|
The Nicodemus Path by M.C. Burnell In the elven world, it's not unheard of that the Chosen One may also be the villain. Vykollo men yedeva, they call it: Nemesis. It's been two hundred years since humans got tired of sharing the world with their elven neighbors, beings longer-lived and magical in ways they weren't. They waged war - and lost - and now live in nameless towns built up around the walls of the great elven cities. Within the walls, traumatized elves who lived through the war go about their lives with what serenity they can cling to. Trying very hard to pretend the humans who are now their subjects don't exist. Isador is a member of an order of sin-eating priests; it's his job to share the will of their god with his people, with advice or with his sword as necessary. What is very much not one of his duties is to challenge the god by standing in the path of someone's destiny. Two elves were born, though, eighty years ago, bearing the mark of the god's chosen instrument. He finds this worrying: there has never been more than one before. His concern mounts as they grow up and he sees the people they're becoming. When one of them falls in love with a human, it's not clear that this romance will steady him or prove his trigger. And their people are especially vulnerable. Mysterious creatures from Elsewhere are testing their borders, beings that do not bleed when cut or decompose when killed. They have not so far been willing to explain themselves. Determined to save these sullen young Chosen Ones from a fate he deems unfair, Isador squares off against his god. There has to be a better way, and all he wants to do is persuade the god to look for it. Take him instead, for example. He's forgotten something he ought to know about his patron: the god is tricksy and loves to lay traps. |
|
Elendil by Andrea Rose Washington I stood there, looking at this stranger with eyes like mine, hair like mine. It slowly dawned on me that it was her. After all these years...it was her. A wave of rage coursed over me as I stood there, staring at this woman. I couldn't bring myself to call her that because she was never that to me. Just an egg donor as far as I was concerned. Then my dad spoke."Abriana, I would like to introduce you to Acadia...your mother."Abriana was forced to deal with a lot of things over the short sixteen years of her life: adapting to a new neighborhood, the wondering eyes that fell on her when she was out with her father, the whispers of the town. But this - facing the woman who abandoned her at the tender age of three days old - was the one thing she wasn't prepared to deal with. When Abriana is forced to flee with this woman she barely knows, she soon realizes that her life will never be the same |
|
Injustice For All by Jeremy D Savage Damon, a man on death row, finds himself with little time left. He meets his new psychiatrist, Doctor Emily Zurig, who is there to help him find peace before his final days, and convinces her to help him find the truth. While she is initially reluctant, through their sessions, she begins to see Damon in a different light. With the help of her superstar detective husband, Evan Zurig, they work to find the truth about the murders that Damon has been sentenced for. While Damon works to find peace, through fighting the demons of his past, he struggles to understand what it all means and what it's all for. He begins to lose faith as the time gets closer to his death. The ultimate questions arise: Should he even fight anymore? What's the point? Doctor Zurig and her husband work diligently to put the pieces together, but will it be too late? |
|
Legends of Andolin: Rising Tides by A.M. Portman THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES With the Heart of the World safe at the Capital, Lady Adella Grimless and her friends turn their attention to the looming war with Sornia. Pressed by the increasing threat in the Campos, Adella, Kol and Armand each part ways to face dangers from both land and sea on their own. OVER DANGEROUS LANDS Kol embarks on a perilous mission across the frontier, and learns the truth about his tragic past. Meanwhile, Armand heads to Raymouth to deliver a message, but soon finds himself on a reaver ship heading for troubled waters. AND TREACHEROUS SEAS As the Sornian army closes in on Elldon, Adella travels to Pentz to seek assistance, but things don’t go as planned. When she faces death in the watery depths, one thing becomes clear: The legends of Andolin are real… And disaster is coming. |
|
Keeper’s Reign by Eliza Leone When Onnie's grandfather asked her to inherit his legacy, she wasn't expecting a magical bookshop, a talking cat with an attitude, and a town full of fantastical beings. Except that's exactly what she got. Alku is a quaint town nestled in the forested mountains of the Pacific Northwest, and it carries with it secrets. Many of them. It's where the current Keeper protects and curates the world's written knowledge archive, and Onnie's elderly Grandfather happens to be the current one. The bookshop has chosen her to be next. Onnie's tossed into the magical deep end but finds more allies than expected. A story about self-acceptance, family, and learning to lean on others, Keeper's Reign is the first part in a trilogy following the final Keeper and the dangers she faces. |
|
Legends of Andolin: Adella of the Campos by A.M. Portman A WOMAN IN A DESPERATE SEARCH Adella's life had been peaceful on the frontier of Valenna. But when mysterious raiders attack and burn her town down, her brother goes missing. Leaving everything behind, she sets off in a desperate ride across the plains to find him. A MERCENARY IN DIRE NEED OF HER HELP Kol, a highly-skilled Sornian soldier, needs Adella's help if he wants to live to see another day. A traitor to his country with nowhere else to turn, he agrees to guide Adella across the wilderness of the Campos. A HIGH-SEAS ADVENTURE When Adella is captured by the enemy, she inadvertently lets a powerful artifact fall into the wrong hands. Risking everything to find her, Kol takes a gamble and joins forces with the mysterious Captain Declan, a notorious reaver known for plundering Sornian ships. Each must face the same choice: Save the life of someone dear to them, or retrieve the artifact and prevent the awakening of Mundil and the rise of the Twelve Calamities... In a world of intrigue, mystery, and betrayal, will the choices they make lead to disaster? Legends of Andolin: Adella of the Campos is the first in an all-new series that takes you on a captivating adventure filled with excitement, danger and, most importantly, sea serpents. Read it today! |
|
When Stars Become Shadows by Emmie Hamilton For the past seven years, Emersyn Jane Merona had been owned by a deadly mob boss and forced to service any lonely soul who found their way to Skarsrowe, a shady port town on the edge of the Baronian Sea. When Syn commits a murder and initiates a daring escape, she finds herself in the arms of her boss’ archrival, the legendary Captain Killian O’Donnell. After seeking refuge on his mysterious ship, Syn soon realizes that she may have traded one form of danger for another. Desperate to regain her freedom, she falls back on all the old tricks she used to survive her indentured servitude. Just when she is ready to give up, a murdered siren changes her fate and the Lord of Lost Souls, Malakai Barron, drags her down into the underworld. Through a deal brokered by someone from her past, Syn now has to try to earn her freedom from not one, but two key players in the dark underworld. Though it seems impossible, opportunity strikes when Malakai’s missing sirens reappear and Syn is given the chance to investigate. Who is taking the sirens? And why does their song haunt her dreams? As Emersyn uncovers the demons of her past, will the monsters of her future be kept at bay, or will she become another lost soul anchored to the bottom of the sea? Please note: This is an adult dark fantasy intended for 18+ only. Please check for content warnings before purchasing. |
|
The Invisible Tether by JP McDonald Cooper Belrose and his friends gear up for a sporting tournament in tropical North Queensland (Australia) for a week of carefree fun. In an unnerving twist of fate, a cryptic flight attendant hijacks the plane, altering their lives forever. After surviving the plane crash, Cooper and his friends learn the flight attendant was part of a much larger threat, not only to their existence but to the entire human race. In their desperation to return home and find answers, they discover abnormal abilities within themselves activated by the crash and the threat of an opposing force. Will these newfound abilities wield an edge over their enemies? As they strive to combat each twist and turn, Cooper and his friends learn the value of teamwork by navigating the space between life and death. If faced with an imminent threat to the human race, would you and your friends take up the fight? "The Invisible Tether," is a story of love, adventure and the pursuit of truth. |
|
The Headsman by Christina Mîrzoi Take a glimpse into the world of a headsman, a gloomy village in which each dweller has a secret: an evil witch, a shrewd florist, a naive young man, a foreign merchant, a dreadful husband, a mischievous maid, and a lustful duke. These stories are intertwined, weaving a dark narrative of love, trickery, brutality, and loss. Under the bleak aesthetic, raw human emotions unravel themselves in a gripping story about moral decay. In a world that belongs to the wicked, how far can one walk this path while keeping a clean conscience? The Headsman is a collection of short stories that focus on interconnected characters, sometimes looking at the same event from a different perspective. As a genre, it falls somewhere under dark fiction territory. |
|
Duckett & Dyer: St. Nicks For Hire by G.M. Nair In the midst of a historic blizzard, Michael and Stephanie have to beat the crap out of Santa Claus. That's it. That's the story. But, unlike some other Christmas Specials, this one is 100% canon. This case and others are included in Duckett & Dyer: The Mystery Of The Murdered Guy. |
|
The Long Lost War by Jeff Walker Far from Earth, in a distant solar system, clone soldiers are stuck in an on-going battle against colonial separatists. John 999801 must battle against an enemy that refuses to give up, and dreams of a woman he feels he's seen before. The life of this low ranking clone soldier is about to take a turn for the worst. Or is it going to open his eyes to the truth? Can one clone soldier make a difference? And who is the woman in his dream? Answers and horrors await him as he joins his fellow replicas to the surface of a planet called... Hell. |
|
The Jungle Planet: A Science Fiction Thriller Novel by Jeff Walker The Jungle Planet is a sci fi triller—The crew of the harvesting space vessel Skyward Seven, are bound for Dreganon V—a jungle world with a rich, and highly concentrated oxygen atmosphere. As they extract the planet’s dense O2 supply, Katelan Driscoll (Astrobiologist/interplanetary botanist) and crew being to discover that this world is more than what they bargained for. Not only is the air thick with an overabundance of pollen and spore that continually clog their collectors., but strange things occur with the surrounding plant life The jungle isn’t all that it seems. Katelan will discover something else is waiting for them in the depths of this deep, dark jungle planet of Dreganon V. If you love exploration science fiction thrillers and unexpected horrors on alien worlds, then The Jungle Planet is the book you’ll want to read till the very end. Author Jeff Walker (The Long Lost War, The Massive Planet: The Adventures of Deep Contact, and Outer Red) takes you to a world full of beauty and wonder. It is also one that brings out our fears and even—our deaths! |
|
Tales from the Borun-Ma by Ruth Miranda The Borun-Ma. A world rife with magic and dangers, threatened as it is by the haunting of demons and creatures that take the bodies and lives of the common people and feed on their souls. Or so it is, in the head of David Lau, travel photographer turned novelist, who created this imaginary world for his soon-to-be-published first book, where he tells the story of Liòng Dashià , Hawkeye and Zephyr, Reapers of the Borun-Ma who destroy Infestations in the form of creatures and demons. But his characters bear far too many resemblances to himself, and the girl who spills his drink at a crowded nightclub in Xhiangzhei, or the young man who sits beside him through a long flight to Europe. When Ivy Falconnieri and Bodie Yung's lives collide with David's, a spell is cast and a curse will break. But to what ends? |
|
All Our Faults by Charlotte Brough A school rivalry. Twin brothers with dangerous vices. A fatal accident. Lakemere High’s star athlete, Jack Porter, is a master of denial. He doesn’t have an eating disorder, and his twin brother, Jared, definitely doesn’t have a drinking problem. Everything is rosy in Jack’s world–he’s headed to Duke, has his pick of the dating pool, and Lakemere are winning in their prank war with rival school, West Valley. Younger brother, Alex, is practically a genius, and Jared…he’s fine. Probably. Then the boys’ estranged mother returns, setting in motion a chain of events that will devastate their entire community. Spiraling into depression, Jack tries to play peacemaker between the schools, but Jared isn't about to forgive and forget. Fueled by his escalating addiction, he's out for blood... |
|
The World As It Should Be by Lee Ann Kostempski Charity Olmstead wants to die. Despite being raised by two of Salem's most beloved psychics, she isn’t cut out for life in the new magic-ravaged world. When she meets a kelpie on a riverbank, she believes she’s found her exit. But the monster is hungry for more than a meal. Sensing Charity’s unawakened magic, he enlists her help in a quest for revenge against the hunters who slaughtered his mate. In return he promises to grant Charity a swift, painless death once their job is done. But as Charity and the kelpie track the hunters to their base, they uncover a terrifying truth: Salem’s deadly history might be about to repeat itself. |
|
Mastery: Sex Wizards, Book 2 by Alethea Faust Magic is a rare gift, and it's been six months since Dominai of Airedale first left home to study it. After solidifying his place at the legendary Crux as a skilled conduit, he now faces his next challenge: casting. When every spell he attempts fails to hit the mark, he finally turns to the Grandmaster of the Crux, Arlon Kalisson, for guidance. The unyielding lessons that follow strip Dom down to his very foundation, rebuilding him to confront his own worst enemy: himself. But while Dom grows more confident inside the Crux, a threat gathers outside of it. One that will rock the kingdom of Straetham to its core, capable of destroying the Crux from the inside out. The second book of Alethea Faust’s epic Sex Wizards series, Mastery delivers risk-aware consensual kink, hard BDSM, an ever-escalating epic plot, and a lot of butt stuff. The Sex Wizards series is set in a sex-positive, magical world. This novel has a kink-based magic system which crosses a wide range of play with varying degrees of intensity. The wizards of the Crux include pansexual, polyamorous, fantasy race, nonbinary, gender non-conforming and intersex characters. Please see book preview for full CW. |
|
The Crow's Quill - Dark Epistolaries by Edited By Damon Barret Roe 1. NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH Tyler Battaglia 2. MICE IN THE WALLS Kay Hanifen 3. THE HUSK Jared Schmitz 4. THE ARCHIVES ASSISTANT S.C. Williams Poetry by Susan L. Lin & Carla Sarett |
|
Greater Than His Nature by Edited by Eirik Gumeny In every laboratory, every experiment, there are two diametrical energies at play: chaos and control. The raw pandemonium of what is, and the diamond-sheen of what could be. And in between? Blood, bones, and broken hearts. Because no equation, no solution, will ever be able to contain the wild entropy of the human soul. Within these pages, you'll find reverse mermaids and murder-spiders and bloated flesh-monsters tearing down the Golden Gate Bridge. A nurse waving a patient into a haunted MRI machine. A reimagined Mary Shelley obsessing about her galvanic guy. The dead will come back, organs will grow where you least expect them, and "healthy" will be outed as a disease all its own, the most damning by a long mile. Because, like the highest-born hopes of bodies sacrificed to progress, like the darkest dreams of the brains behind the beakers, mad science truly knows no bounds. Featuring new fiction from Katharine Duckett, A.T. Greenblatt, Ally Malinenko, Tyler Battaglia, Samantha H. Chung, Jonathan Fortin, Brianna Nicole Frentzko, Josh Hanson, Wade Hunter, M.W. Irving, Pooja Joshi, Andrew Kozma, K.L. Mill, Lena Ng, Robert Perez, Zachary Rosenberg, Jennifer Lee Rossman, Violet Schwegler, and Nicole M. Wolverton. Edited by Eirik Gumeny. |
|
The Cosy Cosmic by Edited by Frances Lu-Pai Ippolito Some argue existence is an exercise in futility. They claim there are no winners in life. Ultimately, we are insignificant in the face of vast cosmic intelligences that were old when the Universe began. The best minds gibber at the incomprehensibility of it all. Other minds lose themselves in strange geometries because they can't comprehend any alternative. Whatever. The rest of us have to get up in the morning, feed the cat, and go to work. The Cozy Cosmic contains 33 stories of the horrors hidden within the micro-aggressions, the horrors trapped beneath the floorboards, and the horrors waiting patiently on the windowsill. This is the horror that forgets to turn off the light at night. This is the horror of waiting for the tea to boil, knowing full well who you just buried-for the second time-in the yard less than a hour ago. This is the horror of knowing where the dark wool comes from, but you wear the sweater anyway because it was a gift—an expression of love—and, well, being alone is worse than the horror of the unknowable, isn't it? The full table of contents for The Cozy Cosmic is as follows: John Shirley “Death, in Two” Tais Teng “On Hearing the First Shoggoth in Spring” Tyler Battaglia “What the Sea Provides” Ellis Bray “My Grandmother's Sacristy” E. E. Marshall “Right and Bright” Devan Barlow “Dinner, Overlooking the Sea” Scotty Milder “A Little God in Their Hands” Maxwell I. Gold “Great Cosmic Itch” Remy Nakamura “Wet Dreams in R'lyeh” Andrew S. Fuller “A Perfectly Fine Hobby” Kiera Lesley “Obsolescent” Kurt Newton “A Mournful Melancholia of Things Forever Lost” J. B. Kish “Lo-Fi Chocolate Cake” Rajiv Moté “Carrisa and Kevin Gaze into the Abyss” Daniel David Froid “In Another Distant Land, in a Luminescent Land” Kate Ristau “Shine” Erik Grove “Fuzzy Fuzzy Kitty Kitties” William J. Connell “Poe's Guys Respond to Their Significant Others” Paul Jessup “The Museum of Endless Summer” Ngo Binh Anh Khoa “Through Life and Death, Forevermore” Jonathan Wood “Javapocalypse” L. E. Daniels “Final Cycle” Ken Hueler “The Unknowable Ones” Tania Chen “A Study of Metamorphosis Calamity” Eric Shanower “The Purple Emperor” Kevin Wetmore “A Child's Christmas in Innsmouth” Megan Lee Beals “Splinterbone” Corinne Hughes “The Sheep Rancher's Husband” Shanna Germain “A Napkin Upon Your Glass” Simone Cooper “Gnocchi” Jessie Kwak “Blood and Glitter” Cody T Luff “Den Mother” R. Ostermeier “The Dark Young” |
|
MOUTHFEEL FICTION 1 by Edited by Taliesin Neith Welcome to the inaugrual issue of MOUTHFEEL FICTION, a feast for the horrible and horrendous. Within these pages you will find short stories and poetry from 30 different authors, all ready to disgust and delight, arousal and afear you - they are ready to break your heart and turn your stomach. Issue 1 features work by: JULIAN RENAUD // BITTER KARELLA // AMI J. SANGHVI // BRIAR RIPLEY PAGE // WEST AMBROSE // S.T. // OLIVE BURNS // LOR GISLASON // CALEB BETHEA // REGAN GRAY // SAMIR SIRK MORATĂ“ // SAM LOGAN // TANG SUMI // SAPPHIRE LAZULI // LAVERN SPENCER MCCARTHY // DJP // CASSANDRA DAUCUS // TYLER BATTAGLIA // AJ CASTLE // NM WHITLEY // JOSEPH BOUTHIETTE JR. // RAIN CORBYN // MOUSE LARISHEVA // KURT NEWTON // J.R. SANTOS // STANLEY B. WEBB // BDYER // ANN LEBLANC // SHAUN HATHAWAY // VIOLA BOLEMAN MY LOVE AND THANKS TO THEM. AND TO YOU, DEAR READER. |
|
The Summer Gothic by Edited by K.M. Miller K.M. Miller (Editor), Tyler Battaglia, B.A. O'Connell, Laura Marie Bailey, Venus Parkes, Quinton Li, Enda Mulholland, Abby Moeller, Lucia Larsen, FreydĂs Moon, Cas Trudeau, Lotte van der Krol, Alba Sarria, Billy Don Loper, Angela Sun, Dean Shepherd, Corey Bryan, Cinnamone Winchester, Sebastián Ungco (Illustrator), Chrys Marr The Summer Gothic is a collection of works that make up Panorame Press' first anthological edition, highlighting the spooky, lonely, and sweltering parts of the summertime. We asked indie, young, and debuting authors in the modern writing community to give us their grim looks into the season of summer, through hot days, lonely lighthouses, racing Mississippi nights, and soft whispering in humid forests. Panorame Press strives to give our authors and artists a place to share their works and build their portfolios free of submission costs, strict guidelines about what's considered marketable media, and other modern publishing barriers. |
|
When the Woods Fall Silent by D. Pines When the Woods Fall Silent is based off of true events, if you’re willing to believe such things. After all, anything could be hiding out in the trees or among the desert sands… Pinerock has always been know as “The Sleepy Town Beneath the Mountain,” projecting a front of peace and solitude. But Cooper Elliot knows better: there’s a creature in the woods out there. He’s determined to figure out what it is at any cost – but when an old friend returns to Pinerock to find answers of her own, it puts them both in greater danger than either realize… |
|
Of Death and Divination by Cassandra Diviak Percy and Cordelia must prepare for the unthinkable. After Oberon's attempt to invade Kaira, many hearts clamor for vengeance. Cordelia stands as the symbol of resistance against Oberon's "great plan", even if playing hero is the last thing on her heart. She struggles to find the balance between rising to the challenge and seeking more personal retribution against the monster of a man. Percy finds himself on the warpath alongside his lover, and somehow he doesn't seem to mind the anger. Many things have changed since he vowed to be a peaceful man. But cryptic messages from the spirit inside of him leave him wondering whether he will make it out of this war alive. Regardless of the demons gathered in the shadows around them, they must return to where the battle first began and make their final stand before Oberon can conquer the Seven Continents for his twisted delusions of power. It ends here. |
|
Of Wild and Witchcraft by Cassandra Diviak Cordelia Hale's world hangs by a precarious thread. While she and her loved ones flee from the Ambrose Palace and all the horrors hidden inside its ruined walls, a ghost from the distant past disrupts her already uncertain future. She can't go home, not yet. Revealed secrets and betrayals leave Cordelia stuck walking the thin line between her once unwavering optimism and the rage that threatens to tear her heart asunder. Percival Ashford remains her only tether to the girl she used to be, grounded in her humanity and innocent belief in the goodness of the world. However, when he receives the offer of a lifetime from an untrustworthy source, they must decide if the conditions and traps attached to the promise are worth their trouble. Armed with the support of their family and allies, welcomed and unexpected alike, Percy and Cordelia must piece together the unseemly and broken parts within their hearts and prepare for the danger that lurks outside Kaira's magical wards. |
|
Soul of the Sorceress by Cassandra Diviak Cordelia Hale's life finally changed for the better. With newfound freedom, she lived in peace alongside her new family and loving boyfriend until a letter arrived at Brierwell bearing an invitation too tempting to ignore. A world of magic awaited her outside the woodsy borers of her hometown, far beyond her wildest imagination. Cordelia and Percy travel to a land across the sea and find a hidden city filled with wonders, led by a king sympathetic to the plight of magical beings across the Seven Continents. Life in the Ambrose Palace isn't anything like home, though, especially when Cordelia and Percy find themselves pitted against everything they once trusted, including one another. To survive, they must determine their few allies from a sea of enemies. |
|
Shadow of the Beast by Cassandra Diviak Percival Ashford wants nothing more than a fresh start. He finds his chance in Runswick, a sleepy town situated along the Andervael's southern coast. It's a perfect place for a werewolf to blend in and spend his better days with his newly awarded Lordship. However, his hopes for a new beginning fall apart when disaster strikes in the gruesome murders of several townspeople. Percy must discover who is committing these heinous acts and ensure justice for the deceased, but his investigations are hindered by the haunting suspicion that he, or at least his wolf-self, might be the very culprit he is hunting. |
|
Daughter of Sorrow by Abigail Silver Gracie has come a long way from the state-run orphanage she spent a year in at age 6. Now a highly trained member of the Overwatch and one of the most powerful elder children on Cybele, she is trying to keep the peace between her psychic kin and the planet's mortal population. When her father's dark past— something she thought she knew and had come to terms with— comes to light with a new and devastating twist, Gracie must decide what is real before everything she loves burns to ashes. |
|
Visions of Fire by Abigail Silver Visions of Fire follows Gracie Usuriel, a young pyrokinetic, as she leaves the safety of her father's farm to find her calling at Landing University. Eager to learn the truth about her father's past, which he always carefully curated when she was living under his roof, Gracie is unprepared for the brutal reality that awaits her. Will her strange and growing powers be enough to protect her from the darkness her father held at bay or will they be her undoing? |
|
Accursed Son by Eric Avedissian Armand Tarkanian is trapped in the ultimate dead-end job: embalming decedents under his abusive uncle’s watchful eye. Every day he goes through the motions, making death look beautiful while his life is anything but. A car accident leaves him indebted to Berj, a mysterious man with rune-carved gold teeth and a penchant for worshipping old gods. Blackmailed and desperate, Armand feels more trapped than he was under his uncle’s thumb. But the embalmer harbors his own dark secret, a bloodline curse that allows him to communicate with the dead. When the spirits show him how they were murdered, Armand must choose between fealty to the sadistic and manipulative Berj, or joining the Legion of the Lamb, a monster-hunting biker gang with their own agenda. What began as a dangerous game between secret societies has led Armand on a frightening quest to save the only family he’s ever known and a chance to get closer to the rebellious misfits who saved him. Heartfelt and evocative, Accursed Son is a story featuring generational clashes, found families, and the rewards of tempting fate. |
|
Strange Cargo by Patrick Samphire What do a smuggling gang, a curse that won't go away, and a frequently lost dog have to do with each other? Answer: they're all here to disrupt Mennik Thorn's hard-earned peace and quiet. As the sole freelance mage in the city of Agatos, Mennik is used to some odd clients and awful jobs. But this time, one of his clients isn't giving him a choice. Mennik might have forgotten about the smugglers whose operations he disrupted, but they haven't forgotten about him. Now he is faced with a simple ultimatum: help them smuggle in an unknown, dangerous cargo or flee the city he loves forever. Time is running out for Mennik to find an answer, and things are about to get completely out of control. |
|
Suspended in the Stars by E. A. Hendryx A girl in hiding. A boy on the run. The fate of the galaxy between them. When Talie Zarna is forced to hide rogue soldier, Renner Cartha, her life isn’t the only thing threatened. Living as the famed Soaring Staress on the circus spaceship Midway masks her true identity, but Renner’s very presence threatens to draw unwanted attention. As a former royal guard, Renner holds secrets of his own. Like evidence of a political assassination he is on a mission to deliver to the Xerus Galaxy’s governing council. Renner's flirtatious confidence is at odds with the seriousness of his mission, but when his former guard captain, Jas Uli-Tai, discovers him hiding among the circus performers, Talie risks everything she's come to cherish—going so far as to leave the safety of the Phenomena circus—to do what is right. With Jas closing in at every turn, Talie and Renner come close to finding the High Council only to discover corruption at its core. Their only option for escape is a cocky smuggler who’s not quite what he seems and an underground resistance group called The Rising that’s fighting for change in the galaxy. Faced with the weight of her true identity and the cost of embracing it, Talie must decide if she is willing to give up everything for the sake of saving the Galaxy, even if that means giving up the boy she loves. --- Suspended in the Stars is the first book in the Xerus Galaxy Saga. It is a no spice romantic space opera perfect for fans of The Lunar Chronicles, The Starboard Trilogy, and The Illuminae Files . |
|
Scribbles and Scrawls: A Short Story Collection by Bethany Votaw Bethany Votaw gives you sixteen short stories featuring the darkness and the monsters surrounding us. Experience the uncomfortable realities lurking beneath the surface. Meet a devil at a coffee shop, discover what the Night Man is really after, and stumble upon strange creatures and events lurking just beneath the surface. If you like supernatural horror, psychological thrills, and mind-bending twists, then you’ll love this debut short story collection by Bethany Votaw. Unlock Scribbles and Scrawls and begin the journey into madness. |
|
Sleeping Celeste by Alana K. Drex It is October 1885, and Marie Maecott seems to be the only one who knows what has happened to her daughter, Celeste. She is angry that no one else understands her daughter's condition, as any mother would be. Then one chill night, groundskeeper for Heathridge Cemetery, Jacob Willis, tells her a dark secret in his family's past that just may hold the key to her problem. Marie will need to set off on a journey to find out--one in which she will discover terrible parts of herself--parts that would have been better off left buried. And some are going to find out the truth of the timeless adage: it is best not to come between a mother and her child. |
|
Gold, Lock and Key by E J Doble From grimdark author E J Doble, comes a fairytale with a dark twist... "All it needs, is a bit of tenacity... and three little bears." Goldie, an outlaw and contract hunter of the Baron's State, accepts a new assignment from her employer to find an old cabin in the woods, home to three 'shapeshifters' who can morph into bears. Considered to be little more than a myth, Goldie assumes at first that the shapeshifters are an exaggeration - but with the sizeable bounty her employer is offering, she soon realises there may be more truth in it than she realised. And that isn't the only thing on her mind: she discovers her main rival - a manipulative and incredibly cunning trapper named Southey - has also taken on the contract, and will be contending for the same bounty she so fervently desires. Having waited many long years to have her revenge and outsmart Southey for past mistakes, Goldie sees the new contract as a perfect opportunity to do so. All she has to do is play her cards just right. And kill three bears... |
|
The Crescent Moon by E J Doble The first novella in a new philosophical fiction trilogy by indie author E J Doble In the city of Arbash, nestled on the outskirts of a vast desert, the young girl My'ala walks out among the vineyards overlooking a delicate blue sea. Reaching a gnarled tree atop a small hill, she stumbles upon an old man, nestled among its roots - his name is Artemis the Hermit, and he longs to answer the simple question. What is the meaning of life? As the years pass, and the realities of a difficult life struggling to get by weigh heavy upon her, My'ala finds herself returning to the Hermit by the tree to seek counsel, and to find purpose in a world where she feels so lost. But when an enemy appears from the sea, and her family are torn apart by the spectre of war, it is in the Hermit's teachings that My'ala will find her answers - and how the meaning of life may just save her city from a swift and certain end... |
|
A Pale Box on the Distant Shore by P.J. Nwosu A silent killer stalks the slum towers of Death City. In the shadow of a drowned death god, a young soldier risks his life to solve a violent crime. To catch a killer, Soldier Honnan Skyin carves a bloody trail over the behemoth bones of a dead giant and through the deepest forest of a frozen island. But some secrets should stay buried. Welcome to Death City. The Red Kingdom is a new series of dark mysteries in fantasy worlds that delve into a land of vicious crimes, strange lore and Purge House zealots. |