stories in and

A Canticle of War

A Canticle of War by Steven Raaymakers

When the world is threatened with total destruction, can warchildren unite to save it? A grim story of trauma and power with a Sanderson-esque magic system. In this epic conclusion, all bets are off as Raziel and his rag-tag crew must finally come together against the rising dark power. If death doesn’t find them first. The city of Archehan lies in ruins, banshees circle the crumbling towers. Famine and violence spread across the fallen kingdom. An empire marches its armies to war. Ancient magics are stirring, woken by Raziel’s choices. With the fate of the world in their hands, will Raziel and his companions find the way forward through the darkness, or will they be the architects of their own doom? The ‘Aria of Steel Trilogy’ is a heavy-metal power ballad of clashing blades, blood-soaked betrayal, and sweet revenge. Join the fight today!


A Canticle for the Fallen

A Canticle for the Fallen by Steven Raaymakers

How far would you go to change the past? After four years in exile, Raziel is forced to return to his homeland, Renas. Meeting a companion who shares his abilities, he sets off to find the rumoured ‘Lady in White’, an enigmatic woman who promises an end to the persecution of their kind. Raziel is soon faced with a terrible choice over life and death. He bears serious wounds, and the path ahead grows ever more violent. Wracked with indecision, and with his soul in turmoil, he sets off on a bloody mission. Will his pain lead him to the light, or will the shadows claim his scarred soul? Set in a grim world of emotion-based magic and twisted fates, this is the second book in the Aria of Steel trilogy.


Heard: How Loss Led Us to Love

Heard: How Loss Led Us to Love by Ligia Cushman

What if your greatest loss led you to love? Professional Counselor and Director of Adoptions Ligia Cushman unveils her heart amid shattering circumstances and shows readers how to thrive when life doesn't turn out as they had planned. Some moments in life catch us off guard while others shatter us completely. For Ligia, it was the night she miscarried her first child. Ligia understands personal loss deeply and discovered that loss can be exactly what our soul needs to radically encounter God and feel heard. In Heard: How Loss Led Us To Love she invites us on her own journey with grit, gut-honest vulnerability and authenticity.


The Wall

The Wall by Sarah Jane Singer

Julia has lived her whole life inside the Wall, the shining fortress her father built. But she dreams of knowing the world, and one day, the world calls to her. She runs away from home with a false name, a magical gift from her ailing mother, and her lion companion. But leaving triggers a curse, and no matter how hard she tries to outrun it, it catches up with her—as curses often do. Now, with only the help of a mysterious archer she meets along her journey, Julia must confront dark magic, uncover the secrets of her mother’s past and her own abilities, and discover who she is outside of the Wall, if she is ever to survive the curse and build a life of her own. Fans of Naomi Novik and Laura E. Weymouth will love Sarah Jane Singer’s lyrical, adventurous debut novel.


Cthulhu Armageddon

Cthulhu Armageddon by C.T. Phipps

“Under an alien sky where gods of eldritch matter rule, the only truth is revenge.” CTHULHU ARMAGEDDON is the story of a world 100 years past the rise of the Old Ones which has been reduced to a giant monster-filled desert and pockets of human survivors (along with Deep Ones, ghouls, and other “talking” monsters). John Henry Booth is a ranger of one of the largest remaining city-states when he’s exiled for his group’s massacre and suspicion he’s “tainted.” Escaping with a doctor who killed her husband, John travels across the Earth’s blasted alien ruins to seek the life of the man who killed his friends. It’s the one thing he has left.


Post Mortem

Post Mortem by Phelan Reed

Luck has never really been on Chance's side. Fresh off a five year stint in prison, he's ready to start over, but all his plans come to a halt when he's murdered. Not one to let a little thing like death stop him, Chance sets out to track down his last worldly possession: the coin that brought him back to life. With his murderer trying to put him back in the grave, the last thing Chance needs is to find a reason to stay alive... Avery has been a mortician for close to a decade, and though he's had his fair share of strange experiences, he's never had a person wake up on him. When one does, his otherwise mundane life suddenly gets a lot more interesting. Post Mortem is an ownvoice gay thriller romance with trans MCs, low heat romance, and a HEA! Content Warning: Death; Emetophobia; Mild to moderate gore/violence and body horror (autopsy scars, mouth trauma); Past Drug Addiction; Drug Usage; References to Homophobia and Transphobia; Suicide; and Referenced Self Harm.


A Song for the Road

A Song for the Road by Catherine Labadie

An outcast in her tight-knit community, Larkspur endures her poor health with help neither from her family nor her fickle sweetheart. At a yearly moon festival she beseeches the spirits for better luck...but they lead her to a foundling elf child she did not want and a quest she did not ask for. Yet she and the mute spryte form a bond over their shared struggles. When danger arrives at their cottage, Larkspur sets out with the girl she's named Gentian from the country of her homefolk into the land of songs and tales itself. Through leagues of treacherous border woods lies miraculous Beledan, where dwarven chieftains quarrel amongst themselves and, far to the north, the mysterious elves marshal for war.


Nightfall

Nightfall by M.A. Vice

A bitter war with Raazenia has seized Sylva. Beaten-down revolutionaries fight for survival in the dark world. As the Order searches for a way forward in the face of rampant uncertainty, Mianna is forced to confront dark secrets about the Order she has served all her life that will shake the foundation of everything she has ever known. As Z'xolkuloth's iron grip increases on the dark world of Hatheg Kla, the last scraps of revolt may at last find the leader they have long searched for...


Birthright

Birthright by M.A. Vice

When a young daemon becomes host to his father, the eons-old progenitor of his kind, it seems his only purpose is to kill and kill again, to build a new world fit for the dark to rule. Unseen by humans, the world has long been controlled by the strings of a shadowy secret society of immortal beings, the Order of Azoth. As the organization fractures and begins to unravel, he may be the last hope of the Order to quell the spread of corruption and change the path of the future. Just as they may be his only hope to discover his own humanity.


String of Stardust

String of Stardust by James Margaret Rose

"It is a farce for a wildflower, so meek and common, rooted firmly in the Earth, to fall in love with the Moon..." Despite her status as a noblewoman, Suzette always dreamt of becoming a baker; however, she never had the courage to fly away from her gilded cage. But once an ill-arranged marriage pushes her to the brink, she escapes with the help of her dear friend Hikaru, a mysterious man who lonesomely wanders the Earth. By his side, Suzette discovers a magical world unlike any she believed could exist—and most surprising of all, that this is not the first time she has known Hikaru...nor the first time she has been in love with him. But that life ended long ago. Suzette is an entirely new person, and much has changed in their decades of absence. As much as she wishes to recreate the idyllic life of her new memories, there may be no choice but to also recreate its tragedy. Note: Contains mature content that may not be suitable for younger readers.


Gerald Poole And The Pirates

Gerald Poole And The Pirates by Johannes T. Evans

Gerald Poole, a young Englishman, is miserable when he is dispatched abroad aboard a naval vessel, and is reluctantly attended to by the cold and put-upon Lieutenant Jack Wicks - this tense relationship is interrupted and put under pressure when the two are kidnapped by pirates. A novella with a little bit of adventure, M/M/M romance, and queerness in the 18th century Mediterranean! CONTENT THEMES & WARNINGS (POTENTIAL SPOILERS): This story is set at sea in the late 18th century, and throughout there is language and behaviour typical to the period, including racism, homophobia, and ableism throughout, as well as blood and violence. It’s a kidnapping narrative, and therefore consent could be considered coerced, although everybody is enthusiastically consenting. Although there is no label applied due to the period, two protagonists are depicted as ADHD, Gerald Poole and Orion Thwaites.


The Wife in the Attic

The Wife in the Attic by Rose Lerner

Goldengrove’s towers and twisted chimneys rose at the very edge of the peaceful Weald, a stone’s throw from the poisonous marshes and merciless waters of Rye Bay. Young Tabby Palethorp had been running wild there, ever since her mother grew too ill to leave her room. I was the perfect choice to give Tabby a good English education: thoroughly respectable and far too plain to tempt her lonely father, Sir Kit, to indiscretion. I knew better than to trust my new employer with the truth about my past. But knowing better couldn’t stop me from yearning for impossible things: to be Tabby’s mother, Sir Kit’s companion, Goldengrove’s new mistress. All that belonged to poor Lady Palethorp. Most of all, I burned to finally catch a glimpse of her. Surely she could tell me who had viciously defaced the exquisite guitar in the music room, why all the doors in the house were locked after dark, and whose footsteps I heard in the night



Heart of Stone

Heart of Stone by Johannes T. Evans

The year is 1764, and following a glowing recommendation from his last employer, Henry Coffey, vampire, takes on a new personal secretary: young Theophilus Essex. The man is quite unlike any secretary - or any man, for that matter - that Henry has ever met. --- 'Heart of Stone' is a slowly unfolding period romance between a vampire and his inimitably devoted clerk: lushly depicted in flowing, lovingly appended prose, we follow the slow understanding these two men grasp of one another, and the cross of their two worlds into each other's. Henry Coffey, immortal and ever-oscillating between periods of delighted focus upon his current passion project, is charming, witty, and seems utterly incapable of closing his mouth for more than a few moments; in contrast, Theophilus Essex is quiet and keenly focused, adopting an ever-flat affect, but as time goes on, he relaxes in his employer's presence. Craving resounding intimacy but with an ever aware of the polite boundaries for their situation, Coffey and Essex perform a slow dance as they grow closer to one another, and find themselves entangled.


The Bayou

The Bayou by Arden Powell

SFINCS

"Eugene didn’t know if he believed in the devil beyond the wicked things people did of their own accord, but if the devil had a face, it would look like Johnny Walker’s." Small-town Louisiana, 1935. When Eugene was twelve, a girl from town disappeared. Everyone said the gators must have got her when she strayed too near the bayou. No foul play, just a terrible accident. But Eugene can't shake the conviction that Mary Beth's death had something to do with the man who used to haunt her—the man no one else could see. Now, nearly two decades later, there are more dangerous things than gators in Chanlarivyù. People are disappearing again, and this time, no one can find the bodies. As the town's unease grows, charismatic fugitive Johnny Walker arrives on the scene, shedding bullet casings and stolen bank notes in his wake. He tangles himself up in Eugene's life and awakens memories Eugene thought he had laid to rest years ago. Memories of the mysterious man who followed Eugene into his dreams, and memories of the bayou— And of the horrifying entity that lurks beneath the water's surface, slowly seeping into the town like a stain.


The Crows

The Crows by C.M Rosens

When broken-hearted Carrie Rickard falls in love with a ruined house, her life changes forever - especially since this house loves her back. Fairwood House, known locally as The Crows, is no ordinary ruin. As Carrie pours herself into its restoration, she learns that it comes with a curse and an unsolved sixty-year-old child murder... and a mind of its own. As she digs into the secrets of The Crows, Carrie is dragged into a world of witchcraft, blood magic and the supernatural, aided by her eldritch soothsayer neighbour, Ricky Porter, who's as obsessed with the house as she is. Ricky, desperate to become the master of Fairwood and of the arcane artefact it guards, sees Carrie's future is set in stone - and so is her death-date. But is his offer of help sincere, or is he the reason she's doomed?


A Canticle of Two Souls

A Canticle of Two Souls by Steven Raaymakers

A magic sword forged of a demon. A broken boy seeking revenge. A grim coming-of-age tale with a Sanderson-esque magic system. Raziel watched the Rhotian Empire slaughter his family. When a sentient sword promises him the head of the emperor, Raziel carves a bloody path in an epic journey across a land filled with banshees and mercenaries in pursuit of his revenge. But forced to travel with a strange young woman with a dark past, will Raziel even reach his destination? Alicia has plans of her own. Gifted with a terrible magic that can bend others to her will, she also has revenge on her mind and Raziel in her sights. Can two enemies put aside their differences to seek a higher goal, or will mistrust and inner-demons condemn their fates? Magic is a dangerous thing. So is hope. The ‘Aria of Steel Trilogy’ is a heavy-metal power ballad of clashing blades, blood-soaked betrayal, and sweet revenge. Will you walk away or join the fight?


Thirteenth

Thirteenth by C.M Rosens

Lovecraftian horror meets kitchen sink drama in this dry, darkly funny tale of toxic families, killers and cannibals, eldritch body horror and antihero female rage. ~ Katy Porter is the thirteenth child of a thirteenth child in an inbred family of eldritch horrors, and her own eventual metamorphosis will change her into a creature that hungers for her family's flesh. To some, she's a threat - to others, a weapon. Katy needs allies to help her control her Changes, but she's stuck with her oldest brother, a drug-addled playboy who voted to have her killed but is chaotic enough to have genuinely changed his mind, and her eyeball-eating, god-like cousin, whose idea of protecting her involves abduction, dark rituals, and encouraging her homicidal side. If anyone is going to survive Katy's transformation, scores need to be settled and fears need to be faced - and Katy is not the only one who needs to face them. THIRTEENTH is an eldritch family drama with a Lovecraftian twist on HANNIBAL RISING meets FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, set it in East Sussex. Content Warnings for drug use, self harm, suicide ideation, incest, violence, gore, body horror, and strong language. Adult Horror. Full list of CWs can be found on its product page at cmrosens.com.


The Case Files of Sheridan Bell: The Vanishing Beast

The Case Files of Sheridan Bell: The Vanishing Beast by Em Rowene

A strange woman comes to Detective Bell with an even stranger problem: she’s about to be arrested for murder and needs Detective Bell to clear her name. When the police confuse a simple protection charm for something more sinister and arrest the wrong person, Bell must untangle cons, confront powerful sidhe families, and find the mysterious beast that roams the streets of his city.


Revenge

Revenge by Dani Hoots

A swashbuckling upper YA/NA LGBTQ+ sci-fi western you don't want to miss! It has been three years since Elvira "Ellie" Ryder was betrayed by her ex-boyfriend Cor, which caused the destruction of her people by invaders from a different Zone. Now she will do anything to find him and make him pay. Ellie has found someone who knows where Cor is. The price—assassinate a half-human, half-Sirian who is trying to join the Society, a high-class club only for the rich. Ellie takes the job, as it wouldn’t be the first assassination job she has taken, and heads to the Human Zone. However, when she learns more about her target, the more she realizes what is going on behind the curtain, and how her people were really destroyed. Will Ellie be able to forgive Cor after learning the truth? Or will she forever hold on to that hatred? *Rep: Bisexual, asexual, & gay


Dreamtaker

Dreamtaker by Azshure Raine

Dreamtaker is the sequel to ReBirth: Zodiac Book One. While darker than its predecessor, Dreamtaker continues Jase and Liya's story as they face the consequences of their actions. Fate walks Gaea once more, but in an unexpected form. Familiar faces join Jase and Liya in their journey, including Tokei Fairaway, June, and of course Reve, the guardian. Along the way they make new friends in the form of one called Crow—a spindly mercenary who doesn't always listen. The story expands on Undall, Chall and their tenuous relationship. Gaea just got a lot bigger, and more dangerous. Fate smiles upon a thriving Chall under the rule of its new king. A time of celebration has come to the once guarded metal walls. Flowers bloom, and people arrive in anticipation of the royal wedding of the King of Chall to his princess. But... An unknown evil lurks beyond the eastern mountains. Smoke billows out of an abandoned outpost where a mad scientist tinkers with the blood of a titan. A new threat is born. Will Fate have the strength to endure? Only Time will tell...


When I Grow Up I Want to Be a Chair

When I Grow Up I Want to Be a Chair by Ryan Rae Harbuck

Her story has (not) defined her. From where she sat, her perspective of the world was both quite ordinary and rivetingly extraordinary—from a paralyzing car accident in her teens to traveling overseas on a journey of self-reflection to becoming a mom. Throughout everything she experienced, she fervently believed in following her given path. She wanted to trust its trajectory. She wanted to be sure. Her story is not about a chair. Her story is about her strengths and how they rose out of her instinctive vulnerabilities. Her story is about her struggles and how they became her victories. Her story is about being willing to hold it all, for herself and the whole of her world. Everyone has a chair. That thing you are bound to or unwillingly defines you. An element that makes you different from the rest. One that you have little choice in the matter. What’s YOUR chair?


A Dragonbird in the Fern

A Dragonbird in the Fern by Laura Rueckert

When an assassin kills Princess Jiara’s older sister Scilla, her vengeful ghost is doomed to walk their city of glittering canals, tormenting loved ones until the murderer is brought to justice. While the entire kingdom mourns, Scilla’s betrothed arrives and requests that seventeen-year-old Jiara take her sister’s place as his bride to confirm the alliance between their countries. ​Marrying the young king intended for her sister and traveling to his distant home is distressing enough, but with dyslexia and years of scholarly struggles, Jiara abandoned any hope of learning other languages long ago. She’s terrified of life in a foreign land where she’ll be unable to communicate. Then Jiara discovers evidence that her sister’s assassin comes from the king’s own country. If she marries the king, Jiara can hunt the murderer and release her family from Scilla’s ghost, whose thirst for blood mounts every day. To save her family, Jiara must find her sister’s killer . . . before he murders her too.


Querencia Summer 2022

Querencia Summer 2022 by Querencia Press

Querencia Press's first anthology features 66 contributors of Poetry, Fiction, & Non-fiction work. Themes of the collection vary widely and the editor would like to include content warnings for self-harm, addiction, grief, domestic violence, religious trauma, sexual trauma, gender dysphoria and politics, as well as some blood and body horror. Edited by Emily Perkovich


Mud Crab Kingdom: The Soft-Shelled Prince

Mud Crab Kingdom: The Soft-Shelled Prince by Dr. Joel Anthony Hamilton

In a time ruled by fair-skinned kings and racial divides, the son of a fair-skinned king and mud-skinned peasant, Marcious Leojé, spends his days far beyond his father's kingdom in the muddy mangroves with his best friend, Etel Duetman. Here, they form an unusual kinship with the native crabs and build a mud kingdom. These two mud-skinned teenagers feel invincible within this playground-sized fortress. The discrimination within the kingdom cannot reach them and the mud walls provide a sense of security. However, they soon learn that their kingdom is nothing more than a mud wall, as it is unable to protect those they love. Cast into despair and the unknown world, they must learn to build a kingdom capable of protecting those they love. Along their journey they encounter people who show them the products of love, war, and despair. However, Marcious cannot envision his product, his own kingdom. Everywhere, being mud-skinned is worse than murder, and being "different" is worse than being mud-skinned. Will his vow to create a kingdom withstand the rising tides or will it wash away like that of his childhood?


The Savior's Rise

The Savior's Rise by Talli L. Morgan

WHEN GODS FALL, LEGENDS RISE. Taja Ievisin thought the Oracle Stone would fix all his problems, but all it’s left him with are a city in shambles, shocking truths about his gods, and a role he can’t possibly fill. He is Sawwia Setukkda, the Second Savior of his people, but without a drop of magic in his blood and no idea how to get his people to trust him, how is he supposed to save anyone? Jekku Aj’ere is finally free –– from his maddening curse, from the Royal Sorcerer who wished to control him, and from the influence of the Oracle Stone. But now what? Grappling with ghosts from his past and torn between two paths, Jekku has to figure out where to turn, even if it means leaving someone behind. But before either of them can move ahead, they’ve got a mess to clean up. BĂ„thĂ€lla is divided –– and most Elshalans remain stubbornly loyal to the gods. If Taja can’t win over his people, it’s only a matter of time before the gods strengthen their hold and snuff out BĂ„thĂ€lla’s magic for good. Return to the magic-rich world of THE ORACLE STONE for another adventure in Talli L. Morgan’s page-turning duology.


Bring Inner Greatness Out: Personal Brand

Bring Inner Greatness Out: Personal Brand by Dr. Mansur Hasib

When we think of deserts, we think of sand, drought, and harsh conditions - hardly a place for beautiful flowers with sweet nectar to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Yet, that is exactly what the beautiful Fairy Duster on the cover does. With her bright red flower clusters, stamens ornately shaped in the form of tiny dusters, and juicy nectar she drives butterflies and hummingbirds wild with ecstasy. Her leaves resemble those of the sensitive plant but you can touch her and she will not wilt in apprehension, because she is confident in her greatness. She has adorned her stalks with very fine hair; you can touch her stalk as well without hurting yourself. She generously teaches the smaller buds around her to bloom with similar efflorescence; together they will attract and sustain more hummingbirds and butterflies. Regardless of where we are born or what the color of our skin is, we too can choose to be extraordinary like the Fairy Duster and be beacons of hope and inspiration for others. While we do not choose the circumstances of birth, we have the power to choose our destiny by building a unique and compelling personal brand to enhance our value and change the trajectory of our success. We can choose to solve our problems and harsh conditions so they lose prominence and fade into the background. We can welcome others to join our circle of greatness so everyone can enjoy a better life. We do not have to look for greatness outside because we are already born unique. In a world of several billion people we are a supply of one! We must find the unique gifts we have inside, our likes and dislikes, things we can be good at, polish them, showcase them, and monetize them for multiple customers all over the world. All of a sudden we cease to be a common flower and become the extraordinary and valuable flower that we are. That is what this book is about. Begin your journey to a lifetime of greatness today!


The Old Love And The New

The Old Love And The New by Alistair Caradec

'My priority is, and has always been to protect the citizens of our country. God save the King.' Twenty-five years after the infection started spreading across Britain and Ireland, most people have stopped asking questions. Nobody seems to care anymore what happened to the women in the provisional quarantine centres. Sid doesn’t have the headspace to care. Since receiving a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder at age nineteen, he has stuck to a strict regimen of routine, low expectations, and tuning out the world. When his best friend brings home the first woman either of them has seen since the epidemic, Sid has to push back the boundaries he set for his own safety and face outwards for the first time


EXODUS 20:3

EXODUS 20:3 by FreydĂ­s Moon

Religious eroticism and queer emancipation meet in a claustrophobic monster-romance about divinity, sexuality, and freedom. When Diego LĂłpez is guilted by his mother into taking a low-key construction job in New Mexico, he doesn’t expect to be the only helping hand at Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. But the church is abandoned, decrepit, and off the beaten path, and the only other person for miles is its handsome caretaker, Ariel Azevedo. Together, Diego and Ariel refurbish the old church, sharing stories of their heritage, experiences, and desires. But as the long days turn into longer nights, Diego begins to see past Ariel’s human mirage and finds himself falling into lust—and maybe something else—with one of God’s first creations.


She Steals Justice

She Steals Justice by J. Clark

She Steals Justice is a powerful urban retelling of the Robin Hood legend set in the American South—from an author who knows the area intimately. When her sister becomes pregnant, Robyn Carter starts to take a stand against the abuse she's suffered for years at the hands of her sister's boyfriend. But as she gets deeper into her fight, Robyn uncovers secrets that force her to reckon with what it truly means to be justice-minded and community-oriented, as well as what it costs to protect those around her. To the reader: This book contains scenes that may depict, mention, or discuss abusive relationship, blood, cheating, death, misogyny, murder, physical abuse, poisoning, pregnancy, racism, sexism, violence. Please read with caution, and protect your mental health as needed.


Ope'

Ope' by Yulu Ewis

"In 'Ope (More), Yulu Ewis opens the world of oral tradition-the same, timeless, pre-Columbian world of our Indigenous ancestors that is still present, but unseen by most-to all of her readers. Grounded in the language and world views of her Miwok and Pomo ancestors, Ewis definitely gives us 'more' as it grapples with cultural perseverance, along with the 'sovereignty' and 'civil rights' the US has 'given' to her people in the aftermath of its genocidal and assimilative tactics that attempted to destroy them." Dr. Kimberly G. Wieser, Associate Professor, University of Oklahoma, author of Texas...to Get Horses and Back to the Blanket


Moonlight Love and Witchcraft

Moonlight Love and Witchcraft by Vaela Denarr & Micah Iannandrea

“I love you. And I need you like the blood in my veins. Without you I wouldn’t be me.” A werewolf and a vampire with an unbreakable bond. A cute witch fleeing her home for a crime she may or may not have committed. A burning desire for something more between them. Years after becoming a vampire, Logan is finally on track to their goal: Making it big in the music industry with the support of their band and their girlfriend Kay, protector of the local supernatural community. For all its issues, with her by their side, Logan’s life is perfect. But when a new girl comes to town, Nemo, everything abruptly becomes much more complicated and Logan can’t ask Kay for help anymore. Because to do that, they’d have to admit to her that they’ve fallen for someone else
 Nemo, having fled her home for a crime she totally didn’t commit, finds a welcome distraction in Logan’s friendship. But her thoughts quickly become haunted by them and their gorgeous girlfriend
 As Kay realizes that what’s going on between Logan and Nemo exceeds the bounds of friendship, she has to make a choice: Keep her partner all to herself, or encourage them to explore their feelings, and explore her own. To let love make them one, or perhaps tear them apart.


Something Between Us

Something Between Us by D.T. Brandt

Raith is an Ichthien, a water-dwelling species that wears a mask on shore to protect the humans that live there from falling victim to their coercive siren-like voices. He has a crush on Cam, a human who works at the forge where Raith delivers carts of oreballs dredged from the lake floor. Once they finally meet cute and start spending time together, Raith begins to fall prey to the expectations of others and the constraints of their separate worlds. Meanwhile, Raith's sister Kiela is trying to uncover a secret about the Ichthiens' past that he doesn't think even exists. As her research chips away at his doubts it also uncovers a possible path forward with Cam, but at a steep cost that Raith must be certain he's willing to pay.


Silent Night

Silent Night by Emma K. C. Couette

In a future world, the skyscrapers of Haven City have crumbled and the government of today is no more. Death lurks around every corner and tomorrow is not promised. The Resistance and the Assassin’s Guild fight for control of the city, but after decades of a silent war, no one expects victory. In this lawless city, enemies are abundant, but three people are feared above all: the Charger, Black Death, and the mysterious assassin called Silent Night. ​ Silent Night has spent her whole life clawing her way to the top of the assassin list and has reached second place at the age of 18. She is days away from becoming Agent One when the tables are turned and a horrible truth is revealed. The next day, Silent Night seeks out the Resistance, to aid in the destruction of the Assassin’s Guild. Silent Night expects hatred and mistrust from her former enemies, but one boy will surprise her and that boy might just be the end of her. Please note: This book contains content/themes that may not be suitable for all readers, including: death, graphic violence, abuse, manipulation, alcoholism, death of a child, and mental health issues, such as panic attacks. Please read at your own discretion.


Afterlands: After the Harrowing

Afterlands: After the Harrowing by Boots

A feral scavenger, a once-celebrated warrior, a fearful Harrower, and a bitchy marsupial band together to ensure each other’s happily-ever-afters in spite of their collapsing world.


Lady, in Waiting

Lady, in Waiting by Karen Heenan

She survived exile. He survived a death sentence. Can they survive marriage? Margaery Preston is newly married to a man she barely knows. Proposing to Robin Lewis may have been impulsive, but she wants their marriage to work - she just doesn't know how to be married, and it seems her husband hasn't a clue, either. Treated like a child by everyone from her husband to the queen, lost in the unfamiliar world of the Elizabethan court, Margaery will have to learn quickly or lose any chance at the life she wants. Can a marriage for all the wrong reasons make it to happily ever after?


A Wider World

A Wider World by Karen Heenan

Memories are all he has... now they could save his life. Returning to England after almost five years in exile, Robin Lewis is arrested and charged with heresy by the dying Queen Mary. Over a days-long journey to the Tower of London, Robin spins a tale for his captor, revisiting his life under three Tudor monarchs and wondering how he will be judged—not just by the queen, but by the God he stopped serving long ago. When every moment counts, will the journey—and Robin's stories—last long enough for him to be saved by Mary's heir, the young Queen Elizabeth?


Prince of the Sorrows

Prince of the Sorrows by Kellen Graves

Without an academic endorsement to make him valuable to the high fey, Saffron will be sent back through the veil to the human world. The place he was traded from as a changeling-baby, and a place he is terrified of. And while getting an endorsement shouldn't be impossible, it's hindered by the fact his literacy is self-taught, using books stolen off of Morrígan Academy's campus of high fey students. When mistaken identity leads to Saffron learning the true name of brooding, self-centered, high fey Prince Cylvan, what begins as a risk of losing his life (or his tongue) becomes an opportunity to earn the future he wants. In exchange for an endorsement, he and Cylvan form a geis where Saffron agrees to find a spell to strip power from Cylvan's true name. While Prince Cylvan doesn't know Saffron can barely read, Saffron is determined to meet his end of the deal in order to remain in Alfidel—or, maybe, just to remain by Cylvan's side, as affections grow stronger every night they spend alone in the library together. But as other human servants soon fall victim to a beast known only as “the wolf”, Saffron realizes he has embroiled himself in a manipulative reach for power like he never anticipated—and even Prince Cylvan cannot be trusted. Between the wolf, uncovering forbidden magic, and his growing feelings for the prince, Saffron will have to decide which is most important to him—his endorsement, the lives of his friends, or the prince’s life and wellbeing.


Refraction

Refraction by Terry Geo

Refraction is a LGBT+ technothriller for adults. Dinosaurs running around London, videos of spaceships in the sky and the largest, most technologically advanced museum is secretly hidden beneath the streets. A privately-funded facility has discovered a way to tap into our minds. The ability to observe and record our dreams is now in their hands. Working on the very outer-rim of science, they are making the impossible a reality. Searching for those with highly active brainwaves, four people from across the globe are brought together to spend the night in the facility, but there’s always someone actively seeking to shatter our dreams. Step into a world within ourselves and beyond the one we know. Embark on an adventure that spans this life and the next. Discover the secrets hidden within all of us and set your imagination free. THE WORLD YOU KNOW, IS ONLY HALF THE STORY.


Ask Me For Fire

Ask Me For Fire by Halli Starling

The tall pines, the thick mist, the birdsong above his head.. Barrett loves everything about living outside the remote mountain town of Lake Honor, but especially the peace and quiet. His days as a forest ranger are filled with unpredictable adventure, so home is the one place he knows he can count on. But even home has been a surprise of late, as his next door neighbor and good friend has suddenly passed away, and the house has been sold to someone new. He’s not sure this change will be good. When the new neighbor, Ambrose, arrives, Barrett realizes that the man is a loner, like himself, and clearly not looking for a friend. Which is a pity, because Barrett finds him fascinating and incredibly good looking. Ambrose didn’t move to the outskirts of nowhere to make a friend. But Barrett, his new neighbor, is kind and generous, and has soft brown eyes he can’t stop thinking about. As he slowly warms up to Barrett, fate finds a way to push them together when danger and sabotage strike. Barrett saves Ambrose’s life, and their bond is cemented. Ambrose isn’t sure about letting in someone new, but Barrett hasn’t proven to be anything but a good person. And a handsome one at that. As their lives entangle, and their relationship grows, neither man can ignore the attraction between them. But their pasts are complicated; an ex-boyfriend reappears, an estranged parent tries to get in contact, and Barrett’s nephew falls ill. On top of that, the sabotage of forest ranger equipment grows more dangerous and Barrett is pulled into the investigation. Both men want to take their relationship slow, even with all the drama swirling around them. Ask Me For Fire is a love story drenched in atmosphere, suspense, and heartfelt connections.


Twelfth Moon

Twelfth Moon by Halli Starling

Elsie’s a small town with a lot of heart. Isn’t that how most small town romance stories begin? But this isn’t any love story. These five stories cross paths and connections, age, gender, sexuality, and different kinds of relationships. Stories like that of Harriet, the owner of Twelfth Moon perfumery and adopted mother to her nephew, Nu. Harriet always figured she’d be single for the rest of her life, but Dela Atwater appearing in her shop one blustery autumn day sparks something within her. A bit of romance and longing she’d long thought buried. And what about Nu, Harriet’s nephew? He’s quickly falling for Miles, who works in the coffee shop next door to Twelfth Moon. The shop is owned by Miles’s brother, Jones, who has his own ideas about sex and lust and romance (or lack thereof). Across town, Maeve is learning how to exist as a widower but when they meet Evie, a spark is lit. And Yuri, Nu’s best friend, is anxiously awaiting the holidays so he can see his girlfriend, Beckett, once more. It's about hope and joy and queer love in so many shapes and forms, from the author of the dark fantasy/romance novel Wilderwood ("...will shatter readers’ expectations with its bewitching complexities..." - The BookLife Prize).


Wilderwood

Wilderwood by Halli Starling

Wilderwood is a haven for those who have been cast out of “proper” society: academics, artists, the eccentrics and undesirous. It is also home to other kind and having weres, mages, and even an ancient griffin living amongst mortals just isn’t done. Except in Wilderwood. Octavia Wilder cares for those who live in the town her ancestor built and when a feral vampire threatens the peace, she partners with the Ranger who has brought word of the threat. Ranger Roderick Arman hunts Corbin Luther, the feral vampire who killed his partner two years ago. When Luther’s trail leads him to the odd little town of Wilderwood, he quickly realizes there’s more to the town – and his hunt – than expected. Ranger Bellemy Eislen disappeared two years ago when what was to be a quick trip to the Faelands on behalf of the Rangers went entirely wrong. Trapped in another realm, they tirelessly sought a way back to their world. And to Wilderwood and Octavia. The three of them must fight to save Wilderwood from an invasion from another realm and protect the town from the Faelands Queen. Wilderwood is a fantasy/romance book with some violent and sexual elements. The story features a polyamorous, queer romance between three consenting adults.


Empire's Legacy: The Complete Trilogy

Empire's Legacy: The Complete Trilogy by Marian L Thorpe

'a magnificent fantasy epic.' Readers' Favorite 5-star review. A country on the brink of defeat. A woman who answers a call to arms. A man to challenge an Empire. For centuries, women used weapons to kill for food, men to kill in war. Now Lena must break with tradition to save those she loves, but as she steps from her settled world into one of battle, intrigue and politics, her lover chooses banishment. Lonely and afraid, each decision Lena makes brings more terrible consequences, until even her own people turn against her. Her partner in exile, the enigmatic diplomat Cillian, has no survival skills. Lena’s quick wit and prowess with knife and bow keeps them alive as they search for a lost Empire of immense and ancient power. But how much will Lena sacrifice for a hopeless cause before the price is just too great? Individual Book Awards: Empire's Daughter: B.R.A.G Medallion Honoree; Eric Hoffer Finalist; BBNYA Semi-Finalist; (all 2021); Empire's Exile: Gold Medal, Historical Fantasy (2019), Coffee Pot Book Club Historical Fiction Awards Trilogy Awards: Reader's Favorite 5 star Award, 2021; Silver Medal, Historical Fantasy Box Set (2019), Coffee Pot Book Club Historical Fiction Awards


Empire's Heir

Empire's Heir by Marian L Thorpe

Eric Hoffer Award Category Finalist, 2022 Some games are played for mortal stakes. Gwenna, heir to Ésparias, is summoned by the Empress of Casil to compete for the hand of her son. Offered power and influence far beyond what her own small land can give her, Gwenna’s strategy seems clear – except she loves someone else. Nineteen years earlier, the Empress outplayed Cillian in diplomacy and intrigue. Alone, his only living daughter has little chance to counter the Empress's experience and skill. Aging and torn by grief and worry, Cillian insists on accompanying Gwenna to Casil. Risking a charge of treason, faced with a choice he does not want to make, Cillian must convince Gwenna her future is more important than his – while Gwenna plans her moves to keep her father safe. Both are playing a dangerous game. Which one will concede – or sacrifice?


A Girl Named Adam

A Girl Named Adam by Jordan J. Scavone

A Girl Name Adam follows fourth grade best friends, Annie & Adam. But, when Adam starts wearing dresses and changes their name to Addie, all Annie wants is her best friend back.


APOTHEOSIS The Fifth Yanai: Book Two

APOTHEOSIS The Fifth Yanai: Book Two by Juniper Lake Fitzgerald

The Fifth Yanai is a story of the value of free will, the triumph of love, and the fight to live life on one's own terms. Apotheosis is the second installment. Through harrowing trials and godly visions, rival zealots became allies and an ancient prophecy has revealed itself to be true. Ohkai and Velyr are more intricately connected than they could ever have imagined, but the mystical ties that bind them raise more questions than they answered. The unforgiving season of Frost has arrived and Ohkai is called against his will to fulfill the wishes of the Yanai, leaving his life, his Sect and his friends behind, as he disappears beyond their reach. Velyr is left to navigate a strange new life and brand new home without him, and he struggles to find normalcy on the outskirts of the frozen Continent in the camp of his once sworn enemies. But still danger lurks, as the Temple reveals its own agenda, and a force is birthed into the world that will change the course of every soul alive, forever.


Structural Strain

Structural Strain by Tabitha O'Connell

After realizing how badly he was failing his partner, Yaan promised to do better. Being open and vulnerable with Kel isn’t exactly easy, but it’s worth it for the closeness they now share. Kel, meanwhile, continues to combat his conflict-avoidant nature and be honest about his own wants and needs. The payoff includes not just an increase in affection from Yaan, but also Yaan getting to know his family, and even pledging to help get the old neighborhood theater—the catalyst for their reconciliation—open again. When Yaan begins noticing other ways the city government he works for has failed its working-class residents, his renewed commitment to Kel leads him to push back against his boss’s policies. Kel, however, is concerned Yaan might be taking on too much. When he’s proven right, their relationship will be tested anew, as Yaan is forced to decide what really matters to him and Kel must choose how far he’s willing to go for Yaan’s sake.


Empire's Bard

Empire's Bard by Marian L Thorpe

Omnibus edition of Oraiáphon and Empire's Reckoning Courage comes in many forms. The northern invaders are defeated, but the price is high. The Eastern Empire, gone from these lands for generations, now rules. For Sorley, the young lord of Gundarstorp, the war and the treaty he signed have stripped him of both his lands and the chance to be a scáeli, a bard. Now it threatens to take Cillian, the man he loves. Reluctantly accepting a diplomatic role, desperate to stay at Cillian’s side, Sorley is torn between promises: to his country’s leader; to his oath as an envoy; to his closest friend. Taking refuge in his music and the arms of another man, he finds a fragile peace – only to have it shattered by secrets revealed. But there is more than one side to a story, more than one song to be sung – if Sorley is brave enough to listen to his heart.


Awakening: The Commune’s Curse Book 1

Awakening: The Commune’s Curse Book 1 by Lucy A. McLaren

The Kingdom of Septima is ruled in all but name by the Commune, a ruthless cult that seeks control of an ancient power that has taken root in unsuspecting children in Septima. To maintain their hold on the kingdom, the Commune will stop at nothing to capture children who show signs of this power, to be weaponised or eliminated. 18-year-old Evelyn Folksman is in hiding. Taken in by a tavern-owner, she is haunted by the horrific events that drove her from her home years before. Evelyn is forced to face her past when two wayward children, Raif and Rose Huntsman, arrive at the tavern, pursued by Commune soldiers. The children fall under Evelyn’s reluctant care as the trio narrowly escape a raid. Relentlessly hunted by Commander Jonah Sulemon and Commune agent Lord Eirik Torrant, Evelyn and Raif cannot fathom why they pose such a threat to the Commune, until six-year-old Rose unwittingly reveals a terrible secret: she possesses powers more fearsome than any the Commune has unearthed in decades. There are only two options: to be captured and imprisoned, or to run for the rest of their lives.


Pulsus Cordis Mei-The Pulse of my Heart (Omnia Vincit Amor Book 3)

Pulsus Cordis Mei-The Pulse of my Heart (Omnia Vincit Amor Book 3) by Maxime Jaz

For when you breathe, I am your air. For when your heart beats, I am its pulse. For when you are far away, look at our star. When events out of their control split the family apart, Marius, Kyle, and Claudia are challenged beyond belief. In the desperate race for power, their enemies will stop at nothing to ensure they destroy Marius and those he loves. Kyle and Claudia have to navigate treacherous waters in Rome to deal with their adversaries, and separate allies from foes, whereas Marius has his own struggles to deal with, far from his loved ones. As an unexpected and shattering blow leaves them reeling, Kyle has to be stronger than ever before to keep them from sinking into despair. Will their enemies finally shatter the small family, or will their love prevail, and conquer all?


Avis Aurea-The Golden Bird (Omnia Vincit Amor Book 2)

Avis Aurea-The Golden Bird (Omnia Vincit Amor Book 2) by Maxime Jaz

From the ashes of suffering, a new strength can be born. From embracing one’s demons, a new life can be found. Back in Rome after his perilous adventures, Marius makes a shocking discovery about his past. But life must go on. Not only does his child need raising, but he must also resume his duties amidst the plotting of Rome’s elite. To add to that, his love for Kyle burns even brighter, melting the walls behind which so many painful memories are trapped. And as feelings bubble to the surface more and more, Marius and Kyle’s love is revealed without hindrance, slowly and sensually, even though shadows of Kyle’s past come back to haunt him, and the people involved in his suffering are thorns in their emerging love. That, and the fact, Marius also brings home a new wife, Claudia. And as Claudia takes her place within the family, unexpected emotions emerge between them all, lacing themselves into Marius and Kyle’s world, resulting in unexpected bliss. Until shattering news about their enemies leaves all of them grappling for air, facing decisions none of them want to make... caught in the race for power. Will their love surmount the many painful obstacles put in their path? Or will their enemies drive a wedge, an unbridgeable chasm between them all? Are Marius, Kyle, and Claudia nothing more than victims of the cruel world they live in?


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