stories in and

Dad Magic: The Monarch Children Saga Book One

Dad Magic: The Monarch Children Saga Book One by Benjamin Twigg

Welcome to Spellford A city where enchanted coffee shops serve lattes with a side of prophecy, and fried chicken is delivered to your door in mere seconds. Here, Brent Abernathy, an ordinary dad with a not-so-ordinary past, is about to have his world flipped upside down. His teenage daughter, Victoria, is not just any teen; she is the key to an unimaginable power, and sinister forces have taken notice. Armed with nothing but his wits, some dad jokes and the help of his Half-Orc best friend, Paxton Grimtusk, a loveable geek with a heart of gold, Brent sets out on a spellbinding adventure. As secrets unravel and betrayals sting like cursed nettles, Brent finds himself tangled in an age–old conspiracy that threatens the balance of magic itself. To save Victoria, he will need more than just a dad bod and fire spells. He’ll have to face down ancient forces and do the impossible: rewrite the rules of magic.


A Gift of Words

A Gift of Words by Rosalind Dando

Cam has plenty of things to worry about. His best friend might have broken someone’s fingers, the class bully won’t leave him alone, and staying under the radar of his teachers is much harder than it ought to be. He definitely doesn’t need magic to make his life any more complicated. Which is good, because when he does write his name in Libris Sapientia—the book of wisdom—a whole lot of nothing happens. He is a failure, and even a book agrees. Then, Loman Lykill joins their class, bringing a whole new brand of chaos to Highgrove Secondary. Cam has his magical gift, whether he wants it or not.


Fall

Fall by Brian Guthrie

In the wake of Brian Guthrie's Dragon Award nominated novel Rise, comes Fall . . . War has broken out between the shells, fragments of a shattered world that humanity clings to for survival. To stave off the conflict, the survivors of a brutal attack seek aid from the one source no one else believes can help: the dragons. But the creatures are fractured into two factions and caught up in a fight of their own, a conflict that may be connected to the war above. As the survivors seek answers and help, they stumble onto a secret, long lost, that once nearly destroyed the world. A secret that has the power to save humanity. Or end it.


Rise

Rise by Brian Guthrie

On a world brought to the brink of destruction, life now clings to the shattered remains of the planet's crust. These fragments are the Shells: fragile wastelands of desert and rock, protected from the cold of space by a water shield. In the struggle for survival, its people have depended on ancient technology, controlled by the omnipresent Network, to sustain the entire population. But the Network is breaking down, water is sparse, and a complete societal collapse is imminent. As the stakes become clear, the inhabitants of the Shells begin to turn on each other, and appear headed for all-out global war. Now the paths of several strangers will converge at the opportune moment. From a woman who seeks to protect her family as it's ripped apart to a prison warden hiding from his past, this unlikely group has little in common--but together, they may hold the key to saving humanity from its worst enemy: itself.


Even If We're Broken: a novel

Even If We're Broken: a novel by A.M. Weald

Love, like archaeology, is a lot of trowel and error. Still reeling from being ghosted by her girlfriend, bioarchaeologist Kate Roth agrees to join an estranged colleague to teach at his field school at a Viking-age archaeology site in the wilds of Newfoundland. While welcoming the escape from Colorado where she’s been medicating resurfaced anxieties with wine and angry rock music, she’s wary of three important facts: 1) she’s had a crush on Viking Cowboy Ben for half her life, 2) Ben is a family man who lives in Norway, and 3) all her romantic relationships, and most friendships, seem to have an expiration date. For archaeologist Esben “Ben” Veholt, inviting the woman he’s been in love with since digging alongside her 23 years ago was, of course, the worst possible thing he could have done for himself. This summer was supposed to be his escape from reality: a love life in ruins, worsening body image issues, and a teenage daughter who suddenly wants nothing to do with him. When Kate accepts his offer, he intends to retain a professional relationship with her. A woman like Kate could never love him anyway—not with how much he’s changed inside and out. All seems fine on the surface as Kate and Esben’s friendship rebuilds, but as they dig deeper, they realize just how broken they both are. To heal from their painful pasts and reclaim their crumbling presents, they each need a friend who accepts them, mess and all. But summer won’t last forever, and a third chance at romance threatens to drift across the ocean yet again. Even If We’re Broken is an own-voice debut novel—an emotional slow-burn friends-to-lovers open-door romance about self-acceptance, mental health, and the scars we carry.


Corrupted Tides

Corrupted Tides by S.M. Campbell

Centuries ago, the gods of earth and sea went to war and ravaged the worlds of humans. Now, the oceans have swelled and mortals have made their homes on floating cities, using precious sea glass as the key to their survival. Vila is one of those survivors, fighting every day for control in this brutal world as a Blue Lady and prize fighter. But when a strange corruption seeps through the waters of the Planks, Vila must find allies in an unlikely group to help the people she loves. Narrio is a master thief, making his way on wits, charm and luck; until a secret cult recruits him for a mysterious mission. Now he must travel to the Planks for what may be his most dangerous heist yet. Something is coming, and it threatens the existence of all. When the moon rises, the seas will change, and nothing will ever be the same. Welcome to the world of the Swell. Welcome to Corrupted Tides


The Reverence Chosen

The Reverence Chosen by Amena Jamali

With the reconquest of the nation of Nademan, some light has returned to the world of Icilia. The Quest of Freedom has been victorious in the first part of their war against the Blood-soaked Sorcerer, and now they look to the second. But just as Lucian, Malika, Elian, Arista, and Kyros finally finish their preparations, a scream echoes through the night. A sign that the protections around Icilia’s most sacred places, the athar mountains of Asfiya, are breaking. And soon after arrives the news that the Blood-soaked Sorcerer is coming — with an army vast enough to blacken the plains. Rushing west, the Quest finds a nation on the brink of madness. The hallowed cities are too filthy to endure, and the people they have come to save are more than lost — they are cruel themselves. Yet the Quest must save them — all of them — before the enemy reaches Asfiya. For, if they fail in the least degree, the cost will be in the currency of souls. With such high stakes and such little time, they cannot escape the Does even the Divine truly possess the power to defeat the encroaching darkness? Amena Jamali continues on her literary career with a haunting new adult fantasy tale of found family, strong heroines, and gentle heroes that ponders the meaning of human dignity amid a clash of absolute good and absolute evil. Fans of The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Eragon will savor this story of redemption, mercy, and hope in the darkest of times.


The Bell Tolling

The Bell Tolling by Amena Jamali

The Blood-soaked Sorcerer tyrannizes the land of Icilia with every form of cruelty imaginable, dyeing his armor red in the blood of innocents. Crushed to pieces under such savagery, the people of Icilia abandon hope and forget the gifts of civilization that had once been their dearest blessings. Amid this darkness comes light in the form of Lucian, the divinely-appointed hero of Icilia and the Leader of the Quest of Freedom. Educated in all of the ancient arts, Lucian has the virtue and power necessary to cleanse evil from the land. But not alone—answering the call of his sacred destiny, Lucian gathers together his four divinely-chosen companions and embarks on a journey to free his world. He is determined to restore the forgotten laws, heal the tormented, and unite the land behind his banner. Yet his companions seem too shattered to save anyone, while his people might be too blind to see the light. And above all he must confront the question: Are there some evils even the Divine cannot conquer? Amena Jamali embarks on her literary career with a haunting new adult fantasy tale of found family, strong heroines, and gentle heroes that ponders the meaning of freedom amid a clash of absolute good and absolute evil. Fans of The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Eragon will savor this story of light springing forth from dark places.


Cross the line

Cross the line by Lucky hart

Alexander King: Handsome, popular and a D1 soccer star, Alexander King appears to have it all. He’s just hiding one (or two, or three) little secrets, like the fact that he’s still in love with his older brother’s best friend Theo, he doesn’t actually want to play soccer anymore, and that at twenty-one, he’s still a virgin. When unexpected circumstances bring him and Theo together, it’s a recipe for heartache, but Alec is sure that he can handle it. He just needs to make sure the jenga tower of secrets he’s been keeping doesn’t topple over and ruin everything. Theodore James: At twenty-nine, Theodore James has the kind of stable life his childhood self could only dream of. Sure, the only person he lets into his life is Jason, the best friend he’s had since he was seven, and his sole form of companionship is one-night stands, but he’s content. Mostly. When Jason requests his help, Theo doesn't hesitate, even when that favor involves Jason’s feisty, smoking hot little brother who’s all grown up now. Theo can definitely handle Alexander King. Maybe.


NeurodiVeRse

NeurodiVeRse by MJ James

Jupiter J’nell just wanted a place to belong since their own family kicked them out while they were still in high school. They thought they had found their place in Long Beach, CA, working as an educational consultant on games designed for autistic kids. Being autistic themselves and an avid gamer, it was their dream job. Instead, they were too autistic, and the West Coast was not as accepting as they had hoped. Would they ever find a place they could belong? Fired and more uncertain of themselves than ever, they were contacted by a mysterious individual, Stanley, who offered them a job at Austin School District (ASD), an elusive school system that was founded by the openly autistic tech genius who had built the biggest tech company ever - Austin Technology. To get the job, all Jupiter had to do was pass one test. What they received was a virtual reality headset that was an urban legend of the internet. It was said that this device made virtual reality nearly indistinguishable from the physical world. Only a few influencers had ever gotten their hands on one, and even fewer had gotten it to work. Holding the device in their hands, Jupiter knew they had to make the biggest decision of their life, and either way, things would never be the same. NeurodiVeRse is a story of self-acceptance celebrating autistic and trans joy. But even as Jupiter learned to love themselves, the world fought to take it away. Except Jupiter now had more than themselves to fight for, and they found there wasn’t anything they wouldn’t do to protect the students of ASD.


Them Bones

Them Bones by A. Atkins

"Gritty, dark, tense and intensely emotional" - Sage Kafsky, Watchdog Right guy, wrong time. Laney Hawton has a difficult life. She takes care of her younger brother, Dustin, because honestly? Who else will? Her older brother Cary is... Well. Anyway. When Laney meets Shane, her whole world is turned upside down. But what do you do when you meet your soul mate at fourteen? Right girl, wrong life. Shane Mathers is chronically between couches, scraping by on the unexpected charity of a ten-year-old boy named Dustin. Through a violent twist of fate, Shane meets Laney and can't decide if the universe has finally given him a break, or just offered him his total demise all wrapped up in an irresistible four-foot-something package that makes his knees buckle. Fate is a cruel mistress and she has it in for Shane. He knows nothing this good comes without a price. The question is, will he survive it? Full of angst, drama, and dripping with 90s nostalgia, cozy up for some emotional devastation with Them Bones, Book One in the To The Grave Duet.


The Immortal Part of Myself

The Immortal Part of Myself by MJ James

Riley has lived her whole life as an elite daughter of one of the five ruling earthen corporations. She was supposed to be a beautiful figurehead working behind the scenes to help her husband. But the dresses they stuff her in are uncomfortable, social situations leave her confused, and she never really has been a woman. When she was diagnosed with autism, her father’s only hope was to marry her off. As she aged, her usefulness to her husband has diminished, and he plans on trading her for someone younger. Divorce isn’t legal, but murder is. . . as long as you don’t get caught. Except Riley has never been as helpless as they believed. She has a gift for navigating technology, one that has let her lead her own rebellion. But to see her ultimate plan succeed, she needs to survive long enough. Her only solution is to get off the planet. When Matty, a Martian ambassador headed home, sees Riley for the first time, she knows her life will never be the same. Riley needs help, and Matty wants to step in to save her even though she doesn’t know what she is saving her from. The more the two women come together, the more Matty falls in love. But what happens when the person you love cannot love you the same way?


Phoenix

Phoenix by MJ James

When a rogue vampire threatens to expose vampires to humans, Phoenix has one week to prove she’s the alpha her pack needs—before her father hands over her birthright to someone else. Phoenix is heir to the werewolf pack, even if her father will not formally acknowledge her inheritance. The alpha has concerns about her leading the pack because she is autistic. Phoenix is ready to show him that she may be different, but she is more than capable of keeping her pack safe. Now, she has a deadline to track down the rogue vampire and make peace with the vampires before the town of Ember goes to war. She also has to prove that she is capable before her father adopts a new heir. Jared may look the part of an alpha, but he can't fight and he can't think strategically. Giving up the pack to him would be giving up on her family. She has to take down the vampire in a city full of bright lights, loud noises, and more people than she has ever seen. However, Phoenix learned young that an alpha does whatever they need to for their pack.


Season of Dragons

Season of Dragons by Nikki Mitchell

What would you do if you found a dragon egg at your bus stop? Ichabod Surname never imagined he’d be spending a Friday afternoon cross-country skiing with a grandma dragon—but that’s exactly what happens when he finds a giant egg on the way to school. For as long as he can remember, he has been at war with his siblings because he thinks outside of the box. He stays invisible at home and school, but for the first time in his life, he may be the key to restoring the weather and happiness in the village of Hasir. Can Ichabod and Gran fix what has gone awry and end the sibling war before Ichabod’s science teacher notices he is gone? --an enchanting fantasy about finding family, unexpected friendships, and the importance of being true to who you are.


Little Favors

Little Favors by Adik Graves

He would have no embarrassing secrets. He would be perfect. Liu Xiaokai does everything he is told. He listens to his parents. He's a clever businessman. He's the city's most eligible bachelor. All he has left to do is prove that he's the perfect son--that he's worth becoming his father's heir. That he's nothing like his older brother, who abandoned the family. And then that older brother comes home. He will make his father pay for what he did to him. Liu Xingyu knows two things: firstly, that he loves his little brother. Secondly, that he hates his father. That's all that matters. When he first left all those years ago, he was determined to never come back, but after he met a man named Zhang Weiran, he knew there was only one thing he could do: go back home, and tear down everything his father loved. He won't let them get away with it. Zhang Weiran has had only one thing on his mind since he was a child: fulfill his parents' dying wish and get revenge on the organization that killed them. And it just so happens that his friend and unrequited love Liu Xingyu is not only deeply connected to this shadow organization--he also wants them gone just as badly as Weiran does. Now the only thing they disagree on is Liu Xingyu's suspicious little brother.


Trust in Tomorrow

Trust in Tomorrow by Dana Sweeney

Sleepwalking let them survive a nightmare. Desire woke them up. Demetri When the world ended, I came to the Stronghold and joined their military. Even made it to the helmet corps with the best and brightest. Life in the barracks is a nonstop party, everyone living like there's no tomorrow. Let's face it, there probably isn't. When my friends joined a resistance movement against the rich jerks who run this place, we needed a place to meet. The library would be perfect if it wasn't for the librarian being a total snoop. I offered to chat her up for the greater good... and because I can't stop thinking about her. Save the world, get the girl. Win-win. Stella I arrived in the city weeks before the world ended. I thought I was living a fairy tale, engaged to a prince
 but the fantasy was dead even before the dead started to rise. Officially in mourning for my fiancĂ©, I run the library and try to avoid attention. Yet somehow, I’ve caught the eye of a handsome soldier. He makes me long for freedom, control over my fate. But this elite society considers me an asset; they will never let me go without a fight. How do I know so much about the Stronghold? I helped build it.


Farzana’s Spite

Farzana’s Spite by Felix Graves

Life is about as good as it gets for an anxious and depressed bastard stripped of any social benefits of her caste. Farzana has a cushy job, a wonderful best friend, and a mother and younger brother who love her to bits. Then the faerie who abandoned her mother before she was born—the father she always hoped to meet—returns, brutally murders the royal family, and seizes the crown for himself. That comfortable life? Shattered. Slowly but inevitably, both the country and Farzana’s life are dragged into a terrifying and lethal storm of chaos. If someone doesn’t step up soon to set things right, there won’t be much left worth saving. Farzana’s Spite is a sapphic dark fantasy featuring a diverse cast doing their best to stay alive during a traumatic and tumultuous period. A blend of tragedy, romance, and mystery, this story was written for anyone ever made to believe they were broken beyond repair, and who needs a story to kill that thought once and for all.


A Crow Named Torment

A Crow Named Torment by Silas A. Bischoff

After a perfectly normal bird is captured by a perfectly deranged alchemist, and her soul is remade in torment, she rots in a cage, dreading her doom, awaiting the perfect moment 
 Escape lies in the dark secrets of her new mind, as does a disturbing new thirst for blood. Together with Vladimir, her feline companion in captivity, Torment sets out on a flight through realms of dreams and spirits in search of a way to break the curse that binds them to their master. But in the vast and strange worlds yonder dwell the discontented spirits of the dead, and Torment and Vladimir are as likely to uncover the truth they seek as they are to be lost forever, or consumed by the ancient darkness stirring in the depths of their alchemically altered souls. A novel filled with horrors lurking in the shadows, with whimsical creatures from strange worlds – a fable about journeys inward and onward into the unknown – featuring mad scholars, vampires from the dawn of time, animal familiars and giant slugs (among many other oddities). Perfect for fans of Terry Pratchett and Edgar Allan Poe, lovers of Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Otfried Preußler’s Krabat, for those who would like to see Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland meet Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in a modern dark fantasy.


The Noble’s Merman

The Noble’s Merman by S.S. Genesee

A merman who possesses deadly magic. Mo is a merman, born with a magical gift: the Siren's Song. It's a primal, instinctual force that runs through his veins, urging him to kill humans, to see their blood. But clashing with that urge is Mo's soft and tender side, taking a special interest in humanity and wondering what it'd be like to walk amongst them with legs of his own. A human noble with a broken heart. Kent Wilson is the heir to the Earl of Fareham. He'd felt his life was secure until his betrothed abandoned him unexpectedly a year ago, leaving both his future and his heart in tatters. After a fierce argument with his father one day, Kent runs away to the beach. Needing some time alone with his melancholy thoughts, he sings to the sea. What he doesn't expect, though, is for a merman to hear him. Together, the two form a secret relationship—one which propels them into passion, and a love greater than they ever thought possible. [The Noble's Merman is a standalone novel. It is an 18th century historical fantasy MM romance, with merfolk magic, cozy beach encounters, pirates, and plenty of spice.]


The Shadow of Summer

The Shadow of Summer by Marlon Yelich

Socialite Jem has always lived in an ivory tower, hiding his own secrets and insecurities behind a veneer of surliness. But tragedy has struck his life and he'd rather not stick around to see the mess. When his initial escape plan fails, he ends up taking a job on a secluded Cumbrian farm. In the English Lake District, glitz and glamour are out, traded for hay bales and horses. Surrounded by nothing but fells and mountains, he meets Mat. Mat is confident, openly gay, optimistic—everything that Jem struggles to be. Nevertheless, an unlikely bond forms. And above all, Jem realises Mat has secrets of his own. Together, the pair begin a journey that will shake their perspectives of the world. They must acknowledge all that stands against them—and make it, despite the odds, to the other side. IMPORTANT NOTICE: "The Shadow of Summer" is a work of fiction not intended for readers under the age of 16. The novel deals with themes that some readers may find upsetting. These include alcohol/substance abuse, bereavement, mental health issues & suicide. A more comprehensive list of trigger warnings can be found on Instagram at @marlonyelichauthor.


Wish Lists Lead to This

Wish Lists Lead to This by Kay Claire

Whenever Seb wants to get something done, he makes a list, and he sets deadlines. He's been in Cape Town for 2 years and has yet to do all the touristy things the city has to offer, so he's set his 24th birthday as his deadline to do 100 things on the list he’s come up with. JJ’s in a rut. He has no friends hates his job (working at a shirtless waiter at a gay bar isn't all it's cracked up to be), and is sick of one-night stands. After an awkward encounter with a former crush, JJ finds himself roped into helping Seb accomplish an item on his list – but plans change after he finds a box of abandoned kittens the day he’s suppose to meet up with Seb. When the two decide to foster the kittens together, they’re both surprised at how well they get along, since on paper they’re exact opposites – especially after their new budding friendship turns into something more complicated after JJ finds a secondary, secret list in the back of Seb’s notebook...


All Roads Lead to This

All Roads Lead to This by Kay Claire

Cedric and Rueben have been best friends since sixth grade, and cannot imagine life without each other - Cedric was there for Rueben when he came out to his family, and Rueben was there for Cedric through every step of his transition. Now, both twenty-four and working at the same plant shop, their boss gets an opportunity to receive some extremely rare plants she's wanted for years, except there's a problem: the plants need to be collected in person from across the country, and she cannot make the journey herself. Rueben, ever helpful, is quick to volunteer him and Cedric to travel across the country in her place. Cedric is apprehensive about the trip, both because he hates sudden changes to his routine, and because he may or may not have a few secrets he hasn't told Rueben about. Secrets like the fact that he might be in love with his best friend... All Roads Lead to This is a low angst HEA m/m romance that involves a road trip across South Africa, sharing a bed, heavy pinning, and childhood friends to lovers tropes. Roughly 85,000 words long.


Inarora's Excursion

Inarora's Excursion by Seraph Abell

Inarora Beservera, daughter of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of End'oria, never felt concerned by her father's position. After all, politicians' families were only targeted in the Corporate States of Naa'ran, right? She's in for a rude awakening when Naa'ran Supremacists attack her and send her over 50 years into the past! Inarora finds her great-grandpas, who send a letter to the Council of Sorcerers to ask for help. While they wait for a response, Inarora learns more about herself, including scary powers she never knew she possessed. Meanwhile, Kaedan’s mounting frustration with the lack of help from the present day Intelligence Ward leads him to take matters into his own hands when another child goes missing—Inarora’s best friend. Can Kaedan find Inarora and her friend before more children go missing? Or will they remain forever lost due to the Intelligence Ward’s negligence?


Gospel of the Cuckoo

Gospel of the Cuckoo by Sirius

Dallas’ entire life changed when the Church of New Lazarus opened its doors. The small town of Wicker, Alabama has been taken over by a glamorous, fast-talking reverend with a charismatic smile as bright as his Rolex watch. This new reverend, who calls himself Blue, has declared himself a ‘modern day Lazarus’ and has set the whole town on fire with religious fervor. Yet, Dallas doesn’t trust him. There is something sinister about the new church and its cult-like following. And when Dallas, who has spent five years caring for his ailing grandfather, is suddenly thrust into the world behind the pulpit; he finds that his expectations of salvation may lie in more infernal hands.


As the Sun Comes Up

As the Sun Comes Up by Olive J. Kelley

When competent, capable, and drop-dead gorgeous bed & breakfast owner Cricket Sterling asks friend-of-a-friend Moriah Becker if she can crash on her couch for a night, Moriah doesn’t hesitate to say yes, even despite her secret crush on the other woman. But, when the awards ceremony Cricket is being honored at gets pushed three days, Moriah starts to panic. With her post-pandemic agoraphobia, OCD, and odd hours, she knows she’s difficult to live with, and the idea of having someone in her space for that long nearly sends her into a tailspin. However, Cricket is considerate and accommodating, excitable and passionate, and Moriah finds herself oddly at peace—and falling deeper than ever. It feels inevitable when they crash into each other, spending one sizzling night together—and then another—and Moriah has to reconsider her own mental walls. Were they built to keep people out, or only ever to keep herself inside?


Fallen Thorns

Fallen Thorns by Harvey Oliver Baxter

“A great death is in the air.” Arlo is lost. He thought he had everything figured out. Go to university, fall in love, get a job. But life doesn’t always work like that, and before he has a chance to figure it out, he dies. In the space of a night, Arlo is plunged into a new world of immortality and finds a group of people who swear to always have his back. Dying is never easy, but they promise him eternal safety. But something is after him. Something no one could have ever predicted. He craves to figure out his purpose before he falls into something he can never come back from.


Bisection

Bisection by Sheila Jenné

SPSFC 2024

Tria and Resa have shared the same body since they were born. Like everyone on their home planet of Kinaru, their mind and body are divided down the the logical right and the emotional left. Tria, the right, has a budding career as a biologist, while Resa dreams of more freedom than their home planet grants her. When aliens land on Kinaru, Tria and Resa seize the opportunity to be the first of their people to travel to the stars. Karnath, the alien scientist assigned to study them, is convinced there is more to the Kinaru than meets the eye. But only days into the trip, crew members start turning up dead, and a mutiny redirects the ship toward a forbidden, war-torn planet—Earth. To solve a conspiracy that threatens three planets, Tria must find out the truth of who her people really are, and Resa needs to finally tell Tria the dark secrets she's been hiding all their lives.


The House For Lost Things

The House For Lost Things by C.G. Drews

Stealing houses should be a thing of the past now that Sam and Avery Lou finally have their perfect home. But the De Laineys are being forced to sell the butter-yellow house and their family is crumbling. Sam is haunted by his time at juvie and he feels lost now that Avery doesn’t depend solely on him. All he can do is focus on his builder apprenticeship and hurl himself into an extravagant sewing project lead by Moxie to raise money to save the house—only Sam’s past has come knocking and it’s about to tear apart everything he loves. Learning how to build new houses is one thing, but maybe broken boys can’t be rebuilt.


FIRST SNOW

FIRST SNOW by Jake Vanguard

What if you only exist because you're the splinter of someone else's soul? After spending his whole life in his brother's shadow, Zanoah gets banished from his home, paying the price for his brother's crime. Thrown into a world unknown to him, he'll have to find himself and a purpose to live for. Crossing a half-sentient jungle, he's bound to find his destiny—a forgotten deity of all things.


Chrysalis and Requiem

Chrysalis and Requiem by Quinton Li

At Adraredon Academy, fervent passion, contemporary companionship, and forbidden desires intertwine with tall gothic spires, ancient halls, and centuries of history. Veaer Rosell can't imagine a better place to satiate her craving for beauty, knowledge, and art. Yet senior year shatters her illusion of tranquillity and civil intellect when she witnesses the headmaster's daughter murder another student and is confronted by an unthinkable choice: avenging her fallen peer or taking this secret to the grave, one way or another. But fate laughs at Veaer's expense when the headmaster's daughter requests her aid. Driven by an all-consuming thirst for answers, Veaer becomes an untimely partner in solving a murder they both know the answer to, unaware of the intricacies that come with learning the bigger picture and playing with death. Chrysalis & Requiem is a haunting thriller of tragic obsession and relentless grief, weaving two young, queer women in a spiral of clandestine violence and illicit love.


Towers of Nine

Towers of Nine by Alyssa Louttit

The Towers of Nine School of Magic Study and Practice is an institution rich with ancient traditions and secrets. Serafina Stewart has grown up on stories of this place, passed to her by her witch mother. Now Serafina is finally old enough to attend. But getting in is the easy part. And Mother's stories never included ghosts or deadly spiders.


A Sharper, More Lasting Pain

A Sharper, More Lasting Pain by Alex Harvey-Rivas

After their girlfriend’s best friend is wounded in a monster attack, Simone Allard stumbles across a plot much deeper than they anticipated. As they work to find a cure to their own forming illness and find out the truth, one question remains: how was Nadia involved in this? Nadia DuPont doesn’t know how much time she has or even what is ailing her, but it all gets more complex after meeting Simone on a field trip. As they both work to find a cure to her ailment, all Nadia is certain of is she's on the path to ruin.


Riyati Rebirth

Riyati Rebirth by Kai Zeal

With great power comes your past incarnations and future self playing chess with your existence. Her whole life, Kylie Rae had been concerned with appeasing her demanding, achievement-focused mother while enjoying an otherwise peaceful teenage life of sleeping late and hanging out with friends after school. That all changes after she learns she’s the reincarnation of a destroyed magic kingdom’s crown princess after she and her two closest friends end up in a life-threatening situation. Now she has her past incarnations and somehow her own future self as distinct consciousnesses in her head, each with their own agenda — one that doesn’t necessarily line up with Kylie’s own interests. Even worse, her past two incarnations were killed by the same man
 and he’s coming for her next. If she doesn’t adapt to her new life of magic and secrets, making A’s to appease her mom will be the least of her concerns — she’ll be just as dead as the incarnations body-sharing with her. Riyati Rebirth is the first book in a new adult/adult contemporary, low dark fantasy series that seeks to explore themes of identity, legacy, generational trauma, and finding your own path in life. The series is set in the modern day fictional Southern US town of Opal Pines and includes multiple first person perspectives with characters across a range of queer, neurodiverse, and socioeconomic statuses.


The Reanimator's Remains

The Reanimator's Remains by Kara Jorgensen

An autistic necromancer, his undead love, and a covenant that must be broken. Oliver Barlow never knew what happened to his parents. With a note from his mother as his only lead, Oliver had given up hope of ever learning the truth. But when the dead start rising in the town of Aldorhaven, Oliver jumps at the chance to take the case if it means he can investigate the last place his parents were seen alive. Felipe Galvan would like to be anywhere but Aldorhaven. Between protecting Oliver and Gwen, dealing with distrustful townsfolk, and an unexpected letter from his estranged parents, Felipe is already stretched thin. But when he is suddenly plagued by whispers from the woods and nightmares from his past, Felipe fears he is only one misstep away from becoming the monster he was meant to be. Far more sinister things than the dead lurk in Aldorhaven's woods. A centuries old bargain has been broken, and the only thing that can satisfy it is Oliver's blood. Together, Oliver, Felipe, and Gwen must finish what Oliver's parents started or they too will be ensnared by their devil's bargain


This Hole Was Made For (You And) Me

This Hole Was Made For (You And) Me by Sienna Eggler

Despite constant setbacks, from giant carnivorous plants to fetch quests disguised as life lessons, Meike quickly adapts to life in Glasend. Armed with their growing knowledge of magic, and a thirst for adventure, Meike and friends turn their sights to the neglected Silverstone Mine. But there’s more than gold and silver lurking in its depths
 Trolls and kobolds haunt the area, having run out the miners and ransacked the nearby village of Ashfort. Abandoned by their own country, the citizens are desperate for any help they can get. But as the gang comes to find, there’s a reason many have failed to liberate the mine
 This Hole Was Made For (You And) Me is the second book of the Last Train Home series, a portal fantasy in a queer normative world.


The Threads That Weave

The Threads That Weave by Sienna Eggler

Sloane, a traveling mage and hustler, encountered a curious little creature—a chatty spider that fit snugly in their hands. But this wasn’t a harmless garden or cellar spider. It demanded blood and flesh, and when mice failed to suffice, moved on to bigger prey. Sloane appeased it as best they could, but as the spider rapidly shot up in size, turned their focus from butcher shops to farms. Together, they concocted a plan to “solve” a manifested loss of cattle. The spider got a steady supply of food, and Sloane got street cred as a “monster slayer”. But that neat plan swiftly falls apart when the spider brings new life into the world, hundreds of equally ravenous juvenile spiders. Now Sloane has a very real infestation to contend with, along with suspicious rangers and wannabe hunters edging in on their turf. “
I’m gonna need a bigger boot.”


Crossed Over

Crossed Over by Santana Knox

From international best-selling author Santana Knox, comes an LGBTQ, women’s fiction, coming out story like nothing you’ve ever read before. A tale that grips the hearts of those who failed to see eye-to-eye with a parent, and anyone who’s ever denied the truth about themselves. Nia da Silva is dead
 Dead serious about moving on from her past, from roller derby, and the traumatic injury that was a crushing blow to not just her body but her mind. Running away from her problems wasn’t the fix she had hoped for. Five years later, she returns to the town that left her with permanent scars. Healing her physical wounds was the bare minimum. She’ll finally have to face herself, and rediscover who she’s always been beneath the lies she’s worn like shredded fishnets over bruised knees. Pretty crossovers, and strong thighs won’t be enough to champion through her problems. Especially when they challenge who she may be at her very core. Crossed Over is a Sapphic, coming out story about healing, facing your fears, and becoming the hero you once needed for yourself. Please check content warnings, this story features adult themes and language that may not be suitable for readers under 18.


It's Only A Little Death

It's Only A Little Death by Shane Blackheart

Being dead never felt so good... Silver's memories are gone, but that's the way death usually goes. You wake up by the Styx, you realize you're dead, you pick a name, and you pay Charon for a ride across the river. If you have nothing of value to give, Charon deals in other currencies too — including ones of the flesh. Silver soon finds themself sitting on a bed in a strange room. They're given a diary, which is the most important thing they now own, and a peer support worker, Ifris, who's less than stellar about the job. Silver isn't prepared to go through the stages of grief for their own death, but they're even less ready for the deal they made with Charon: Recover their memories and the reason they died in record time, and they get to avenge their murder. There's one problem; the only way to trigger memories is to create a shock to the system, which is easily attained by having an explosive climax at the hands of the beasts that hold Silver's life story.


Dandelion

Dandelion by Merlina Garance

1973 – At 53 years old, Bill, hadn’t expected to run into Bobby when he signed up for that medical convention in Houston. Fair to say they didn’t exactly part on good terms last time. Twenty years later, is Bill ready to finally admit his feelings, his sexuality, and to gather his courage to conquer his old lover and friend once more? A second chance romance with flashbacks to young love, addressing the struggles of coming out in an unwelcoming environment and building the life you really want.


Just Stu

Just Stu by Merlina Garance

John, 41, settles in Leicester after his divorce, with hopes of becoming the best version of himself as he builds a new life. He makes friends, starts doing yoga, and joins an RPG campaign. Only one day, he realises he might just have fallen in love with his best friend. Oops. In this slow paced tale of falling in love over time, follow these characters on their journey to self discovery and acceptance, and found family. This is a story about love in all its forms: friendship, romantic, the family we are born with, and the one we end up choosing.


The worlds behind her eyelids

The worlds behind her eyelids by Alexa Lee

“Tell me, kid... How do you feel about desecrating a graveyard?” Suffocated by her narcissistic mother's constant complaints, Grace retreats into the refuge of her mind. Her imagination becomes her only source of escape, and there she meets a grizzly treasure hunter, Mitch, with a history of rescuing strays. He takes Grace under his wing, allowing her to accompany him on his search for a long-lost artefact. Split between her mundane reality and the exhilarating new world she has created, Grace leads an exciting double life. In one, she is a normal teenager, but in the other, she travels with Mitch, slowly discovering more about the shadowy world he is involved in and those hunting him down. The lines between reality and imagination blur as Grace continues to delve into her daydreams whenever reality is too hard to deal with, but soon, she finds other worlds. However, they are not as welcoming as she expected, and escape may not be quite so simple...


Treachery of Ravens

Treachery of Ravens by Morrigan Gaines

Love is a gift. It's also treacherous. With echoes of forgotten magic stirring beneath the surface, the realm of Osmaria faces new challenges. Elspeth Cadwgan, once dutiful and obedient, finds herself suffocated by familial expectations. Yearning for a purpose beyond societal confines, she embarks on a quest of self-discovery, challenging her beliefs and reshaping her perspective of the world around her. A disowned son of a duke, Cyrus Arbritrem harbors only two goals: Uncover his lover’s murderer and shield others from the darkness that stalks him. Escorting a naïve runaway through the wilderness is the last thing he wants. But as the woman, with her mysterious connection to beasts, starts leaving her mark on him, he faces a new dilemma. Wrestling with his fear of vulnerability, he discovers himself locked in a battle against emotions he thought dormant. Together, they navigate a world on the cusp of transformation, where secrets and newfound powers collide. As they brave personal demons, discover their true selves, and unearth a dangerous conspiracy threatening their country, they must confront the risk of trusting each other amidst their internal battles. Their journey is not one of legendary feats, but rather of redemption, introspection, and the transformative power of love, woven into the fabric of a shifting world where magic reignites and everyday heroes emerge. This is a revised 2nd edition. This version has over 25 new scenes, updated details, a villain's point-of-view and some scenes from the 1st edition have been deleted or revised.


Pillow Forts and Hurricanes

Pillow Forts and Hurricanes by Margherita Scialla

Emma has an unbreakable bond with her roommates and lifelong best friends, yet struggles to create a romantic connection that comes even close to their friendship. That’s why Emma accepts her stoic boyfriend keeping her at a distance. All of her fantasies about romance and relationships, however, come tumbling down when she witnesses said boyfriend cheating on her. Following her recent breakup and her evolving bond with her best friend, Noah, Emma begins to question everything she ever knew about relationships, romantic and platonic. When Emma suggests the possibility of a queerplatonic relationship to Noah, the two must navigate their feelings, unveiling secrets they’ve kept from each other
 but as confusing it can be, at least they’re doing it together.


Blessed by the Cupid Distribution System

Blessed by the Cupid Distribution System by Robin Jo Margaret

Local loner and hopeless romantic Iris Clarke is single, again, on Valentine’s Day. During the annual Cupid speech before the grand lover’s day, Jaya comes across Iris’s file. Unable to look away from those beautiful brown eyes, Jaya chooses Iris for her imminent mission. When the winged woman shows up at Iris’s house and tells her she is going to find her a partner for the day, Iris can’t believe it. With some tweaks to their official agreement, the two find themselves wandering the city to complete Iris’s list of dream dates, so that she can get the opportunity to finally experience the romance she always dreamed of. But what will happen if the feelings between the two of them become a little too real, and their agreement is only supposed to last one day?


Monster Mixer Vol. 1

Monster Mixer Vol. 1 by Robin Jo Margaret

Five stories. Four relationships. One place where they all met. A collection of short stories centered around the Monster Mixer, a place where creatures of all kinds gather to meet in search of intimacy. In this anthology you’ll find diverse monsters, diverse queer identities and diverse body types, for a short but spicy entertainment.


How to Bare Your Neck and Save a Wreck

How to Bare Your Neck and Save a Wreck by D.N. Bryn

Kraken Collective

“I only take what’s owed me, and you, my little swan, owe me blood.” A single kiss from a masked vampire during Shane’s last journalistic endeavor has left him with an obsession and a mission: uncover the secrets of the black-market blood trade and find his mystery vampire in the process. But this investigation is dangerous. One knock at the wrong door and he could have fangs at his throat instead of lips. Andres had been trying to forget his kiss with Shane Crowley by drowning himself in his work as a thief for the blood trade. When he finds it’s Shane’s blood his boss has decided to steal, Andres’s only option is to buy him for every drop he’ll ever produce. This act awakens something in Andres—new thoughts of ownership and chains that he believes could only ever be the desires of a monster. Andres needs blood to live though, and he’s going to have it from Shane, even if it means donning a mask once more. Between the strange desires Shane’s life as a part-time blood slave is stirring in him, and his investigations into the cycle of injustice that so many fanged citizens face, and texts with an odd new friend who feels vaguely familiar, Shane feels pulled in all directions. Little does he know all those paths lead back to the same vampire



Party of Fools

Party of Fools by Cedar McCloud

Kraken Collective

Ale’s Well That Ends Well
 Resistance members Reed Thorley and Gladys the Destroyer can’t believe their luck when the Immortal Emperor herself wanders into their favorite bar, unguarded and playacting an ordinary citizen. This is their chance to give the rebellion the upper hand against the Empire—after a few pints, of course. The middle-aged halfling musician and his elderly barbarian partner are seasoned enough to know that when Emperor Vallora invites them to join her worldwide food tour, their best bet is to say “Yes, chef!” and wait for an opportunity to strike. But hot as a greased griddle behind them comes Captain Andromeda Stagge, Vallora’s personal bodyguard, intent on returning the Emperor to the palace. She’s only doing her job. She isn’t pissed off at being left behind. It’s not as if the Emperor is her only real friend, given the difficulty of fitting in when you’re a 200-year-old autistic elf from a lower-class socioeconomic background. It isn’t that at all! Vallora’s worldwide food tour hinges on her ability to escape the capital city with Reed and Gladys without being caught. The Emperor isn’t supposed to be sampling local cheeses in the company of commoners. Though why the most powerful person in the Endless Empire needs to be under lock and key in Zenith Palace is anyone’s guess
 Join the party on this brand new adventure comedy as the chase ensues. Make sure you have some good food on hand, because you’re bound to get hungry along the way.


Heart of the Covenant

Heart of the Covenant by S.L. Dove Cooper

Kraken Collective

In Heart of the Covenant, five stories explore ties of friendship, family and culture, embracing our differences and our similarities. Having applied to be an ambassador for her people within the Galactic Covenant, Hedriar has relocated to Cerulean Station, one of the Covenant’s largest residential stations. There, she’ll spend the next years sharing her own culture and learning about the Covenant’s as part of an exchange programme between the two. Hedriar may not have the most detailed of plans of what, or even how, to share the aspects of her culture that matter most to her, but she’s got enthusiasm, family and new-found friends at her side. She’ll figure it out, and along the way she’ll learn that what people value most may not be so different at the core. Heart of the Covenant is a cosy, low-stakes science fiction collection with a strong focus on slice-of-life narratives.


Flooded Secrets

Flooded Secrets by Claudie Arseneault

Kraken Collective

Fate and friendship brought Horace, Rumi, and Aliyah together in Rumi’s Wandering Wagon of Wonderful Wares, a sentient self-propelling wagon. They seek the forest haunting Aliyah’s dream, hoping for answers about their past and their unique abilities—but for that, they need to traverse a world haunted by Fragments, dangerous shards that can possess travellers. With the Fragments in the wilderness, banditry was the last danger Horace had expected on the road—but not even that could stop Keza Nesmit. Swift and deadly with a staff, Keza drops on the Wagon crew, claiming most of their provisions before vanishing back into the Tesrima Ridge. As if to compound their bad luck, the tunnel that serves as the only pass through the mountain is flooded and impassable. Keza reappears, and she’s willing to show them the source of the flooding, a waterway blocked by Fragments, in the hopes that they can unblock it—and just like with the stolen food, she won’t answer any questions about her motives, no matter how friendly. Abrasive, confident, and eager to bicker, Keza makes for a thorny companion, but they’ll need to work together to free the pass and continue their travel. As they unravel the Fragments’ blockage, so, too, do they chip away at Keza’s walls. But the cost of breaking both is far higher than anticipated, and Horace is about to learn that some secrets are better left untouched.


The Space Ace of Mangleby Flat

The Space Ace of Mangleby Flat by Larre Bildeston

On paper, things look fine. Sam Dennon recently inherited significant wealth from his uncle. As a respected architect, Sam spends his days thinking about the family needs and rich lives of his clients. But privately? Even his enduring love of amateur astronomy is on the wane. Sam has built a sustainable-architecture display home for himself but hasn't yet moved into it, preferring to sleep in his cocoon of a campervan. Although they never announced it publicly, Sam's wife and business partner ended their marriage years ago due to lack of intimacy, leaving Sam with the sense he is irreparably broken. Now his beloved uncle has died. An intensifying fear manifests as health anxiety, with night terrors from a half-remembered early childhood event. To assuage the loneliness, Sam embarks on a Personal Happiness Project: 1. Get a pet dog 2. Find a friend. Just one. Not too intense. As Sam comes to terms with the shameful family secrets revealed in a series of letters left to him by his deceased uncle, Sam falls in love again: first with his adopted poodle-cross, and then, much more slowly, with a kind and generous trans woman from his tennis club. Reina is so visibly and proudly queer Sam can’t imagine the two of them share a single thing in common. If only humans came with a guide book...


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