stories in

Sentence for Life

Sentence for Life by Maxime Jaz

“Sometimes, we are in a place where we don’t want to be. And maybe, that place is the only place we should be after all.” Theo knows he will become a star lawyer, like the one his Dad paid to keep him out of prison... he's wrong on both counts. He thinks the first day of jail is brutal; meeting his new cellmate redefines the word. Theo's world not only falls apart; it shrinks to the size smaller than a dorm bathroom he has to share with a man who doesn’t belong in his world. Ryker is as strong as a fortress, one that he had to rebuild from the ruins of his own self. Serving the last year of his long sentence, he is terrified of having his freedom at arm's reach. Ryker is everything Theo fears; Theo is everything Ryker loathes. But being locked up together in a tiny space is a powerful force sparking the fires of love, and neither of the men are prepared for the turmoil this raging inferno will unleash. Are Ryker and Theo who they think they are? Or will new lives be born, like the phoenix etched in Ryker's skin, out of the fire of their love?


Dance with the Devil

Dance with the Devil by Madison Chase

She lost everything she built, he was built to lose everything, and the Heavens themselves are duty-bound to keep them apart. Charlotte Brant, former detective and present-day pariah, has been rebuilding her life following the attack that cost her a job, a marriage, and possibly her sanity. When the King of Hell inserts himself into her life--all dark, handsome, and aggravating--it does her no favors in her efforts to regain some normalcy. Especially when an Archangel is sent on a holy mission to keep them apart by any means necessary--even offering her what she thought she lost forever.


The Lies of the Eternals (The Realm Weaver Trilogy)

The Lies of the Eternals (The Realm Weaver Trilogy) by B.B. Aspen

Threads will be frayed. Hearts will be broken. Lies will be exposed. The Woodlands Wisteria left behind swiftly became the Deadlands. The nation of Numaal rotted with corruption from the inside out, only now humans no longer accept the blindfold of ignorance and lies. Lies that have pervaded across the Thalren Mountains where the Weaver of Fates continues to intertwine Wisteria, Zander and Fennick's threads. As well as the threads of ancient mythical creatures, Eternals and rebels leaders... Each woven's resolve is tested, their character tried, their weaknesses made vulnerable for sacrifices that must be made. The runegate to the beyond threatens to shatter, leaving the Dreamer Realm, and whole of Kinlyra, susceptible to the all consuming plague. Our wovens' future is daunting and indeterminable, but as the War of Worlds commences, light is shed on their pasts and what is revealed is profound enough to rattle even the White Tower.


Death and Loves Confession

Death and Loves Confession by Kristen Coar

With her vampire side more or less under control, Alex Bain had finally found some happiness, especially with Finn, the charming half-fae bartender, heating things up things in the romance department. But when a desperate letter from her ex, Lucas—a warlock with a shadowy past—arrives, her fragile peace is shattered. Unable to abandon him, Alex sets off for Brazil with her bonded mated and the snarky demon Corgi, Argo, to rescue Lucas's sister from the clutches of a ruthless vampire Master. Through the wild and colorful streets of Sao Paolo and the lush jungles of the Brazilian countryside, the group gains new allies and faces nightmarish monsters at every twist and turn. With every step, they all grow closer; even Argo stops giving Lucas a hard time, and Alex finds herself torn between her unresolved feelings for the fire-wielder and her deepening love for Finn. Then, when a desperate escape uncovers a sinister prophecy binding the three of them, Alex must confront the true source of her growing power and passion—one darker than she ever imagined. As unforeseen betrayals and revelations cloud the path and threaten those she loves, will Alex’s heart guide her to a new destiny, or will it lead to catastrophic consequences? Can she master the darkness within, or will it consume them all? And does a girl really have to choose?


Bloody Fantasia

Bloody Fantasia by Claris Lam

In "Bloody Fantasia," Aubri Harlow and her friends believe that their days of investigating murders are over. However, when Aubri's sister, Aria, moves into her new music school, the Da Capo Institution, the school's acting president suddenly dies during the welcoming ceremonies. However, the acting president's death is far from the first murder committed on campus. A string of past murders haunt the school's reputation and its students. It doesn't take long before new corpses start piling up, and Aubri, Aria, and their friends realize they must take up the mystery-solving mantle once more and find out who the murderer is. Will they figure out the person responsible for causing these new tragedies, or will they become part of its bloody history? Find out by reading "Bloody Fantasia!"


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?


Lost in the Light

Lost in the Light by JJ Kang

Ari Barlow has long survived on instinct. It’s crucial for living in the crime capital of the Meridian System. Established for space travel and trade by Illyarium, a world of gods amongst men, the Port of Acheron is now a far cry from the holy image it was spawned from. Just how she likes it. Together, with her level-headed partner, Ari takes any job that brings in the credits. Chosen to investigate a simple distress call, the pair travel to a desolate planet looking to find an easy pay day. Instead, they stumble upon a child in danger, and their decision to intervene puts into motion a war that will span the universe. Out of options and out of luck, Ari is torn away from the person she cares about most and burdened with a new responsibility in the form of a young ward with mysterious origins. Desperate to get her life back on track, Ari charters a ship and meets a crew of unlikely allies. However, a target has been painted on her back and she is now enemy number one to mortals and immortals alike. Ari will be forced to make sacrifices, but the most dangerous battle to face is with the monster lurking inside her.


A Spectre in the Stream

A Spectre in the Stream by Simon Tull

SPSFC 2024

In a world gone mad with bloodlust, can a girl with a fragmented past use her inner monster to save a boy from undying predators? Earth, post-Apocalypse. Prisma longs to understand herself. Two centuries after humanity died, the claustrophobic immortal is grateful she’s not driven by the thirst for blood plaguing every other enslaved survivor. But when she encounters a strange boy with a cryptic message about her origins, she fears his existence has made them both a deadly target. As Prisma’s violently protective alter-ego gives her remarkable abilities, she and her curious companion track his mysterious origins through their decaying city and its virtual twin. But she’s horrified to learn of a vicious truth that sends her split personality into dangerous denial when a psychotic assassin and a desperate bounty hunter close in for the kill. Can she unearth the secret that will renew their stricken planet’s hope? A Spectre in the Stream is the edge-of-your-seat first book in The Slip Saga science fiction fantasy series. If you like gritty characters, violent action, and dark-edged humour, then you’ll love Simon Tull’s fast-paced adventure.


Ghosts of Colossus

Ghosts of Colossus by Peter J. Foote

SPSFC 2024

Asa Kleve craved a life of intergalactic adventure. Instead, she’s tasked with babysitting a group of demanding scientists on the dead planet Cozore. But all of that changes when a rival galactic power attacks and kidnaps the scientists, leaving her for dead. Rescued from the rubble by an alien—one long thought to be extinct—Asa makes a pact with her unexpected new ally to save both their peoples before it’s too late. This dead planet may not be so dead after all, and Asa is about to find more adventure than she ever bargained for.


Pretty Average

Pretty Average by Arini Vlotman

Society should agree that growing up was a scam. One giant experiment that failed.. Esha More is celebrating her 35th birthday and her quick fix of hair dye and champagne only leaves her with a hangover and more problems. When she asks for excitement, getting thrown in the deep end of a corporate scandal is not what she meant. Kane Mittal has been called in as a consultant to manage yet another crisis. Kane has enough women making demands, but after Esha tumbles into his life he can't stop thinking about her. On a mission to save Esha's career and Kane's family business, together they navigate an inept flock of managers while faced with a mounting deadline, their powerful attraction, and a pandora's box of secrets. Join Esha and Kane in their adventurous meet-cute, a workplace romance filled with laughter, and a hefty dose of intrigue.


Madame Eldridge’s Wayward Home For Unruly Boys

Madame Eldridge’s Wayward Home For Unruly Boys by Benjamin Ryan

Deep in the heart of Virginia’s dense backwoods, the Wayward Home for Unruly Boys hides more than just troubled youth. Under Madame Eldridge’s watchful eye, three strict rules govern her behavior program: ​ 1. What happens here stays here. 2. You must complete all eight steps—no exceptions allowed. 3. Forget your name; you’ll be known only by your problem. ​ But, there’s one unspoken rule that sends shivers down the boys' spines: never enter the forbidden third-floor bedroom of the boy who vanished, leaving nothing behind but whispers. When Vandalize and Stealer defy this warning, they uncover a treasure trove of bewitched artifacts, each with a strange and powerful ability. Using these relics, the boys tackle Madame Eldridge’s whimsical—and often bizarre—challenges, only to learn magic always demands its price. ​ Amidst the chaos, Fibbsy stumbles upon a peculiar object that sends him hurtling back in time, revealing an unfathomable truth about Madame Eldridge, the eerie town, and the missing boy’s fate. But who will trust the words of a liar? ​ Bound by the house’s darkest mysteries, Fibbsy, Defiance, Slob, and Secret form an unlikely friendship as they race to unveil the shrouded secrets surrounding the Wayward Home. Together, they confront their deepest fears, uncovering that the real magic lies in facing their own personal demons—and each other.


Coal Gets in your Veins

Coal Gets in your Veins by Cat Rector

In a small corner of Atlantic Canada, Laurel is doing her best to live a decent life in what's left of a former coal mining village. Deep down, she wants more, but it's hard to reach for anything with her husband's boot on her neck. Change is hard, but after two decades of surviving, she's running out of reasons to stay. Just up the hill, right under Laurel’s nose, lives a vampire who is mourning the great loves of his life. Penny Harbour is the perfect little purgatory for Spencer. It’s remote, quiet, and everyone's blood tastes wrong. What better way to punish himself than with a town full of people he can’t eat? Change is hard, but after years of isolation, he’s almost ready to start living again. But sometimes trauma stays in the blood. Sometimes it flows in the water and contaminates the earth. Passing from one heart to the next, slowly blackening everything it touches. In Penny Harbour, pain refuses to let go.


Of Stars and Lightning

Of Stars and Lightning by Melanie Mar

“Destiny wasn’t meant to be tested. Then again, neither was she.” Sol Yarrow didn't ask for much. A nice day for hunting. A peaceful shift at her gods-awful job. A steaming bowl of her Aunt's famous stew. Easy. Simple. But after twenty-five years of simplicity, everything she thought to be true was rewritten when four strangers came to her town of Yavenharrow to take her back to a shielded land known to be inhabited by ruthless Elemental Magic Wielders, a land only known by rumors and bedtime stories. A kingdom where her Mother had been the Queen. A kingdom that, by order of succession, now belonged to her. But what would a human with no magic and a short temper have to offer the Wielders? Sol didn't think much. Her Court thought otherwise.


The Valkyrie Covenant

The Valkyrie Covenant by J. A. Townsend

Lost and alone, Lena longs for two things: a place to call home and friends to call her own. After discovering a mysterious family heirloom, Lena is transported to Idirhalla—a realm created by Odin and ruled by the Valkyrie Queen. But Idirhalla, once a paradise for Odin’s immortal warriors, is on the brink of ruin, plagued by catastrophes that threaten to destroy all realms, both human and magical. As Lena uncovers the secrets her parents left behind and grows closer to the man of her dreams, she learns that her new friends and her new world depend on her to claim her birthright. To save Idirhalla, Lena must embrace her powers and lead a rebellion against those who put her on the throne. In a world where only the strongest Valkyrie rules, Lena must find her inner strength—or risk losing everything she’s come to love.


Garner for Gold

Garner for Gold by Catherine Labadie

Bettina has wealth, freedom, and power as Goddess Marzanna’s favored Saint. Divine influence has grown over the years as Goddess and Her consorts rebuild what Silver’s vanquished order destroyed with each of their fertile joys. The early years of Bettina’s immortality should be equally exalted, but there is a fly in the ointment: her daughter Cosima has been granted Godling status and eternal life. Her firstborn son Cristoval has not. As the Bright Age luxuriates in its golden afternoon, unhallowed forces conspire to challenge Marzanna’s audacious regime. Bettina returns from self-imposed exile to find Aebbenary more perilous than she remembered and her children grown almost beyond recognition. Old wonders and interest in a curiously constructed Grand Archivist both help and hinder Bettina in her plan to ensure neither of her beloved, wayward children will be lost to the grim march of time
or Goddess’s gluttony.


He Who Bleeds

He Who Bleeds by Dorian Valentine

London. 1874. Religious devotion was a learned skill, and even the most pious of men have felt the tug of The Devil’s influence. Lord AurĂ©lien Saint-Orlant found he was no exception, always toeing the line between being a true god-fearing man and a barbaric sinner who reveled in hedonism. This monotonous life of his changes when his world crashes down around him and wolves in sheep's clothing are revealed, leading AurĂ©lien to discover his true origins. As one of many devilspawns, he is locked in a contract with a greedy human who uses him to commit unorthodox killings among the upper echelon. When his contract is partially broken, AurĂ©lien finds himself whole again, and his desire to create his macabre art only grows. The spawn seeks retribution and craves the freedom to create his art in utter peace. With the help of his incubus lover, Lord AurĂ©lien Saint-Orlant will paint the streets red with that human’s gore.


Spark and Tether

Spark and Tether by Lilian Zenzi

SPSFC 2024

Working odd jobs across the Outer Ring gets a little lonely sometimes—not everyone loves having a synchronist with supraliminal perception around. But all Sacheri wants, he tells himself, is to wander the stars. Then he takes a salvage run to an abandoned moon where he meets the wry, reserved, strictly-by-the-rules archivist Jin. Mesmerized by their confidence and charm, Sacheri can’t resist showing off his abilities–and instead of the damaged ai he was tracking, he stumbles onto a signal left by a synchronist who went missing decades earlier. Sacheri knows from previous experience that pursuing the truth—never mind justice—could destroy everything he loves. He would defy his employers, the institution responsible for the myconeural networks that make him a synchronist, and the leadership of several worlds. And it would complicate his new, passionate, and impossibly sweet relationship with Jin. They might be the best thing that’s ever happened to him, but they work for the very entities that ended Sacheri’s last investigation. He knows better than to risk it. But he’s never been able to turn away from someone in need, and there’s a voice in the void calling for aid



Blood & War

Blood & War by Belle Walker

Loyalty and love can ruin you. But hope is the deadliest of all. For ten years Demitria Collins has fought the creatures of nightmares to protect the one person she has left. With a rising string of demon attacks on the forefront, she knows it’s only a matter of time until they’re next. But when a routine patrol goes awry, and Demitria has a fated encounter with the legendary Horsemen known as War, everything she fought for is threatened. Including her life. Kellan, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, has been sent to Earth by the High Council of Eden to restore the balance with his siblings. Dispatched on their newest assignment, he expected the task to be simple. Not for his charge to be human. When a split second decision leaves even more blood on his hands, Kellan has questions for the council– Ones they won't answer. The warrior should embody everything Demitria hates, but a growing darkness forces them into an unlikely allegiance to uncover a deadly truth. When an inexplicable pull complicates matters even worse, and that unyielding hostility turns into something beautiful and fiery that breaks through every belief they’ve ever had, both know the consequences will be deadly. But together, they might stand a chance to restore order before the ultimate destruction of a planet that she, and the High Council, hold dear.


A Song for Mary

A Song for Mary by Sam Carnes

A Song for Mary is a period piece set in Tudor England about two gay musicians in the court of Mary Tudor prior to her ascension as queen. Mary Tudor is looking for a new court musician. Henry plays the viola da gamba well enough but has the voice of an angel. Thomas doesn't sing very well but is a brilliant lutist. After the auditions, in a surprising move, Mary hires them both. Thomas and Henry are not pleased with this and find themselves rivals. But Mary has ordered them to work together. After weeks of tension, Mary commands them to drink a cask together and either work it out or else she might have to look for a new musician. Well into the evening, (and more than a little drunk) Henry and Thomas finally start talking. Will they be able to resolve their differences or will they be sent packing? And how will they navigate being gay in such a time and place?


The Silent Hand

The Silent Hand by K.C. McIntosh

Gwald is a world of infinite magic, its many lands nourished by a mysterious power deep beneath its surface. Dwellings of extraordinary and ancient magic were built where the veins intersect, and where the magic seeps its inhabitants thrive. The Silent Hand, an ancient order dedicated to the destruction of all power but its own, rule the city of Belmouth with an iron fist. They will stop at nothing to eradicate the Seren Telu, an immortal race of sorcerers with a veiled past, who threaten the Church's dominance with ancient might. The Seren named Canthorn is their greatest threat, a man broken by loss and addiction, whose hatred for the Silent Hand is dwarfed only by the need to forget his past. He is joined by an unusual trio of misfits and outcasts. The former Templar, Daese and the drunken apprentice, Alrix accompany Canthorn on a daring mission to rescue a young clairvoyant, Lunelle, a girl of vast necromantic powers who has been captured by the Silent Hand.


The Grandmaster's Gamble

The Grandmaster's Gamble by Paul G. Zareith

SPSFC 2024

An unparalleled academic genius of his generation - Norman has a bright future ahead. While he may be the rising star of the famed Illustrious Academy, in the brutally competitive Irvanian socio-political landscape, opportunist vultures lurk at every corner and no tactic is too low. The biggest obstacle in the way of his grand ambitions though, is an ancient alien parasite that has made his body its nest. Oh, and there is also the problem of a high profile murder investigation that is likely to destroy his career. Will Norman be able to reassert control over his life? Or will he succumb in his pursuit of the forgotten arts of soul harvesting and become something else... Find out in this grimdark cyberpunk fantasy. Sometimes being the best among the best is still not good enough.


A Country of Eternal Light

A Country of Eternal Light by Darby Harn

SPSFC 2024

A rogue black hole tears apart the solar system. Mairead’s life is already in pieces. The Earth has less than a year to survive. Asteroids rain hell; earthquakes rattle cities; manic tides swamp coasts. Mairead intends to give herself to the erratic waves that erode her remote Irish island, the same that claimed her child. When Gavin, an American, arrives to scatter his father’s ashes, she becomes torn between wanting for life and death. Despite the tides, fuel shortages, and closing borders that threaten to trap him on the island, Gavin can’t seem to scatter the ashes. He doesn’t know how to let go any more than Mairead does and they find a strange comfort in their confusion. Their affair draws Mairead back to the world of the living, but the longer Gavin stays, the more it seems there might be a future for them. There is no future. Life closes down around them. The world they know shreds. Life drains into an inescapable abyss. And yet Mairead fights, both the gravity of her grief and the restless, dissonant desire to find some kind of peace no matter how brief.


ShadowBane

ShadowBane by Cal Logan

One womb, one soul, two fates. One will rise. One will fall. Shura and Jin are the last of a divine bloodline, operating at the bloodiest fringes of society where they wield might and magic against the demons they are sworn to destroy. For Shura, it’s the only way to restore honor to her lineage and claim her rightful place in the world. For Jin, it’s a matter of begrudging duty—and escaping the influence of the three kings vying for control of the continent. In their pursuit of the sadistic cult behind the demons’ resurgence, the twins find themselves hunted by an ancient demon harboring a blood vendetta, and are forced to set aside past grudges and seek the kings’ alliance. When Shura discovers a chilling prophecy, she fears that even her newfound allies may not be enough to stem the rising tide of shadow. Even the palest chance of victory will come at a brutal price. But the prophecy never foretold whose fate would settle the debt: Shura's or her brother's.


Echoes (Entanglement Book 1)

Echoes (Entanglement Book 1) by Phil Oddy

SPSFC 2024

Who can you trust if you can't trust yourself? Estrel Beck doesn’t want to be a software salesman. Yet here he is, newly arrived in the city-state of Trinity, for a make-or-break meeting with the local Administration department. Under-prepared, under-motivated and over-sensitive, every little thing about this strange place seems to stress Estrel out. When he discovers a message scrawled on the back of a napkin, in his own handwriting, telling him he’s trapped in a time loop, he knows for sure that he’s in over his head. Then the Administration building explodes. As Estrel struggles to make sense of his situation and find an escape, he is drawn into Trinity’s bizarre underworld and the struggles for power against Trinity’s corrupt Mayor Chaguartay. Echoes is a story about being trapped by your past choices and what it takes to break free.


Talio's Codex

Talio's Codex by J. Alexander Cohen

Is LOVE WORTH DESTROYING HIS REPUTATION? Ten years ago, the theft of his codex destroyed Talio Rossa's career as a magistrate in the four cities. But when his ex-wife—finally willing to forgive finding him in bed with a man—presents him a long-shot legal case, he has the chance to get his career back on track. While fighting to rejoin the legal community, Talio uncovers a conspiracy so big it threatens the origins of the four cities themselves. Their prosperity is only thanks to their connection by magical floating waterways and the brilliance of their legal system, now regarded as near scripture. To save his career, Talio must work with both the one who doomed his marriage and the hooded, heretical man who sets his heart aflame but is determined to plead guilty to a murder he didn't commit. To stand a chance of winning the case. saving his career and the man of his dreams, Talio will have to uncover an explosive secret destined to blow the legal system apart.


Through Legend They Fall

Through Legend They Fall by Rachel Pendley

As Ferrin Grey returned home from the horrors of war, his people hailed him a hero while the ghosts of his sins screamed monster. Now he is dying, infected with an unknown disease that eats him away little by little, piece by piece. When the ruler of a foreign nation unleashes a terrifying beast in Ferrin’s homeland, he finds himself thrust back into a world he was so desperate to leave behind. To end this nightmare, he must kill both creature and king, but ill omens warn him of the future as demons resurface from his past, turning the hunter into the hunted. And if these monsters were to catch this rotting soldier, then death will be the least of his troubles.


The Treasured One

The Treasured One by Hannah Levin

Forced to choose between loyalty and love... Avery is a Golden Child with the ability to heal any illness or injury. She lives a sheltered life, dutifully healing hopefuls from around the globe. Although she dreams of freedom, she fears disrupting the status quo—that is, until her powers go on the fritz, threatening her health and her relationship with her government caretakers. In search of answers, Avery travels through The Rift to the realm of the fae, intimidatingly beautiful beings with powers humans don’t understand. Their prince, Riel, has motivations of his own when he agrees to teach her about her rare magic. But as they work together, the two are drawn to each other. Just as Avery manages to unlock the full potential of her powers, a betrayal shakes Riel’s House, putting pressure on the already tenuous relationship between humans and the fae. Caught in the middle, Avery and Riel will have to decide what matters most to them: loyalty to their respective nations, or their feelings for one another. This debut novel from Hannah Levin will appeal to those new to Romantasy as well as seasoned Romantasy readers who enjoy contemporary and high fantasy elements, light-hearted adventure, and descriptive yet digestible world-building.


The Crack at the Heart of Everything

The Crack at the Heart of Everything by Fiona Fenn

He accidentally cursed himself... When the consequences get him exiled to the land he helped terrorize, can this evil wizard find redemption... and love? Orpheus can't believe it's come to this. After helping his childhood friend conquer the realm by raising an army of hell-beasts, the befuddled dark sorcerer finds himself banished when the price of his magic endangers the palace. Isolated and betrayed, Orpheus isn't exactly thrilled when his irritating and handsome rival keeps stepping between him and certain doom. Ill at ease in the barren wasteland his powers created, Orpheus slowly warms to the charismatic ex-general's relentless overtures. But as his feelings grow more intense, the former villain struggles with an inconvenient calling towards heroism. Will dabbling in good deeds get him killed or open the doors to happily ever after? The Crack at the Heart of Everything is the charmingly swoon-worthy first book in an epic LGBTQ+ fantasy series. If you like character-driven stories, snarky humor, and well-earned redemption arcs, then you'll adore Fiona Fenn's unexpected hero's journey.


Ascension

Ascension by Brittany Engstrand

If you die in your dreams, do you die in reality? When Maaya Hasan is devoured by her late grandmother’s mirror, she learns a powerful shadow demon is after her soul. To remain alive, she’s forced to ally with her enemy’s heir—a flirty, cursed assassin who hides the truth about his broken past. With Ares’s help, she must collect the souls of five dead gods in order to return home. Throughout their journey, Maaya struggles to survive encounters with merciless demons, spirits, and otherworldly creatures like seer plants, heart-stealing vultures, and a demon of illusions
 and to resist her desire for Ares, despite his alluring, incessant attempts to charm her. As secrets are exposed and a dark power stirs within her, Maaya learns her soul is not the only life at stake. She must sacrifice the love she couldn’t help but become entangled in, or risk the lives of innocents across the universe. For all gods covet sacrifice.


Earthbound

Earthbound by Katee Stein

Every oath holds power. In a land where the Earth spawns terrible beasts capable of moving through all but stone, the Sky bestows power to those bound by Oaths. As earthbound creatures invade, bringing with them chaos and whispers of a coming war, protector and Overseer Tehran fights to keep his people safe. After losing his best friend to the beasts and with the stability of the region deteriorating, Tehran heads to the Capital to plead for support from the Order of the Sky. When his friend’s widow stows aboard the transport, determined to hold the Order accountable for the death of her husband, Tehran’s plans are derailed. Torn between upholding his responsibility as an Overseer or honouring his friend’s memory, Tehran must either choose the Oaths that have forged him or trust new bonds to guard the fate of the Mercurial.


Last Outlaw

Last Outlaw by Lee Hall

“I’m gonna take that gold right from under them and disappear with what I have always deserved – the fortune we have always deserved
” It’s the turn of the 20th century and times are getting harder for aging gunslinger John Arthur and his adopted daughter Bethany ‘The Blade’ Mason. After reuniting with an old friend they are offered an opportunity promising the haul of a lifetime but the unexpected is waiting in the small, strange town of Haddington. Heist turns to horror as a battle for survival blurs the lines between law and outlaw.


Cursed & Treat

Cursed & Treat by Miriam Yvette

Ivan no longer celebrates Halloween, until his attitude unintentionally summons a dangerous vampire. While she feasts on his food and entertains herself with movies, he must break his curse before she turns on him.


Excalibur's King

Excalibur's King by Miriam Yvette

Nestled in the hot mountain regions of a dying god lies the kingdom of Excalibur. Tungsten was born with one purpose: to become an unyielding stronghold and fulfill his duty to Excalibur alone. But when The Affliction War claimed his brother's life, and caused his father's early demise, Tungsten became not a servant, but Excalibur’s new king. On a mission to reunite with his sister, Tungsten and his best knight Lancelot find themselves arriving not at a homecoming, but a murder scene. Arthurian-inspired Gigachad MC with a sunshine personality Single POV Mythical creatures Arthurian references


Children of Rima

Children of Rima by Miriam Yvette

Celestials. Light vs. Darkness. Enemies-to-lovers? A secret identity hides the truth, but what happens when it becomes a cage? The irritable and uncommitted Lucan Greystone has to live under an alias, his true self, hidden in a human body. No one can know he’s a celestial of the cosmos. But when a murder attempt sends Lucan to a small town, he must depend on the Harrow family to trek the long, perilous road back to his friends, all while suffering Elene Harrow’s company, the town’s heathen who nearly killed him. Elene Harrow wants to undo the wrongs of her past, even if that means fulfilling a Vow of Marriage and leaving her romantic life in the hands of another. Upon meeting Lucan, she finds his existence a danger, yet he’s always the one who rescues her, even when he can barely stand her. When Elene discovers one of Rima’s children ensnared in darkness, the journey may be more than they bargained for. ⇟ Favorite quotes from readers ⇟ “What I’m trying to say is everyone paints their own story, and sometimes that brush is in someone else’s control. In the end, we make decisions we’re not proud of, fall into potholes we can’t get out of, but don’t think for a second any one of you is walking with a white canvas.” - Oscern, chap. 23 “There is nothing wrong with hoping.” She wiped Corie’s tears away and moved away the curls that stuck to her freckled cheeks. “It’s all we can do when things that are out of our control happen.” - Elene, chap. 29 "Every day is a new opportunity to be a better person. If you lose sight of that, then you lose a piece of yourself and the things that you hold dear.” - Wein, chap. 33


Death Sentence

Death Sentence by Ashley Hawthorne

He just might take being a bad boy a little too far. Eloise Mason keeps everything arranged to her exacting standards. A stable job, a non-existent dating life, and a perfectly maintained home in just the right neighborhood. Nothing unexpected ever happens and that’s how she likes it. Ethan Callaghan moves in next door and destroys her vision. Late-night parties, roaring motorcycle engines, and charming smiles were nowhere on her schedule, and she isn’t in a hurry to forgive him when he causes a scene in front of the neighbors. She hates him until his persistent interest begins to win her over, but when someone close to her is murdered, it becomes apparent that her softening heart is more of a threat than she realized. As the stakes rise and the killer closes in, Eloise will have to decide if trusting Ethan will save her life or be a death sentence.


A Curse of Breath and Blood

A Curse of Breath and Blood by K.W. Foster

'A Court of Thorns and Roses' meets 'Six of Crows' in this thrilling new fantasy romance. A queen turned mercenary. A long-lost love. An ancient evil reborn. With her home kingdom destroyed and her family considered dead, Aelia Springborn makes a living, using her abilities to break minds for anyone with enough coin. Content to live a life in the shadows, her world is turned upside down when her former lover, Caiden Stormweaver, tracks her down at the edge of the world with a proposition she can’t refuse
. help him thwart her former husband, King Gideon, from obtaining the deadly army of the Alder King. With a chasm of hurt between them, the pair strikes a deal; once their mission is complete, Aelia will wipe his memories of their relationship, releasing them both from their tumultuous past. Bound by magic and aided by friends, Caiden and Aelia set off on a journey to save the continent from ultimate destruction. However, as their mission progresses, Aelia and Caiden find themselves reigniting the flames of their past. But in Moriana, breaking a bargain is deadly. Things become even more complicated when Aelia meets Tharan Greenblade, a charming playboy whom she cannot help but fall for. With the threads of their fates entwining, the trio will be forced into a high-stakes game that will test their loyalties and raise the dead. Don't miss this adult romantasy debut combining the dark fairytale atmosphere of Nettle and Bone with the heart-stopping romance of A Court of Thorns and Roses and the found family dynamics of Divine Rivals. With tension at every turn, this novel explores the sacrifices we make to save the ones we love.


When Oceans Rise

When Oceans Rise by Robin Alvarez

Submerged in a toxic relationship and disconnected from everyone, she turns to the sea to decide her fate. Its decision? Toss her to the sea witch. Seventeen-year-old Malaya is cursed. In her family, every girl’s first love ends in death after falling for someone evil. Good thing Malaya’s dream guy isn’t monstrous. Except the curse is real and preventing Malaya from noticing how much he has gaslit and isolated her until she can’t be saved. With no other options, the sea witch is the only one to help her. Bartering her voice for a new life where she and her abusive boyfriend never met, Malaya accidentally swaps places with an alternate timeline version of herself who didn’t make her mistakes. As she tries to undo the switch, the sea witch uses Malaya’s voice to unleash Filipino mythological creatures into the worlds. Can a champion, an alternate timeline sister, and Malaya fight these beasts and stop the sea witch before she destroys both timelines?


Forever Red

Forever Red by Harvey Oliver Baxter

In the beginning, there was a band. A band of kids who had the world at their fingertips. Follow Ben and Casper throughout their lives as they rise to fame as the goth icons of the band Forever Red, and watch through interviews and their own narration as they navigate their passions, relationships, and eventually, their undead lives. The rockstar life is not always as it seems, but some bonds were never meant to be broken.


Earth to Alis

Earth to Alis by Lex Carlow

Alistair Woodson is a loner by choice. Since the traumatic night that ended his only friendship, he’s isolated himself by letting his classmates believe he’s a criminal and an arsonist, best to be avoided at all costs. But on his graduation trip across Paris, Switzerland, and Italy, Alis discovers that isolation isn’t so easy to maintain in hostel rooms and cross-country trains. Soon he finds himself growing closer to classmates who were once strangers to him—namely the class clown, Craig Miltenberg, whose frustratingly good hair and cheerful disposition don’t irritate Alis nearly as much as they should. Yet, as his deepening connections stir up painful reminders of his last doomed friendship, Alis continues to cope the only way he knows how: drowning out the pain on the inside by hurting himself on the outside. When his self-destructive behaviours intensify and put him and his new relationships in jeopardy, Alis must find the courage to confront his spiralling mental health—even if it means letting someone in. Lex Carlow's gritty queer debut is perfect for fans of Alice Oseman, Kathleen Glasgow, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.


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.


Demon of the Deep

Demon of the Deep by Briar Belmont

‘Do you know the other reason they call me the Deep Water Demon? You’re about to find out.’ Rowan Faine, captain of the fastest pirate vessel on the seas, has always hated the Deep Water Demon. His rival pirate captain is infamous, brutal, and 
 handsome? After a years-long game of cat and mouse they’ve never come face to face, until Rowan ventures into deeper waters and falls right into the Demon’s trap. When Rowan and the Demon finally meet, he doesn’t expect to find himself inexplicably drawn into the man’s dashing good looks, nor his elegant yet ruthless nature. Something dark pulls them together, like a creature lurking just beneath the surface. While Rowan can’t help but give in to the Demon’s charms, he’s not the only one sating his curiosity in a stranger’s bed; their crews get up to shenanigans of their own —from first loves reunited, to tentative new beginnings; no one is immune to the tides of love and lust. Yet when a betrayal by one of their own threatens to reveal all their secrets, can Rowan and the Demon learn to trust one another enough to keep their crews safe? Join Rowan, the Deep Water Demon, and their chaotic crews on this swashbuckling erotic romance adventure.


Demon's Tear

Demon's Tear by R.E. Sanders

No prophecies No destiny The new heroes of our time shall choose themselves The Jantakai, the lands of the Twin Swords, are divided. War threatens every border, crime infests countries like a disease, and the gods themselves have faded away. Beneath this turbulent arena an ancient, malicious power begins to wake. The whole world is like dry tinder, waiting for a spark. Old friends Ellyah and Nastja must rediscover how to trust one another as they navigate the underworld of Anish. Eain is a young soldier of Banahgar, whose dreams of glory turn out to be a nightmare. Driven by necessity, their quests will force them to travel further and through more dangers than they could have imagined. At the heart of it all, a blood-red ruby gleams, sending out a siren call. A frantic chase begins, those who would possess it unaware of the danger it holds. Glory and riches await the victor, and for the losers the only prize will be death. Who will claim the Demon’s Tear?


City of Spores

City of Spores by Austin Shirey

Welcome to Madripol, city of artists and madmen, city of mushrooms. There’s something wrong with this city. When a strange plague infects Old Town, Johanna Kolibrik thinks the graffiti messages scrawled all over the city might be right. Kolibrik’s got her own problems, though—like paying the bills and keeping her PI business afloat—so when a well-dressed man from New Town offers to double her fee to find his missing wife, she ignores her gut and takes the case. But when she stumbles across a manuscript that shouldn’t exist, Kolibrik finds herself caught up in a vast web of conspiracy that will challenge everything she believes—a conspiracy that could shake the city of Madripol to its very foundations. Because in Madripol, everything is connected 



Worth It

Worth It by Amy Nielsen

Seventeen-year-old Angela Carter intended to pick out prom dresses with her best friend and fill out college applications during her senior year. But after her father abandons the family and her addict mother kicks her out, the now-pregnant teen’s new normal is keeping her pressure cooker older boyfriend, Dale, from erupting. When an intoxicated Dale loses control of her car one night, Angela fears she’ll never hold her unborn child. But something worse happens; they all survive. Desperate for what little stability he provides, and for fear of his retaliation, Angela lies to the police when questioned about the accident. Her lie not only protects him from a DUI but also conceals a darker secret—what happens behind the closed doors of their single-wide trailer.


The Whisper that Replaced God

The Whisper that Replaced God by Timothy Wolff

Murder is just, so long as it serves the crown. Hidden behind a mask and with a dagger in his sheath, Mute serves the crown with pride. A fair life, if not a monotonous one. But his next contract nicks too close, for murder within a brothel is always nasty business, especially the one which Mute frequents. The brothel his Dorothy works, his Dorothy who awaits Mute and only Mute. Surely none would dare touch her, for if they did, royalty or not, they would fall to Lord Mute, the Silent God's chosen one. They would scream
 And not a sound would be heard.


Chloe’s Kingdom

Chloe’s Kingdom by Gregory Michael

SPSFC 2024

Six Motivated Thieves. One Deadly Heist. Chloe Espinoza is a wild-haired petty thief aboard the Kingdom, a drifting city spaceship. Once rich but now poor, Chloe is determined to break free from the Honeycombs and return to her life in the Gardens. Only one problem: she hardly has enough koin for a burrito, making a lavish apartment seem as distant as the stars. All that might change, however, when Chloe is offered a heist that could make her unimaginably rich. But she can’t break into the impenetrable Koin Vault alone
 A young mastermind who can’t let go of her past. A mathematical genius in desperate need of koin. A privileged kid from the Gardens with a debt to pay. A bartender who’s serving revenge. A mischievous raccoon with a bottomless appetite. A battered soul who’s been wronged by the council. Gone are the days of stealing snacks. Chloe’s crew is aiming for the ultimate prize: the Koin Vault. Their plan? To rob the Treasury and bring down the corrupt council. But in a game where the stakes are jail or death, every move could be their last.


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 Boy The Monsters Made

The Boy The Monsters Made by Ronan Graves

GRIFFIN THOUGHT THE MONSTERS ONLY LIVED IN HIS HEAD. He was fine with that. In fact, it was far more preferable than his father sitting him down to talk about the regular visits from the things that go bump in the night and hearing him say “yeah bud, I see them too.” The delicate fabric weaving Griffin’s sense of normalcy unravels when his best friend, Jude, is called upon to do the work of a fractured relic for apathetic The Reapers. SENTINEL WILLIAM “MOZ” MOSLEY is demon-host turned renowned demon-hunter, labelled a madman for storming from his wife’s sham funeral. His family are the only ones who believe she’s still alive until a flame from his past is drawn out to join the search. The thin line between the horrors of monsters and the evils of man is a visible distinction to them. Until the bodies begin to appear. A string of grisly murders plague the restless capitol city, leaving both the Royal Sentry and Brightloch Police Department scrambling to solve them first. Haunted by visions of faces that shortly after turn up in the macabre crime scenes, Griffin knows that he owes it to the victims to find their killers. With a suspect list that includes an ancient demon of the crossroads and a band of Oracles gone rogue, Griffin and his family find themselves way in over their heads. WHO DIED AND PUT THE KIDS IN CHARGE?


For A Few Days More

For A Few Days More by Z.B. Steele

The Hinterlands are a lawless place of broken dreams and broken people. Roth is a bodyguard trying to leave his dark past behind, but history has a way of turning back up. Cynthia is a bandit who's trying to make a future by wading through blood. They travel separately, trying to live by their own codes. All while a man in a red cloak tracks their blood-soaked footprints.


Higanbana

Higanbana by Jake Vanguard

Nate didn’t need a savior, a guardian angel. Nathaniel has never known happiness or a life free from struggle. Stuck in an abusive relationship and damned to work minimum-wage jobs, he has no energy or motivation to make himself better. That is until he meets a mysterious stranger. Raziel, Archangel of Heaven, was wrongfully stripped of his grace and banished to life on Earth. Lost on his own and haunted by loneliness and the injustices inflicted on him, he meets Nathaniel. Struggling to navigate free will, he starts exploring the human world and falls in love—not just with the world but with the human guiding him through it as well. Will they save each other from their demons? Or will they drag each other deeper into Hell?


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