. They have great jobs, perfect kids, a nice house. The problem is Levi is The Magpie, the city's most notorious thief, and Orion, the city's best PI, has no idea. That's the sitch. |
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âDonât trust anyone, Lady Caitlin. Not even me. Especially not me. You can have allies here, but this court does not allow you the luxury of friends.â The land is dying, commoners are protesting, and workers are revolting. The king is ailing, but the prince is not stepping in to quell the unrest. Caitlin doesn't careâshe hasn't cared about anything since the day her world shattered and she lost everything. But fate intervenes to make her care, throwing first a rebellion leader and then the spoiled prince in her path, giving her the influence and power to rule the realm as queen or tear it all down from the inside. Caitlin would be more than happy to destroy the kingdom, but there's more to the story than the rebels know. Darker forces lurk behind the throne, and if Caitlin is to keep her head attached to her shoulders, she will need to learn more about court politics and ignore the fluttering of her heart whenever she sees a certain court lady. Caught in a web of deception and conspiraciesâmilitant revolutionaries, cryptic priestesses, and a secretive lady-in-waiting with a ruthless familyâCaitlin must unravel the truth of a long-hidden magical prophecy, or she will become yet another pawn of an enemy far more dangerous than a tyrannical king. An enemy that has been plotting in the shadows for centuries. And it has its sights set on making Caitlin into its weapon. |
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A Vermilion Curse by DC Guevara Former scholar turned mercenary Ryesand Valafar rummages through a ransacked city for banned religious texts, seeking information about ancient and dangerous magic. While investigating an abandoned temple, he encounters a threatening woman with a price on her head high enough to fund his research. Wanted by both the crown for her involvement in the dead king's occult studies and a menacing cult, Cressida Benoit searches for a way to get rid of a brand that scars her in the besieged capital in order to make her grand escape. An encounter with a demon leaves her in bonds. When this unlikely pair of opposing personalities discover that they have similar objectives relating to the outlawed religion, they agree to work together to find the place where all dark magic stems from. This proves to be a difficult task when their journey is tracked by a war commander set on bringing them to justice, a family they must escort back to a circus, and the growing tension rising between Ryesand and Cressida, serving as a distraction from their individual goals. In the midst of shifting rulers, villages, disarray, and a scattered court of decadence - falling in love was never in the cards. |
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A Corruption of Souls by Taylor Hubbard Deklyn Delonir , Captain of the Order of the Redemptor and Knight of the Hawkeron Kingdom, has spent his entire life serving his goddess and realm to earn redemption for his past sins. Everything he does is in service to his King and the people under his protection and leadership. For his entire life, Deklyn pushed away the deepest desires of his heart, burying them and praying that they never come to the surface. When his King calls on him for the most important job of his career, one that would put an end to a war against an unknown enemy simply called The Corrupted, Deklyn doesnât think twice before readily accepting it. Once the job is completed, the war will end and the people Deklyn swore an oath to serve will be safe and the bloodshed will end. Crown Prince Kai of Hawkeron has never known what freedom feels like. Everything has been lain before him before he was born. Swayed by the whims of a fate outside of his control and duty that is inescapable, Kai doesnât know who he is. Kai is a political entity, used for his fatherâs gain. When his father calls on him to fulfill his duty as the Crown Prince, Kai knows he is defeated. He will be sent to a neighboring kingdom to marry its princess to create an alliance that will provide his fatherâs military with the resources needed to put an end to the war they waged against The Corrupted. Knowing that his failure to complete his duty would lead to the deaths of many people and the annihilation of the Hawkeron Empire, Kai resigns himself to his fate. As Deklyn and Kai travel together, they quickly learn that through the struggles they face and the desires that come to the surface, they are more than their duty. As secrets about The Corrupted come to light, they must come to terms with their fate while grappling with the very real fact that they are falling for each other. With the fate of their homeland in the balance, Deklyn and Kai must choose between duty and desire. |
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Shades and Silver by Dax Murray The birthright of every ĂstfrĂĂ°ur is to know each metal in the earth, command it, and bend it to their desires. To hear metal singing, some of it waiting just beneath the surface, so much of it deeper in the earth. If they wanted, they knew they could pluck that metal from the earth, melt it with a thought, and shape it as they pleased with a breath of air and their will. Each ĂstfrĂĂ°ur must choose which metal they would wear upon their heads, denoting the path they would walk. They craft beautiful horns to wear on their brow, forged with the metal they wish to identify with. But Britt does not know if they can choose the path they want; if they can overcome a past that has stolen their identity. The day has come for them to choose, and they have no idea if they have any right even to try to. And Astrid has never felt the pull of the metal at all. Wearing a forged circlet and horn, they try to navigate a world that they feel has rejected them, all the while fearing someone will learn their secret. The Veil of the ĂstfrĂĂ°ur has kept them hidden from the world and safe from intruders. Yet Britt and Astrid feel they are imposters in their own homes. Shades and Silver is a duology of novellas about identity, doubt, and acceptance. |
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Small Town Problems by Chris Ritchey Comfortable in his simple rural life, widower Robert Potter never put much stock in Old Jim's moonshine-fueled conspiracy theories. But after he finds Har'elday, the lone survivor of a crashed spaceship, he begins to wonder if the Loch Ness Monster has relocated to Eufaula Lake. Much to Robert's dismay, the wandering eye of the federal government is casting a questioning gaze on his small farm town as well. Caught between relentless federal agents and the found family harboring him, Har'elday's freedom depends on the ingenuity of his new friends. A Sci-Fi novella, Small Town Problems is the first book in a three-part series that explores the impact a lone survivor from an advanced alien civilization can have on a sleepy farm town in the middle of Oklahoma. Robert Potter gifts us with his insights as we traverse this world-shattering event through his eyes. A close group of friends helps Har'elday adjust to his new life as he finds solace in the comfort of a hard day's work on the farm. But, how long can such peace last? In what has been called a throwback to the golden age of science fiction, you can expect to find the heartwarming feeling of a found family, the awkwardness of a budding romance, and genuine and funny characters. We also explore the toll of loss and hardships that are compounded by the advances of a threat looming on the horizon. |
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A Slice of Mars by Guerric Haché Mars is a strange place these days. Corporate overlords, capitalism, and even aging are things of the past on a planet increasingly brimming with biodiversity - yet pizzerias are in short supply! Siblings Hett and San set out to change that. But a roboticist and a bureaucrat can't run a restaurant alone, so they bring on some help - a bioengineer, a communications scientist, and an unlikely grad student from Earth. Together, this gang of geeks will brave the fires of small business. But work is just a small part of life. People are complicated. Different brains, different wounds, different values, and one questionably tame wildcat will all collide as they try to grow and succeed together. What comes out of the oven, in the end, is anyone's guess. |
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A Concrete Crown: MacBeth Retold by T.O. Tate DOUBLE, DOUBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE; SLIVER FALL AND CITY CRUMBLE A CONCRETE CROWN: MACBETH RETOLD is a post-apocalyptic novella set at the edge of a city corrupted by a mysterious contaminant. Micah, a seasoned scout, has seen firsthand the dangers of the desolate city, but as the contamination spreads, his cousin Dawson only grows more convinced that itâs safer inside than out. When their battle of wills escalates from argument to blackmail and murder, Micah must ask if his motives are as noble as he wants to believe. As each following decision causes more chaos and more devastating loss, concrete shards begin to grow from Micahâs head just as guilt and fear sprout in his mind. Haunted by a watchful ghost and followed by nagging, prescient crows, Micah returns to the unnamed city in search of answers. Soon, the real question works its way to the surface: do Micahâs impulses belong to him at all, or are they the whims of the city thatâs gotten under his skin? |