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The Three Wise Young Men Part III by DarĂo Aguilar Peregrina Ever since the young Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltazar discovered they were descendants of the Original Wise Men, their lives would completely change for better and for worse due to some enemies they would encounter along the way. Nevertheless, thanks to their collective charisma, as well as the help of incredible friends from the Magical Multiverse, their main mission of delivering gifts had been an absolute success. Upon recommendation of Santa Claus himself, the Wise Young Men would be summoned by the Mansa (King) of Mukehele Zunduri to find an object that would bring peace and stability to the kingdom after being missing for many years... The Star of Bethlehem. |
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The Three Wise Young Men Part II by DarĂo Aguilar Peregrina Two years after defeating Herodes the Great, Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltazar had fully assumed the mantle of the Three Wise Men and brought gifts to different parts of the world accompanied by their friends from the Citadel and Mexico City. Due to the great success of the three in the task entrusted to them by the ancient Kings, they would be invited to Santa Claus's Christmas celebration at the North Pole, where various characters from different fantasy realms beyond the Citadel Kingdom would attend. However, when an ancient evil spirit would try to ruin this gathering and at the same time the upcoming Christmas, the Wise Young Men would seek to stop it... |
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The Three Wise Young Men by DarĂo Aguilar Peregrina After years of fulfilling the wishes of all children every January 6th, one day, the Three Wise Men disappeared without a trace from the magical world they came from... Following this event, three young people from different parts of Mexico City who had stopped believing in the tradition and had a connection with the original Three Wise Men, would be chosen to embark on an unforgettable journey and find them. The Magic is real... |
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Brigade DXT by DarĂo Aguilar Peregrina Every four years there is an event that unites nations, thousands of athletes strive to make their countries proud, diverse chronicles that inspire us to become like them... This is the story of Manuel Peregrina and the Brigade DXT in their road into the Olympic Games... |
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Latin Dancin Ft. HispanoamĂŠrica by DarĂo Aguilar Peregrina Sometime after winning the Top Latino Festival, Marisol Quintanilla would become a rising celebrity in the Latin American music scene alongside her friends Xabiani AriztĂĄbal and Graciela Magdalena. Simultaneously, after recording a series of musical albums, Marisol would manage to enter the top 50 most listened-to hits in the world, as would Xabiani, who was an absolute idol in Colombia, along with Graciela, who would be recognized as a renowned musical actress in Argentina. On the other hand, due to the massive success of the first part of Latin Dancin, AndrĂŠs Montenegro would decide to continue with the idea of a sequel that would add Hispanic American music to create a more comprehensive experience for players. Later on, Marisol, Xabiani, and Graciela would receive an invitation from Noa RĂo Records to participate in a new Latin Dancin contest that would pit them against winners of past editions of the Top Latino Festivals, which had already had 25 seasons. Who would achieve victory and claim the coveted prize desired by all? |
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Latin Dancin by DarĂo Aguilar Peregrina After years of listening to Latin American music in his childhood and youth, video game programmer AndrĂŠs Montenegro noticed that there had never been one about Latin American music and culture, so he created one called Latin Dancin. Thanks to technological advancements, the game offered an immersive experience where players could be inside it and play a series of levels inspired by the countries of Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, Argentina, El Salvador, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil. Months after its release, the game became a success, generating profits for the company DreamGamers, which organized various events to promote Latin and Hispanic artists. On the other hand, despite her powerful and sweet voice, the 16-year-old Mexican girl Marisol Quintanilla had shyness when it came to the stage after loving Latin music for many years. She thought that her dream of becoming a singer might never come true... However, after her birthday, Marisol received as a gift the game Latin Dancin, which was in a new season of searching for Latin talent. |
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The Space Ace of Mangleby Flat by Larre Bildeston On paper, things look fine. Sam Dennon recently inherited significant wealth from his uncle. As a respected architect, Sam spends his days thinking about the family needs and rich lives of his clients. But privately? Even his enduring love of amateur astronomy is on the wane. Sam has built a sustainable-architecture display home for himself but hasn't yet moved into it, preferring to sleep in his cocoon of a campervan. Although they never announced it publicly, Sam's wife and business partner ended their marriage years ago due to lack of intimacy, leaving Sam with the sense he is irreparably broken. Now his beloved uncle has died. An intensifying fear manifests as health anxiety, with night terrors from a half-remembered early childhood event. To assuage the loneliness, Sam embarks on a Personal Happiness Project: 1. Get a pet dog 2. Find a friend. Just one. Not too intense. As Sam comes to terms with the shameful family secrets revealed in a series of letters left to him by his deceased uncle, Sam falls in love again: first with his adopted poodle-cross, and then, much more slowly, with a kind and generous trans woman from his tennis club. Reina is so visibly and proudly queer Sam canât imagine the two of them share a single thing in common. If only humans came with a guide book... |
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The Earthly Blaze by Alice Poon The Earthly Blaze is the concluding part of the Sword Maiden from the Moon duology. This duology is a blend of the wuxia and xianxia genre that evokes vibes of cdramas like The Untamed, Nirvana in Fire and Word of Honor. In this propulsive sequel to The Heavenly Sword, the heroine Saiâer is beset with grim challenges as she leads the White Lotus Sect to oppose Emperor Zhu Di. When the Green Dragon threatens to kill villagers to punish Saiâer for wounding Zhu Di, she is forced to fight the demon in an undersea battle. Aided by her immortal friends and found family, Sai'er engages in violent clashes with the enemy camp. All the while, she yearns to start a new life with her lover Sanbao, but is haunted by the prospect of a final showdown with Zhu Di. The Earthly Blaze is the second and concluding part of Alice Poonâs magnificent duology combining Chinese mythical folklore and speculative history into a sweeping tale of family love, fellowship loyalty, loss, sacrifice and kung fu rivalry. |
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How to Bite Your Neighbor and Win a Wager by D.N. Bryn "I WANT YOU TO BITE ME." Vincent Barnes has suffered four years as a vampire, and theyâve been the most miserable years of his pathetic life. Too poor for black market blood, he feeds from sleeping humans to survive. He tries to never intrude on the same prey twice, but after a single delicious taste of a long-lost childhood neighbor, he canât help returning for seconds. Wesley Garcia has been waking up with fang marks. Lucky for him, he needs a vampireâto use as bait. Heâs certain Vitalis-Barron Pharmaceutical killed his mother, but to gain access to their covert research labs, he has to bring them a bloodsucker for their experiments. Step one, a dramatic offer: Stay, and you can bite me. Vincent leaps at the chance to gobble Wesley up. Wesâs plan is perfect. Heâll befriend the vampire, then trick him into coming to the lab. No fighting, no fuss. But Vincent is more than Wesley has bargained for: sweet and shy, with intoxicating fangs that awaken new desires in Wes. As the two bond, Vincent believes he might have finally found someone worth putting his trust in... and Wes fears neither of them will survive the betrayal he has planned. How to Bite Your Neighbor and Win and Wager is a slow-burn paranormal mm romance full of laughter, angst, and thirsty pining. It is perfect for fans of fangs and scientific interpretations of vampirism, with a medium spice level that heats up further in the free bonus content. Content includes bite kink, bleeding (non-kinky), medical experimentation (not experienced by the point of view characters), one particular lesbian BFF who should be reported to HR, and the use of âbodice-rippingâ as a verb. |
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The Planets We Become by Nathaniel Luscombe Rahnia was sent to a desert planet with a mission: hunt down the voice box and find a home for her people. It makes no difference that her people have no claim to the planet as they hunt for something that never belonged to them. They long to conquer, even as she longs to be free. When a tragic accident leaves her lost and alone, Rahnia finds herself in the care of a stranger who offers her the power of a planet unlike any sheâs ever known beforeâone thatâs alive and calling her name. Faced with a past full of pain, she is determined to build up a future of hopeâeven if it takes a lifetime. |
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Moon Soul by Nathaniel Luscombe "I don't think I can justify it any longer. I'm going to quit my job." August has never been good with change and isnât sure who she is beyond her job of reading memories in the sand. When she comes to the conclusion that she has to quit her job, sheâs left with an overwhelming sense of emptiness. What follows is the quiet chaos of a girl regaining control over her life on a small desert moon. Deciding to take a job in the hanging gardens of the Spire, August discovers more to life as she meets new friends, forms a different connection with her home, and faces an unexpected visitor from her past. Rich in relatable emotions and experiences, inspiring in message, and written in prose that will hook you from page one, Moon Soul is a science fantasy novella unlike any youâve read before. It will leave you feeling seen and understood. |
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The Tenacious Tale of Tanna the Tendersword by Dewey Conway & Bill Adams Galdifort Quillpen has grand dreams of writing epic tales of heroic deeds, just like his famous aunt. Unfortunately, heâs been assigned to Tanna the Tendersword, an excruciatingly carefree would-be-champion who canât seem to find a qualifying entry-level quest. When things are at their most miserable, the young Questers meet an enigmatic old woman who offers Tanna a quest: follow a peg-legged, sword-wielding rooster to help save a crying mushroom lost within a haunted forest. Tanna heroically accepts, regardless of how incredibly unsafe the odd quest seems. But Galdifortâs fears become reality when a sorceress sends her fog monster and lizard henchmen after them. Only a true Champion should confront a sorceress, and, in his eyes, Tanna is not up to the task. But if he wants to write his chronicle, Galdifort must learn to do something he certainly isnât comfortable doing â trust in honest friendship with Tanna the Tendersword. Heâs just a chronicler, after all, not a hero! |
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The Naughty Corner by Mark Towse Are you ready to get put into the Naughty Corner? Three uniquely fresh novellas in one collection, including Towse's wildest old-people horror yet, 'The Generation Games.' Also includes, âThe Naughty Cornerâ and âMy Name is Brian.â The Generation Games. The population crisis is out of control. Earthâs resources are close to depletion. A mandate has been put into effect condemning people to death when they hit the age of seventy. Only A lucky few will have the opportunity to compete for a passport to the latter years. Itâs about to get savage. My Name Is Brian. Brian's an odd one, always with his head in the books or packet of chips. He doesn't mix well with the other kids but doesn't seem to care. Or is he just a ticking time bomb ready to explode? Coming of age horror on steroids. The Naughty Corner A new start in a gorgeous location. The house of their dreams. But behind the gates of this well-do-do community, our family is about to uncover rules and secrets that will turn their lives upside down. And trust me, you don't want to be in the naughty corner. "Towse is a master of narrative juggling. He makes his readers squirm and laugh in equal measure. His work should be treasured." - E.C. Hanson, author of WICKED BLOOD |
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All Who Wander Are Lost: Destination Horror Stories by Gemma Amor ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST. First Landing State Park. Antarctica. Mongolia. France. Norway. Ireland. Somerset. Egypt. A giant glacier in an unnamed land. What do all these places have in common? Theyâre the perfect place to set a horror story, is what. In this brand new collection of destination based tales of terror, Bram Stoker and British Fantasy Award nominated author Gemma Amor (The Folly, Full Immersion, Six Rooms, Dear Laura) takes us on a series of adventures through the weird and the wonderful, the strange and the unexplainable, across the remotest, wildest parts of this world, and through lands yet to be discovered. Expect dark and deranged encounters, beautiful vistas, old gods, ghosts, peculiar creatures, vampires, and that most terrifying of all monsters: mankind. Told strictly through the eyes of intrepid travellers (we are only ever visitors in this realm), you too can become an explorer without ever leaving the comfort of your own home. So come, join us on a voyage across lands both familiar and strange, and witness sights beyond your wildest imaginings in a book written for the the wanderers, the adventurers, the endlessly curious, the constantly dislocated, the restless and the sleepless, the speakers of many tongues or of none, the seers of many sights, the dreamers who follow their feet, pick stones from between their toes, taste salt on their tongue, feel dust blow hot and hard against their skinâŚ. But remember, not all journeys have a happy ending. In fact, in this book, quite the opposite: for All Who Wander are often Lost⌠|
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When the Devil by Emma E. Murray In When the Devil, Libby finds salvation in a new sapphic partner, homebrewed poison, and facing a God she no longer believes in. |
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A Taste of Earth by Nico Silver Facing the reality of life apart, Fionn and Kiernan grab at the chance to be together, if only temporarily. But can they choose their own happiness over the wellbeing of two Monarchies? Kiernan has made the fatal mistake of defying his mother, the Queen of Morven Forest, and in return, she has chosen the one punishment that is worse than death for a Sidhe. Severed from his connection to his beloved forest, Kier must learn to cope without his deepest magic. Fionn, separated from the man he loves, has no choice but to attempt to fit in at the Eyrie. Thereâinstead of fulfilling his true calling as seer and healerâhe is expected to act as a symbol, a figurehead to bolster his Kingâs rule. But his presence is not the only thing his King requires, and Fionn isnât sure he can continue pretending to adore the vain and possessive monarch. When the Vogel Monarchy is invited to send a delegation to Morven Forest, Fionn knows it is his chance to see Kiernan again. What he doesnât know is whether or not Kier still wants him. After all, the half-fey is a Prince, a creature of court and forest, and has surely realized by now that he can have anythingâor anyoneâhe wants. |
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Heart of Outcasts by Nico Silver Change is coming to the Autumn County werewolves, and someone would kill to keep it from happening. Justin thought a nice long run in the woods would help sort out his problems; heâd get some fresh air and exercise, and if he just happened to disappear then he wouldnât need to worry about losing his job, his apartment, and his future. But when he wakes up in the dirt, bloody and confused, with a naked man leaning over him, asking if heâs all right, he suddenly wants very much to live. Because even if Bjarni is way out of his league, he canât deny the spark between them. Bjarni is the asshole of the family. Heâs the middle of three werewolf brothers, and a womanizing, hard-drinking, fight-starting disgrace. So when he finds a newly-changed werewolf in the woods, everyone he knows would have expected him to just dump the young man on his older brother and pack leader. Instead, Bjarni finds himself unexpectedly attracted to Justin. When it comes to light that someone in the Autumn County pack is changing humans into werewolves without their consent, Justin may be the only one who can figure out who it is. But heâs busy trying to cope with his new werewolf abilities and his doomed attraction to his mentor, and heâs messed up everything else in his life anyway, so what can he do? But if he doesnât do something, more wolves will end up dead. |
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The Tyrant's Daughter by I.D. Marie A princess longs to be a hero, while a bounty hunter fights for his freedom. Will they be each otherâs ruin or salvation? Welcome to the Empire of Pangaea: a land of legends, mutants, technological marvels, and every form of sin you can imagine. Peace should be within reach in a world united under the global empire. But as a new species of superpowered mutants starts to grow in number, so does unrest. As the world teeters on the edge of war, two enemies must become unlikely allies. Arianne Murray, a forgotten warrior princess, and Blackjack, an infamous bounty hunter, must put aside their differences to survive the growing chaos. Their abilities and humanity is tested as they are thrown into a dystopian journey of survival and forced to grapple with feral mutants, deadly tricksters, and a tyrant who will stop at nothing until he owns the world. Prepare to take flight in the action-packed first installment of the five-part Legends of Pangaea series concocted in the underground labs of Pangaea. The chemical formula is perfect for sci-fi fans who love comic book superpowers, fast-paced action, and romantic spice. |
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Dear Sylvia, Love Jane: Detective Molly Malone by Erin Hall 1943, San Francisco. In a city overrun by corruption, sticking to the shadows is the safest option, especially for patrons of gay bars like Whiskers, Dukeâs, and the Hot Spot. But when city officials have a personal score to settle, even the shadows are dangerous. Join Detective Molly Malone on her first queer noir adventure as she faces deadly stakes that threaten her friends and family. |
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In a galaxy that set her up to fail, Etriaâs journey to capture stars redefines acceptance. Etria, a determined stella, defies expectations and becomes a Star Catcher despite her disfigurement. Teaming up with Maron, her own personal Star Keeper, they set off on a mission to catch stars. Through their partnership, Etriaâs self-perception changes and echoes into her cluster, challenging the stella cultureâs narrow ideals. Join these mesmerizing space mermaids in this short and tear-jerking sci-fi adventure as they defy conventions and ignite the spirit of acceptance, inspiring others to embrace their differences. |
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Traitor's Run by Keith Stevenson Two outcasts. One goal: stop Earth. Earth's Hegemony controls the surrounding alien civilisations with ruthless force. Its aim: dominate the galaxy to protect humanity. On Earth, disgraced pilot Rhees Lowrans is thrust into a job she doesn't want. She sees firsthand how the Hegemony will sacrifice anything - including her - to keep Earth safe. In the Lenticular, Udun - one of the empathic Kresz - is on a secret mission when he learns of the Hegemony's expansion into nearby space. But his warnings are ignored and the Hegemony invades his world and mutilates any Kresz who oppose them. Can these two outsiders stand against the might of the Hegemony? And will the human race survive if they succeed? |
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The Heart of the Labyrinth and Other Stories by DK Mok Twelve tales of adventure, wonder and heart from Aurealis Award-shortlisted author DK Mok. These diverse stories of courage and hope celebrate fierce women, curious minds, and unexpected kindness. A warrior librarian makes a pact to save the monsters of her realm. A high school girl ferries refugees from broken, enchanted worlds. An underfunded roboticist builds a robot kraken to explore the abyssal depths. The Heart of the Labyrinth and Other Stories features six Aurealis Award-shortlisted stories, as well as two stories original to this collection. |
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Strange things happen in The Gulp. The residents have grown used to it. The isolated Australian harbour town of Gulpepper is not like other places. Some maps donât even show it. And only outsiders use the full name. Everyone who lives there calls it The Gulp. The place has a habit of swallowing people.â¨â¨A truck driver thinks the stories about The Gulp are made up to scare him. Until he gets there. Teenage siblings try to cover up the death of their mother, but their plans go drastically awry. A rock band invite four backpackers to a party at their house, where things get dangerously out of hand. A young man loses a drug shipment and his boss gives him 48 hours to make good on his mistake. Under the blinking eye of the old lighthouse, a rock fisher makes the strangest catch of his life.â¨â¨Five novellas. Five descents into darkness. Welcome to The Gulp, where nothing is as it seems. |
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Hard Places by Kirstyn McDermott âKirstyn McDermottâs prose is darkly magical, insidious and insistent. Once her words get under your skin, they are there to stay.â --Angela Slatter, author of All the Murmuring Bones and The Path of Thorns Hard Places collects the very best of Kirstyn McDermottâs short fiction written over the past twenty years along with a previously unpublished novella. From unsettling obsessions and brutal body horror to unexpected monsters and ghosts drifting through suburbia, these stories run the gamut of horror and the contemporary gothic. By turns harrowing, provocative and poignant, this collection will haunt you long after the last page is turned. |
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Ferren and the Angel by Richard Harland An angel falls from the sky and crashes to the ground! Miriael, the Fourteenth Angel of Observance, has been shot down in the thousand-year war between Heaven and Earth. Damaged and helpless, she prays for extinction. The young tribesman Ferren finds her lying in the grass. She ought to be an enemy, since his people are on the side of the Earth. But seeing her there, unable to fly, his curiosity outweighs every rule and every warning. Ferren knows almost nothing about the terrifying world he's grown up in. Now he's going to learn the truth about the war, the Humen army camp and what military service really means. His unique friendship with Miriael is about to change the course of history. Richard Harland, author of the Worldshaker books, creates a whole new world of angels and apocalypse! |
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A Wolf Before the Storm: Wolves of Stormfall Book 1 by J.W. Golan In an age of magic, in a realm where werewolves stalk the land, a lost girl awakens from a nightmare â and claims a legend as her own. An indentured servant to a den-master of thieves, Callisto has lived by her wits and talents â a lone wolf girl in an empire pledged to extinguish her race. Trained as a lockpick and pickpocket, adept with a dagger, fate has never been her friend. All of this changes when a chance burglary hints at a hidden cache of letters â letters left behind by an Arche-Mage centuries before. Secreted somewhere in the Imperial Library, the documents promise to fetch a fortune from the right buyer. It could be everything she dreamed of. Enough to pay off her debts. Enough to start a new life. Or it could just as easily land her in the dungeons of an empire vowed to her destruction. Amidst fleeting glimpses of a life she longs for but can never have, Callisto must maintain her cover long enough to find the treasured documents â before the shadows of her past overtake her. |
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Storm's Tempest: Stormfall Chronicles Book 4 by J.W. Golan An army of dark fae on the march; a princess imprisoned in her own manor; and a desperate bid to rally support before the undead overwhelm the living. The armies of Marwel are on the march, seeking to exact retribution over her fae cousins. The Arche-Fae Council, however, remains in disarray, and the fae armies number too few to stem the mounting tide. With war on their heels, Lynette and Baxter are sent as emissaries, in a frantic attempt to convince the kings of the adjoining, human kingdoms to join a war against Marwel's undead armies. But who will listen to their warnings? A peasant girl and a squire on the run from his native land? Elyan, the Fae King lives, but he has not returned to his former vigor. And Elise, the Fae Princess, has been confined to the Royal Estate. Even the mage-turned-swordsman Garth, is nowhere to be found â stalking north on his own quest. The fate of both human and fae worlds may yet come down to a farmerâs son without name or title, and a sorceress afraid to use her own power. For Lynette must battle her own demons. How can she confront the threats ahead - when she refuses to tap into her own magic and abilities? Whom she might hurt, and what might she become, should her own magic overwhelm her again? |
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Storm's Gate: Stormfall Chronicles Book 3 by J.W. Golan A world descending into war; a fabled healer who might be their last, best hope; and a princess imprisoned in a dragon-guarded keep. Lynette sets out with Baxter and Eirlon in search of a healer: the fabled Medicine Man of Horru. It is a desperate gamble to revive the fae king and avert a larger war. But the route they take will prove perilous. They risk losing everything, even each other, in a world gone mad with the stirrings of war. Armies have gathered on the borders of the Feyfell â lured by legends of fae wealth. With King Elyan poisoned and unconscious, the kingdom is visible, and vulnerable to outside invaders for the first time in centuries. And while the fae nobles debate rules of succession, Princess Elise remains missing. For in a tower a world away, the fae princess is held captive, surrounded by armies and a dragon chained to the will of vengeful sorceress. Drained of her magic, Elise must plot her own escape â while a new breed of assassins hunts the mage-turned-swordsman named Garth. Werewolves prowl the land again, as all alike seek to strike their bargains before the oncoming war. Will it be too much for Lynette to bear? Can she survive the loss of so much she holds dear? And if she does, will she ever be the same? For who among them would dare ascend, to retrieve hope from a dragon-guarded keep. |
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Storm's Clouds: Stormfall Chronicles Book 2 by J.W. Golan A dragon: the most powerful, destructive and malevolent force known. The last thing Lynette ever wanted to get closer to â and the one thing sheâs been tasked to go find. For the first time in centuries, a dragon has been reported on the edge of the Feyfell. Homes, cities, and forests are all threatened with fiery destruction. The news has plunged the Fae Kingdom into a panic. Desperate to know the truth behind the reports, and unable to discretely dispatch his own fae soldiers to investigate, King Elyan tasks Lynette, Baxter and Eirlon with tracking down the whereabouts and intentions of the fiery beast. But Lynette is still only a second-year student at the Fae Academy. She has come far â but she knows sheâs no Arche-Mage. Baxter is still struggling to prove his worth, hoping Lynette might see him as something more than the boy-squire she first met two years before. And Eirlon â he still hordes secrets Lynette can only suspect. A girl, a boy, and a gnome â on the hunt for a fire-breathing dragon. The threats facing the Fae Kingdom, however, are multiplying. A traitor has set his sights on King Elyan, while the Arche-Fae Council continues to treat the Princess Elise as an outsider â an adopted daughter rather than a noblefae by birth. Hostile armies are gathering on the kingdomâs northern frontier, while the mage-turned-swordsman Garth must balance between rescuing a boy on a quest and averting a larger war. With sightings of dragons, rumors of war, and trained assassins stalking the land, will there even be a Feyfell for Lynette to return to? |
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Storm's Herald: Stormfall Chronicles Book 1 by J.W. Golan A peasant girl who dreams of becoming a sorceress, a boy who imagines himself a knight â trailed by a ruthless mercenary armed with an ancient sword. All Lynette wanted was to leave her boring village life â to attend the Fae Academy and become a Druid priestess like her teacher before her. Her clumsy attempts at magic are a reminder of how much she has yet to learn. But if they would only accept her, if the Fae Kingdom â closed to human visitors for centuries now â would only just open its doors, she is certain she could become a master of the magical arts. Yet her journey puts her on a collision course with a reawakened evil â offering a kingâs ransom for the recovery of a long-lost relic. Treasure hunters of every variety â werewolves, mercenaries, common thieves and undead alike â are soon locked in pursuit of its promised riches. Together with Baxter, a young squire who fled his own kingdom, and Eirlon, a gnome who trades in rare antiquities, Lynette is drawn unwillingly into the hunt for the elusive relic. Hounded by goblins, ogres â and darker things â Baxter carries his own burdens: secrets that have made him the enemy of the crown. And then there is Garth, the mysterious mercenary who both frightens and intrigues Lynette: the weapons-master armed with an ancient blade â snatched from the hand of a long-vanished fae prince. Willingly or not, Lynette, Baxter and Eirlon must together solve the riddles behind the relic â and stay one step ahead of the ruthless killers that pursue them. |
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Little Red is making friends by Alina Manolache Squirrel life at Grandmaâs house in the forest clearing is cozy, serene, and pretty uneventful, so why donât we get our capes and set out on a fruit hunt?! Together with Grandma, Red embarks on a spirited adventure. Along the way she eats delicious blueberries, helps a blue jay build her nest, and befriends a pack of wolves (yes, you read that right, not one wolf but a pack). In this book inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, lively illustrations reminiscent of watercolor are woven with the right amount of text to tell a captivating and touching story about playfulness, compassion, and making friends. Psst, Iâll let you in on a secret. There are 32 butterflies spread throughout the illustrations of this book, can you find them all? |
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Nothing Short of Odd by Loredano Cafaro It's genre fiction, that's for sure. What genre? Well, that's a different question. Nothing Short of Odd is a collection of short stories and flash fiction, an unlikely patchwork in which light and dark share the pages and what is everyday reality stands next to what is not. Sixteen stories. Different themes. A potpourri of pieces that made their way out of the slush pile of unsolicited submissions and were selected for publication in literary webzines. This book is dedicated to those who believed in these stories and gave them a chance. âAn enthralling read for anyone who loves peculiar and unexpected narratives.â â Doreen Chombu, Readers' Favorite âAn unconventional collection that serves as fuel to imaginationâs fire.â â Nicky Flowers, Indies Today |
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As We Convene: An Anthology of Time and Place by Casie Bazay, Amanda Bender, Shelli Cornelison, Emiliy Gray, Elizabeth Holden, Sara Kapadia, Jennifer Kaul, Alexandra Z. Lazar, C.M. Leyva, Gerardo J. Mercado, Christian H. Morales, K. Psych, J. Ophelia Vazquez, Angela Sanchez, Nico Vasquez, Mary Winsor The moors of Wuthering Heights. The Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz. The Blackwood mansion in We Have Always Lived In The Castle. The planet Uriel in A Wrinkle in Time. Many stories that stand the test of time have a central place at the crux of the plot â a main locale. These places are so central, they seem to transfigure themselves into one of the main characters. The locale grows and shifts, becoming the focus, the place in which the plot hinges and the characters thrive. The locale becomes integral to the story, so much so that it is impossible to set the story anywhere else. In this anthology, sixteen varied locales have been gathered to visit. From outer space to the Grand Canyon, from Florida swamps to the orange groves of California, the setting of these stories takes center stage. The collected stories here range across genre, from speculative to more contemporary works. Each story will bring you into a world, maybe similar to our own, maybe different. Either way, youâll feel well-traveled after exploring these beautiful locales. |
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The Kingâs Decree (The Communeâs Curse Short) by Lucy A. McLaren King Cosmo Septimus of Septima: ruler, leader⌠Fool. In truth, the kingdom has been under the authority of the Commune for some yearsâa ruthless government whose leader, the Grand Magister, holds the king under his control. Enter a world where the powers gifted to mortals by an ancient god present themselves in unsuspecting members of the kingdom, and where the Grand Magister will do everything to ensure they are brought under his sway or executed as traitors. In this short story, you will begin to understand just why King Cosmo is unable to fight against the ruthless guidance of a selfish, power-hungry man. And why it may be hopeless for him to even try. The Kingâs Decree is part of the world of The Communeâs Curse series, and is set three years before the first book in the series, Awakening, which is available now. Book 2 is due for release in late 2024, so nowâs a great time to delve into this dark fantasy series! |
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Sing No Suns, Sing the Night: Stories by Michael Michel When the light that guides us fails, we must face the darkness withinâŚor perish. A warlordâs bitter crusade. A starshipâs crew caught between a mindless monster and a race against starvation. Conflicted aliens unable to stop their conquest. The unhappy life of a sentient gun. Sing No Suns, Sing The Night is an SFF short story collection and an ode to Grimdark. Hope and despair. Love and hate. Sweet beginnings and sour ends. These stories cover themes that challenge our beliefs about self, society, and the nature of living. If youâre ready to be dragged to the lip of the abyss and dangled over the edge, read on. |
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The Way of the Wizard by Michael Michel Even gods have their beginnings. Mine starts in the chasm between worlds. In the blink of eternity between life and death. If you wish to follow, let this be your road. First, join your brethrenâthose others who seek the Power. They are your allies and the key to your success. They will almost certainly try to kill you. Second, slay a wizard and claim their topknot. Be smart, be quick, and never hesitate. Theyâre the most dangerous creatures alive. If destiny does not favor you, your bones will be added to the piles beneath their feet. Third, acquire the hidden location of the Spirit Gardens. Secrets are worth more than kingdoms. Protect them at all costs or your enemies will win, and you will die. But above all, never look back. Godhood is the goal. If you have the courage and ambition to do so, read on. Your path to power awaits. |
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Soul Cage (SoulBreaker Book 1) by L. R. Schulz Murder Breeds Magic All power comes with a price. In a world where magic is transferred by the act of killing another, Myddrin stands above the rest. Having accidentally killed the most powerful mage in all of existence, Myddrin now lives a peaceful life in isolation. But there is no such thing as peace in the land of Otor. War calls. The voices of the dead haunt him, and there is nowhere to hide. Cursed with the deathly taint of magic, young Will must seek acceptance among the Knights of Aen. There, he must learn to touch the otherside, control his abilities, and decide for himself what is right, and what is wrong. Tvoraâs soul is broken. The price of vengeance was her sanity. Her companions help her keep a tenuous grasp on herself, but with the urgent need to absorb enough magic to sustain them, she is pushed to choose a side in the upcoming war. The question remains, will she choose the right one? |
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Price War: The Colour of Money by Richard Holliday WHEN SURVIVAL BECOMES A CURRENCY, FUGITIVE DANNY PRICE FINDS HIM BATTLING CORPORATE SUPERPOWER YELLOWSTONE'S HOSTILE TAKEOVER! Following on from Price War, head of Yellowstone UK PLC, Wendy Tunt, has ousted its founder, Grayson Laurie and connived an illegal scheme to take over the UK government. At the stroke of midnight one fateful night, this scheme comes to fruition with Wendy Tunt installed as CEO of an entire country. From that moment, Danny Price and Grayson Laurie, enemies forced to become allies, are now fugitives. As they are chased across the country, they face deception, betrayal and discovery as they attempt to reach a safe haven. Henry Archer feels the pressure of his new role in the top echelons of the corporate ladder at Yellowstone, reporting directly to Wendy Tunt as she puts her plans for the country into action. The nascent insurgency against Yellowstone's hostile takeover of the country presents unforeseen challenges. These difficulties threaten to bring Henry out of favour with his new paymasters at precisely the wrong time for the Archer name, and threatens to destabilise the new leadership. Henry's sister, Hailey, is betrayed by her father, who seeks to salvage any of the reputation he built for the family name. For the Archer name to survive in Tunt's new world, he agrees for Hailey to work for Yellowstone, living in one of their vast facilities against her will. Hailey finds life in a Yellowstone fulfilment facility hard, especially with the deck stacked against her from the off. Hailey befriends another of the forgotten and together they plan to escape, taking one of Yellowstone's prized assets with them to bargain with. Danny, Grayson, Henry and Hailey's stories converge on the night a paranoid Wendy Tunt finally snaps and decides to dispose of her enemies and complete her hostile takeover and change the country forever, whoever has to pay the price⌠|
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Undead Samurai by Baptiste Pinson Wu Japan, 1625 A new Drum Master has risen, and soon the nation will fall to the curse of Izanagi. Answering the call of his kotsuzumi, dead warriors abandon their peace to once again roam the land of the living, swinging rusty blades and chattering rotten teeth at his behest. Japanâs last hope lies in the hands of the nine warriors gathered by the young daimyĹ of Owari. To reach Onijima, where the source of the curseâs power awaits, the Nine will not only have to face swarms of undead samurai and waves of shinobi mercenaries but even more dangerous to their mission, their inner demons. Against the undead, the Nine only have two choices, fighting as one or becoming them. |
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Someone Elseâs Horror Story by Rebecca Crunden Jace Venable lives a quiet life in the house his father left him. He dreams of fixing up the barn out back so that he doesnât have to return to the city heâs only too happy to leave behind. He likes to be left alone, thank you very much. And then, one night, he finds a runaway in his barn. A boy with a horrifying story thatâs about to upend Jaceâs quiet life permanently. |
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Citrus Bravo by Christopher George Quick A tongue-in-cheek space adventure that plays to the lighter side of the genre. Take a break from hard-core Sci-Fi with Citrus Bravo! Embark on a cosmic odyssey with Arthur Bartlebee, a humble plumber aboard an aging space station named Citrus Bravo. Although Arthur would love more than anything to live out his simple days managing the pipes and drains of the station, he is quickly ripped away by a whirlwind of absurd events that place him smack dab in the center of an otherwordly conspiracy. Flanked by odd aliens and carefree cyborgs, Arthur is bewildered to find humanity's destiny lies in his less-than-capable hands. |
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Surrendered Twilight by Emma Flemming In the past, created, rather than born, Dmitri is thrown through life and used by one person after another. Part of an organisation, hidden both from supernatural and humans, the werewolf follows orders, all while striving to be more than what he was made for. Happiness finally finds him when heâs not looking. But the fates have been rarely kind and itâs gone, before he ever really had it. In the present, all but a ghost in her own life, Kaylah Bannon drifts through existence with nothing to cling to. No real friends and no family to call her own. Just barely existing, until one late night fate lands her at the feet of the tall, dark and grumpy Mikhail, far from home and her life changed forever from a single bite. A werewolf and the Alpha to the Hawthorn pack, Mikhail is not happy to have Kaylah tossed into his relatively controlled life. And a turned human to boot? There hadnât been one in years! Keeping her put is a challenge and training her is a pain, but when he starts to fall for her, thatâs what frustrates him the most. The past and present are about to collide, with two different worlds aligning. Who will be standing when the dust clearsâŚ? |
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The Golden Cage by Kaitlyn Davis From bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis comes a fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Graceling, and Game of Thrones. In the land of Ourthuro, cruelty is a way of life. The king rules with an iron fist and no one dare defy him--no one except his daughter. Princess Leena is keeping a dangerous secret, she has fallen in love with a soldier and it would mean both of their lives if her father ever discovered their affair. But Leena will risk it all to be with the man she loves--her heart, her life, her freedom. And when her brother's birthday celebration takes a dangerous turn, Leena is forced to make a decision that will change the fate of her nation and eventually the world. |
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The Boddicker Letters by A.C. Cross Titus Boddicker is in love. So in love, in fact, that he sends his beloved Luisa a letter nearly every day. Unfortunately for Titus, these letters paint a picture of a descent into the darkest regions of reality. Will he be saved? Can he? Can anyone? |
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Zoo by A.C. Cross Welcome to the Zoo! Inside, you won't find tigers or lions but Anxieties galore. You'll crawl through the Depression Caves and gallivant through the Regret Gardens. You'll see wondrous creatures that will tug at the very heart of you. And at the very end, amidst it all, we offer you one more surprise. Join us for a tour today! |
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Song of the Spring Moon Waning by E.E. Ottoman Upon waking up one morning, Wen Yu is surprised to find a note asking him to return the song thrush given into his care while the owner was sick. The only problem is that Wen Yu was never given a song thrush. Though he has no time for distractions from his studies for the palace examination, Wen Yu goes in search of the unknown Liu Yi who left him the note. What he finds is a beautiful imperial eunuch, a talking tortoise, and a collection of mysterious moon poems that force Wen Yu to question what path in life he is truly meant to be walking... |
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Bruce at Fifty by Everett T. Ruth Bruce Lewis is a badass. He eats Cheerios without the milk. He stirs his coffee with Slim Jims. Heck â he wears Tuesdayâs pajamas on Monday! Total badass, right? Since turning fifty, however, Father Time is showing Bruce whoâs Boss. Will Bruce prevail with his pride intact, or will his leather pants make way for dad jeans with built-in creases? Join Bruce as he discovers what Fifty ultimately means. |
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DreamRealm Unleashed by Sahasra Nistala Twelve-year-old Tara is good at one thing and one thing slaying her enemies. You know, in a video game. DreamRealm is a kids-only haven for young gamers, and itâs the reason Tara simply hasnât had time to mourn her sister. But she canât ignore everything else, like the fact that her childhood friend is now an unbearable enemy, or that her GPA is sinking lower than her self-esteem. Just when it seems life canât get any worse, DreamRealm is released from virtual containment, trapping all the adults in an alternate dimension. To get the world back to normal, Tara and her friends must embark on a monster-filled quest across San Francisco and rack up enough points to get to the top of a global leaderboard. Enter the Minors Establishing A New Order of Society, a teen-run organization that doesnât want the adults to return. When Tara learns that the MEANOSâ leader caused the car accident that killed her sister, itâs game on. Hungry for revenge, Tara vows to beat the MEANOS to the finish line. She fights giant dragons, finds treasure, and heroically fends off teens (theyâre smellier than the dragons, thatâs for sure). With the help of her neighbors, a kid who runs a magic arcade, and her actually-not-so-bad frenemy, she gets closer and closer to finishing the mission. But as her inner boss battle looms, she must come to terms with her past before sheâs capturedâor else, itâs game over. |
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The Only Exception by Allie McDermid Izzy Barbour tells everyone sheâs an accountant, little do they know sheâs really a hired companion. Sadly, thatâs where her love life ends. Doomed to be a serial dater, Izzy is close to giving up on finding her one.Lady Ingrid Munro has one focus in work. When a family scandal threatens to dredge up the past, sheâs forced to think quick to save face and the palace.Izzy wants to do her job and keep a low profile. Ingrid needs to uphold the familyâs reputation. Can they keep things professional, or will lines get blurred when it comes to romance?Set in the fictional world of an Ayrshire Palace, The Only Exception is bursting with sexual tension, fake dating, and forbidden love. Find out today if secrets can stay hidden for longâŚor are some things too good to be true? |