Books Tagged With author - american

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Summary: A collection of the "Brassbright Kids" stories PLUS a brand-new novelette! The Steamkettle Kids Save the Day - Can Paisley Pockets and Christopher Cogan stop a crime in progress? They may be just a couple of kids, but where there’s a will and some smarts, there just might be a way. The Legend of The Engineer - In a country called Industralia, children listen to a New Year's story about Frostica, the Engineer, and a magical train. A Life Invented - Gerard Liddle tinkers with his very first inventions - which sometimes work, and sometimes do unexpected things. The Steamkettle Kids and the Lucky Tentacles - After a hurricane shakes up Steamkettle Bay, Paisley Pockets, Christopher Cogan and Jimmy Cupper have an adventure as big as the sea. ~ NEW ~ The Secret of Tarragon Alley - Robin dreams of having a garden filled with flowers, just like Gramma did. When he brings home a little clay pot filled with gnarly, weird plants, he has no idea that it will take him on an amazing adventure.

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Summary: The mighty storm wrecking havoc on the city and the ensuing fire engulfs Dr. Kite's warehouse, destroying his experiments and the ugly truths hidden in the depth of its high walls. In the aftermath, Kite escapes from the city to the safety of a small coastal town, where nobody knows him ... or do they? The three women, their lives previously altered by his novel mind-control chips, forge another life. Will Gigi hold on to true love? Ellen has lost weight but gained a bundle of joy. Does she tell the baby's father? Will Lilly's new business succeed? They're changing their lives to find happiness again. This time, taking a journey of self-discovery and risks of their own choosing. Please note: This book does end on a cliff-hanger. Primal Will wraps it up. "Primal Will delivers just as many twists and turns as the first two books, plus a stunning conclusion!" - Amazon reviewer

Word Count: Click here to reveal44,000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Drawn by promises of excitement and freedom, how could Callum resist Berlin? It's the end of 1932 and the Weimar capital is the heartbeat of the gay world, where a man like him can find companionship and love, even in the shadow of looming political disaster. Still, Callum feels unseen, until he discovers a place where the dead mix with the living, an organization devoted to studying the supernatural, and a man in each world that could capture his heart... or seal his fate. Haunted Hearts – Everyone deserves a happy ever afterlife! Haunted Hearts is an Own-Voices Paranormal Romance Series about love and the things that go boo in the night. Join us on our romantic journeys over ten books from some of your favorite authors! Be sure to read the entire series so you don’t miss a moment of falling in love, or sometimes falling into a happily ever after-life! Each book is a standalone but why not read them all? Everyone deserves the HEA!

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Summary: Coasters, carousels, an old cemetery, and a sprawling hotel on a stormy lakeside. Visit this haunted tour of scrapbook memories where legendary summers intersect with history and rumor. Told in vignettes that weave stories, newspaper clippings, postcards, and images, Ghastly Tales follows four families through the decades at a lakeside resort and amusement park where everyone eventually returns.

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Summary: This horror collection graphic novel contains the following stories: “And They Lived Long Enough to Bury Their Dead” is a dark fantasy comic zine about a group of Gen X goth/punk folks growing older and processing the deaths of loved ones. A paranormal urban fantasy, it centers around Billie, a nonbinary African-American alternative rocker from Oakland who develops the psychic ability to see and communicate with ghosts. Their nesting partner, Davis, a formerly homeless African-American transgender man, their twin brother Sean, a ghostcat, and the ghost of their mother are other central characters. In the story Billie, Davis, and their Gen X circle of friends are coming to terms with aging, the declining health (and loss) of their parents, and adjusting to a new post-pandemic world. It is an urban fantasy taking place in Oakland and the San Francisco Bay Area “Agrippa” is a dystopic near-future tale that takes place in an unnamed industrialized nation very much like the United States. When foreign creditors demand that the nation repay its considerable international debt or face war it enacts the Dulcetta Reforms, ultra-restrictive laws establishing debtor’s prison, and causing a large number of people – many of them seniors – to go to jail or even face execution if not continuously working to pay off their personal debts to the government. Dr. Tine, an expert in geriatric medicine, is desperately searching for employment at the beginning of our tale, having lost her useful functioning in society as the elders she once treated were rounded up and hauled off to the prison camps. Things were so bad she didn't think they could possibly get any worse. How very wrong she was. Dreamworlds: Beyond Somnalia - the author is plagued by a series of increasing demands from their fictional characters who come to take over the writer's life.

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Summary: "This was a good time for silent reflection, to ask myself how—in all the rumored worlds—I’d arrived here." All she wanted was a secure home, but Maddie’s problems just got bigger. GIANTS’ GATE is a standalone MAGE ERA prequel to the WOODSPELL SERIES and one of the TALES OF ARDONNA. Content Advisory: Contains adult themes and situations and spoilers for River’s Roar

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Summary: Alex Philothea, the newly appointed director of the Keepers of the Holy and Noble Maat, is fighting to save the agency her ancestors have led for over two millennia. Operating in deep cover, KHNM shields the mortal realm against the lethal chaos of the Immortals. As Alex battles the Gods over the agency’s existence, she is in a race against time to contain dangerous magical artifacts. If the Gods succeed in shuttering the agency and these ancient objects fall into unworthy hands, humanity will pay a deadly price. Deep in the Netherworld, adventurer Jorge Trinculo unearths a primordial book of magic. It exposes one of KHNM’s darkest secrets. For years, the agency has been erasing the memories of his encounters with the Immortals. As his old life floods back, he realizes all that he has lost. In Jorge’s pursuit of revenge, his future becomes entwined with that of a power-hungry magician. A magician who has waited patiently, for centuries, to possess the forbidden book and wield its lethal magic against the mortal realm.

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Summary: Miss Mona is the sweet old lady who lives on the fourth floor. Or, at least, that's what all her neighbors think. But the true soul underneath the cardigan is much, much darker than anyone would ever suspect. Mona is hiding some very disturbing secrets in her home. After all, everyone has their little obsessions, don’t they? Includes the bonus short story “Spark."

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Summary:

First settlers on Mars may be the last.

Emma Winters wants to explore with her robotic walkabouts.

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Summary: An Artificial Superintelligence bent on destroying humanity. A mech warrior determined to stop it. No one is safe. Not before, not now, not ever. Jedidiah Martin survived the AI apocalypse that almost destroyed America. He was there when they took down Isaac, the superintelligence responsible for nearly ending humanity. But is Isaac dead for good? From the ashes, a new threat has emerged. The people from a neighboring town are missing, as is Jedidiah’s nephew, Blake. All hell is about to break loose. With his band of mechanized warriors, Jedidiah sets out to find answers. But the questions keep coming: Is Isaac back from the grave? What does he want with Blake? Will he try to finish humanity for good this time?

Word Count: Click here to reveal102,000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Can you hear it? Whispering in the dark. Secrets only the dark knows. Joseph Moore, choir director for the First Baptist Church of Lenora, Nebraska, has secrets of his own. Terrible, lonely secrets. One that involves natural human desire. One that calls forth powers he cannot begin to understand. Both with the potential to destroy him and those he loves. Now the world is changing. The darkness, the shadows, the ghosts, are closing in—and Joseph and his lover, Kevin, are being stalked by a merciless demon, hell-bent on possession. Can you hear it now? There in the dark. It's whispering your name.

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Summary: The adventure continues in Ham & Echo: Encounter the Kitchi Mizhe. Uncover the mystery behind the sinking of the Gordon Lighton and the fate of her valiant crew. Discover what happened to the boys Fowler abducted. Ham and Echo find themselves thrust into a new world where they must quickly adapt and navigate a foreign culture teetering on the edge of social unrest.

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Summary: Inspired by the Edmund Fitzgerald's harrowing true story. This reimagining of tragic events is a gripping tale that delves into the depths of love, resilience, and the harsh realities that test the bonds of friendship. It’s an M/M romantic twist of fate tragedy that will leave you breathless with its emotional intensity. Ham and Echo, who have been inseparable since they were ten years old, share a bond that goes beyond friendship. When Ham is drafted into the army at nineteen, Echo, without hesitation, enlists as well, promising to have his back. Eleven years post-war, Echo is still haunted by what he has seen and done in Vietnam. Ham, now a family man with two sons, has managed to bury the past. But Echo, unable to escape the horrors of war, struggles to find his place in civilian life. Ham, recognizing his friend’s pain, takes it upon himself to guide Echo back to the light. He enrolls Echo in an anger management program and secures him a job on the ship he works on, the Gordon Lighton. As Echo’s feelings for Ham deepen, he dares to hope that Ham might feel the same. One stormy night aboard the Gordon Lighton, Echo stumbles upon a shocking secret-a human trafficking scheme operating right under their noses. As the weather worsens, the Gordon Lighton is subjected to the brutal onslaught of nature’s fury. The unthinkable question hangs palpably in the air. Will the Gordon Lighton weather the storm?      

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Summary: Flynn Keahi has had a rough year. His nightmares are starting to manifest in reality, but no one believes him. Terrifying creatures are trying to cross out of dreams into the physical realm. Only Flynn can stop them – but doing so might cost him his life. Complicating matters further, one of these creatures cannot help wanting him — in every forbidden way. Will she be able to save him from his fate? Can she even protect him from herself? Book 1 in The Metamorphoses of Flynn Keahi What People Are Saying!   “A twisted descent into arousal, madness and mad arousal, Happiness and Other Diseases pulls no punches as it peels back the layers of the human experience to reveal our soft, creamy centers. Take that how you want, but if you are looking for a disturbing, sexually charged read with solid writing, Sumiko Saulson delivers.” -- Angela Yuriko Smith, Bram Stoker Awards® Nominated author of In Favor of Pain   "If you enjoy unsettling dark paranormal romances that place power dynamics in sexual relationships under the microscope, look no further. Sumiko Saulson gives us body horror, what feels like an insiders look at mental illness and the mental health system, dysfunctional families, semi-obscure mythological characters, and an excellent depiction of how many of us teeter on the fence between sex and death. Happiness and Other Diseases is a sexy, funny, disturbing, and unflinching tale of the insane lengths people will go to in search of love and acceptance." -- Michelle Renee Lane, Bram Stoker Award Nominated author of Invisible Chains   "In this entertaining novel, Saulson incorporates mythology into what might appear to be normal, everyday life. However, characters, Flynn and Charlotte, are far from normal. I enjoyed how Saulson keeps their relationship lively but honest – even sweet, but not in a saccharine way. Buy this book! For sheer enjoyment, it’s a keeper!" – Marge Simon, multiple Bram Stoker winner, HWA Lifetime Achievement Award winner   “It is a very unconventional book that offers a supernatural dimension to the mysterious, sometimes mind-bending world of psychological pathological conditions, psychosis, and disorders.” Justin Boyer, bibliophilesreverie.com

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Summary: A boy is in danger when he stumbles upon a crime committed by two prominent men of his town, but finds an unusual ally in the form of a castle ghost. Twelve-year-old Haycorn may know all about ghosts of Ohio, but even he is stunned when he and his friend Budge encounter a ghost in a castle. The boys witness a clandestine meeting there between two men involving a kick-back scheme, putting their lives, and that of Haycorn’s mother, in jeopardy. But the ghost may have other plans for all of them.

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Summary: A baby’s laughter. A mind uncaged. Lance is known as Scourge, the warrior in the black armor, the dog of the warlord Ulfr Blackwolf. He was just a boy when Ulfr found him and molded him into the perfect weapon. He slaughters and pillages on command, merciless and numb, devoid of emotions. Then a baby girl laughs at him during a raid. And everything changes. When Gust, a talented healer, is out deer hunting and stumbles across a magnificent horse bearing a mortally wounded rider, he has no idea that his life is about to change forever. Gust applies all his skills to his patient, determined to save the rider’s life, and is rewarded when the man opens his eyes. As friendship, and more, bloom between warrior and healer, so does the danger over the horizon. Ulfr has not forgotten, and Lance must take his first steps on the long road to redemption.

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Summary: When Robyn's father and brother are killed in the Third Crusade, she is banished from her manor home and branded a traitor by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Disguised as a boy, she joins Little John and the rest of the gang in Sherwood Forest—and soon finds herself their leader. Queen Eleanor suspects Prince John is up to no good, and colluding with Sir Guy and the Sheriff of Nottingham. To learn more, she engages Maid Marian as a spy—and unwittingly reunites Marian with her old childhood friend, Robyn. Together, the women help the queen acquire the funds needed to free King Richard and help Nottinghamshire—and perhaps fall in love along the way.

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Summary: Kaede Hiyashi is sick and tired of living in the shadow of his father, supervillain Doctor Terror. Brilliant but crazy, Doctor Terror sends his son to Corwyn, California, for reasons Kaede can’t imagine. Sent to accompany and protect him is Ash, a genetically modified supersoldier raised and trained by an infamous death cult. Corwyn is lousy with superheroes, led by the obnoxious Dark Justice. Kaede finds himself dancing around Dark Justice as he digs into his father’s mysterious business and teaches his socially awkward—but physically lethal—bodyguard to acclimate to “normal” life. Can these two wacky supervillains figure out what Doctor Terror wants them to do, solve the riddle of the villain known as Black Hand, and keep Dark Justice from raining on their bloody parade? The course of love—and world domination—never did run smooth.

Word Count: Click here to reveal81000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: The Earth has gone silent. John Mark Ellis and the crew of the Sanson are sent to investigate. When they arrive, they find vast alien machines known as Clusters in orbit. Fearing the worst, they land and discover that the once overcrowded, polluted Earth has become a paradise of sorts. The problem is over half the population is dead or missing and the planet's leaders don't seem to care. As Ellis works to unravel the mystery, sudden gravitational shifts from the galaxy's center indicate something even worse is in the offing. Can Ellis save the galaxy from the heirs of the new Earth?

Word Count: Click here to reveal105,000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Enslaved by demonic aliens, a teenage boy must first survive if he is to avenge his murdered father. A typical Alaskan teenager, Paul’s greatest joy is hunting and fishing with his father. But when alien demons attack his family’s isolated cabin, they shatter Paul’s comfortable life. After killing his father and enslaving Paul, his twin sister, and their mother, the demons teleport their three captives to Hell, a desert world in the Demonic Empire. Once there, they face one of two terrible fates. They can either live as useful slaves or be immediately slaughtered as food for the merciless demons. With his demon masters demanding their slaves’ absolute obedience to their brutal human overseers, Paul soon learns to hide his burning hatred and desire for revenge behind the stoic expression of a servile slave. But as the years slowly pass, Paul adapts to survive, first as a field slave and then as a gladiator. Will he live long enough to take his revenge, or will Paul’s years of slavery rob him of his will to resist and cost him his humanity? Action-packed and with a strong emotional core and relatable characters, this multi-award-winning, stand-alone prequel to the Hell Holes series of alien invasion novels is an epic tale of love, loss, friendship, and survival under the most hellish of conditions. If you enjoy science fiction books like The Hunger Games and Divergent that stay with you long after you finish them, you will love Hell Holes: A Slave’s Revenge.   Awards: Winter 2022 Pinnacle Book Awards - Winner 2023 Cygnus Science Fiction Book Awards - Finalist 2023 Chrysalis BREW Project – Seal of Excellence 2021 Top Shelf Magazine Book Awards – Runner-up – Fiction/Fantasy Subcategory July 2022 BooksShelf Writing Awards – Finalist – Fiction Category 2021 The Wishing Shelf Book Awards – Finalist – Adult Category 2023 ReadFree.ly Best Book We’ve Read All Year – Finalist 2021 ReadFree.ly 50 Best Indie Books 2023 Kindle Book Award – Semifinalist – Science Fiction Category