Word Count: 47053
Summary: It’s the last straw when three prudish pigs play a nasty trick on the set. So where else would Wolf go to plan the perfect payback, but Harry’s Behind the Scenes Bar, Baths & Grill? Soaking wet when he arrives at the back door, Harry’s dragon-magick fireplace soon gets Wolf’s fur mostly dry. Shifting to his human, silver-hair-to-his-bare-butt self, he’s almost done when the door opens again. And what to his wondering eyes does appear but a trio of boorish boar brothers—without a single reindeer!—all in a row from short to not-very-tall: Guy, Gresham and Grant Graham. Wolf’s idea is so brilliant, it’s definitely dawn coming up like thunder, “outer China ‘crost the Bay.” (Wolf really likes Kipling). A maybe mean, surely sneaky, snake-in-Eden idea. Payback is a dish best served hot...and hard. Join the fun as payback plays out. There’s help from Tom Thumb, fine food, expensive bottles of Harry’s Dragon’s Own Special Reserve wine (the only thing which gets a shifter drunk), Death by Chocolate, Lady Flame, a private tour of the baths. Plus rooms of straw and sticks and bricks, and an Easter Egg, which might be hiding in Manhattan. Fair warning: there’s a lot of huffing and puffing as part of the plan. Just not at doors. 47,053 words in the story
Word Count: Information not available
Summary: For three years, Jeth and Kodie and their soldiers have guarded a hostile mountain pass against the invading Dathians in a war that has waged for decades. Jeth has the blood of giants running through his veins, and it has caused bigotry and death to dog his steps his entire life. After a childhood tragedy shatters his world, it takes the courage and loyalty of his best friend, Kodie, to protect him from himself. Jeth knows he’s a danger to everyone around him and joins the army to control and focus the black rage inherited from his bestial bloodline. Kodie follows his friend into the army, determined to stay close to the one he loves most. He has never revealed his deeper feelings for Jeth, and is ignorant of Jeth’s own feelings. Their bond is too precious for either of them to risk rejection. Yet they might have to take the chance when Kodie’s life is threatened, and their enemy forges an alliance with a giant clan. Jeth must call upon his darker heritage to brave the hostile environment to make an alliance of his own—with a giant clan that knows more about him than he does himself.
Word Count: 22000
Summary: A sellsword’s bargain. A burgeoning desire. A future balanced on the point of a blade. Sellsword Des is travelling alone in a dry and dusty southern land, after a spectacular bust up with her best friend. She’s running low on coin, so when former client Karina offers her a job leading her caravan’s security through brigand country, it feels like a gift. Des has done the route before, but she isn’t sure about leading solo. She recommends Karina hire Cap, a rugged old mercenary, to head up the crew. Maybe she’ll even learn a thing or two about how to lead, in between the delightful distraction of Karina’s flirtations and keeping the marauders at bay. As they head off on their long trip across Rescalin, though, the wheels start to come off Des’s plan. The crew is drinking too much, even on duty, and Cap is dismissive of the dangers she identifies. Des worries she’s made the wrong call by putting Cap as the lead, and Karina is in her ear, wanting her to take over. As brigands close in, will Des back the merc she put in charge? Or will she take over — and risk the caravan’s safety resting on her blade alone? If you enjoy badass, sword-wielding women, an Australian-inspired setting, sapphic fantasy, and untrustworthy mercenaries, pick up A Hired Blade today, and join Des on her journey.
Word Count: 93700
Summary: A princess on the run. A captain on the hunt for treasure. When their paths cross, will they be each other's salvation? Keola is a mermaid – and bound for marriage to a foreign human prince. Unable to face a life cut off from the ocean with a man she despises, she chooses freedom at a terrible cost. Posing as a human wavesinger to remain hidden from her pursuers, she finds work on the ship of the dashing captain Anaar Kahlani.Anaar is searching for a mythical treasure and believes that Keola is the key to finding it. Amidst the hunt for fame and fortune, Anaar begins to fall for the mysterious wavesinger. Confronted with a secret and a dangerous revelation, she must decide what price she is willing to pay for untold riches – and for love. When Keola’s past catches up with her, can they survive the oncoming storm together, or will the trials ahead demand more of them than they are willing to sacrifice?
Word Count: 53,000
Summary: “Orcs are the answer but what is the question?” Elias is a priest at the Temple of the Divine Sibyl. When he becomes lost in the woods after his brother’s hunting party abandons him, it’s just his luck that he’d stumble upon an angry orc caught in a trap. Unable to stomach the suffering of others, Elias throws self-preservation to the wind and frees the orc. Then Gurrkk—that’s a name?—ends up leading him to safety. Gurrkk finds himself rather smitten by the sweet, awkward human. He’s always been fascinated with his people’s sworn enemy, and now he has a life debt to fulfill to maintain his honor. Hiding an orc among the temple’s crypts wouldn’t have been Elias’s first choice but Gurrkk is stubborn about leaving. As they learn each other’s languages and spend more time together, Elias realizes they’ve become friends… and maybe more. And when the dying sibyl gives her last prophecy, Elias knows it wasn’t chance that brought them together, it was the gods. But why? This is a sweet, ace romance, so no sexy times, but plenty of snuggles and cuddles!
Word Count: Information not available
Summary: What sacrifice will come to pass this night? With Trenton Woods officially missing, The Furies are under the care of their new manager, the legendary Xandria Malcom. As if that wasn’t enough pressure, the band will soon be playing at the Metallizer Festival and opening for the one and only Emperor Immortal. All of Lottie Ferro’s dreams are finally coming true, but all good things demand sacrifice. Music is fading from Lottie, one song at a time. Campers are disappearing from the festival, and The Furies fear something worse than witches is to blame. As tensions mount within the band, Lottie must find a way to make peace with what’s done or risk losing more than just her music or her sisters. This time, she might just lose herself.
Word Count: 120,000
Summary: When Denny isn’t working as a photographer, they spend their time at the local coffee shop mooning over one of the regulars, the mysterious and beautiful Peri. No one’s more surprised than Denny when she asks them out on a date. What happens that night throws the couple into a world where nothing is as it appears and everyone wants to get their hands on Peri and her powers to inspire artists – especially Joolie, the controlling and egotistical leader of Denny’s art collective. If that wasn’t enough, the powerful, capricious water elementals known as Nyxen have inexplicably taken an interest in Denny. They warn that Peri’s gifts bring nothing but trouble to those around her. It’s hard to argue with them when the magic starts to go wrong; paintings greedily come alive with grasping tentacles, an obsessed ex-lover returns to threaten the couple, and Denny begins to wonder if their grip on reality is beginning to slip…
Word Count: 34,300
Summary: It all started with a dare. The best thing Robyn Martin Donahue did was give her controlling ex the boot. It only took thirty-five years, but hey, she’s finally living life on her own terms. Now her bestie wants her to believe the Silverstar Agency can hook her up with a guy who will love and respect her, and not try to rule her? As if. By law, a monarch cannot govern alone. Recently widowed, Kyzel Raptorclaw will honor his vow to remate for love. Although, things would be far less complicated if his potential match was not from another planet. Breaking with his peoples’ ancient mating tradition is nothing compared to the personal sacrifice expected of her, if she is to stand at his side as his equal. What could go wrong? Can Kyzel convince Robyn they are better together, or will their happily ever after crash and burn before it has a chance to soar? Welcome to the Silverstar Agency, specializing in intergalactic love matches for those over fifty.
Word Count: 73,151
Summary: Time travel. For mages, it violates their number one rule: what the Mother has written, let no one unwrite. The Mother writes the destinies of the creatures on the world of Karishian. If her writings were undone, it is feared that Creation itself could be undone. The dark mage Morgorth takes this rule to heart, but there are others who do not. Morgorth is about to claim a stone of power when it is stolen from him by a female mage he hasn't seen in decades. As they struggle for the stone, she activates it, and Morgorth is unwillingly plunged into another time and another place. It isn't long before he realizes what time he's found himself in and there are a few familiar faces. Most notable is a much younger version of Aishe. His mate. Living with a tribe who will be massacred, caring for a young lad who will become his mate, and fighting a battle against a mage who can travel from past to future at a whim—Morgorth's life has never been easy but now he must contend with the will of the Mother. Unable to change the future and the tragedies of Aishe's life, he must decide what his role in his mate's past will be, and ask himself one vital question: how does one defeat time?
Word Count: 77000
Summary: There are worlds out there with a past. A past that is only poorly understood. The Song worlds are in that category. What are they? Why are they? What do they tell us about the rest of us? Should we investigate them or should we avoid them? What if our world was visited by the Song? Maybe that is not strong enough. What if ours is the result of a visitation by the Song. More to the point, what if they achieved what they wanted with us? What if it all went wrong? What category does the world of Forest come under? The inhabitants there only number a few thousand and they face numerous perils. Were they ever visited by the Song? Shanlee the story teller has been given the world to investigate. What is she in for? She has other things on her mind. She left the love of her life behind when she took this investigation on. Will she be waiting for her when Shanlee returns home? If she returns home? The people of Forest, the Kekimelu, have been deserted by their spirits but have not lost their beliefs. A young song writer decides he is going to ask the Song's representative on Forest some hard questions. The answers he gets may not be what he hopes for.
Word Count: 70000
Summary: Ray M. Holler is an interstellar shipping freelancer, expert smuggler, and an occasional thief with a troubled past which means that his life is far from the boring, mundane exploits of your average denizen of the Orion-Sagittarius Union, a political alliance of intelligent species inhabiting the Milky Way galaxy. In fact, more often than not, he finds himself up to his neck in situations that require wit, courage, and a decent amount of luck to maneuver out of in one piece. Throughout his adventures in a universe where a safe, peaceful life is possible but not guaranteed, Ray gets to meet a variety of interesting individuals, make new friends, reunite with old acquaintances, and maybe—just maybe—face his own demons. All Quiet In the Milky Way: Ray M. Holler’s Adventures vol. 1 brings forth five stories, accompanied by an equal amount of side vignettes. This collection will take you on an exciting journey to remote worlds that, in some aspects, may not be all that dissimilar from the one we live in today.
Word Count: 184000
Summary:
An unexpected romance. A space-heist gone wrong. A galactic catastrophe in the making.
At the furthest reaches of the known galaxy, cyber-thief Rowland Hale’s biggest score turns into a fight for his life. Beaten but not broken, ex-navy captain Toar Grithrawrscion can save that life, but only by risking his own. With a toothy foe hell-bent on domination, can these two unlikely heroes come together and not only save the galaxy, but each other? Their destiny is in their hands, but only if they keep their hands to themselves. A high-adventure space epic with a touch of charming romance, Allure of Oartheca tells the story of two men from different worlds who must face battles both from without and from deep within – an Allure that whispers promises of rapture and destruction, that dares not be risked, and cannot be refused. If our heroes give up, they fail. If they give in, they fail too – and the fate of the universe rests in the balance.
Word Count: 70,034
Summary: Every story has more than one point of view. As the mate to the dark mage Morgorth, Aishe has learned a lot about magick, love, and himself. He tries to find a home with Morgorth, to be accepted into his world; to survive in a world full of magick, treachery, and deception. But all the while he struggles to keep a secret about his past and their intertwined destinies. Despite all the obstacles thrown at both of them, Aishe is determined to stay by Morgorth’s side, no matter what the future brings—even if that future turns dark with death should Morgorth embrace his grim destiny. But when Morgorth leaves with his mentor to collect another stone of power, Aishe is left behind. It is then a surprise attack comes and Aishe, determined to protect and defend his new home, decides to take the invaders on by himself. It might prove too much for him to handle...especially when he learns the one who leads the invaders is a mage. This book allows us a glimpse inside the mind of Lord Morgorth’s better half, a dialen named Aishe: his motivations, his personal sorrows, and his struggle to find a place to call home.
Word Count: 88,000
Summary: Journalist Will Corwin and Doctor Amelia Warren have started to build a life together on the war-torn colony of Amara. They are even raising a child, Amelia’s ten-year-old brother, Jonah. While Will struggles to integrate his new security detail into his work, he pursues an interview he’s wanted for a long time, and makes a decision--and takes a risk--in order to get the story. When that risk backfires, and he is abducted by the hybrid alien warlord, Nod Korvus, it will be a struggle to balance his life with his integrity. Amelia wants Will back, desperately, but in order to do so, will she be willing to betray everything he stands for? And how will the arrival of the Duchess Ezri Sinclair, Will’s domineering mother--who very much does not approve of Amelia--complicate the rescue effort? This is Among the Captive Stars, the sequel to All the Promised Stars, and the second installment in Broken Stars, a series of steamy romantic sci-fi novels by Chad Grayson.
Word Count: Information not available
Summary: Ardulum. The planet that vanishes. The planet that sleeps. Neek makes a living piloting the dilapidated tramp transport, Mercy’s Pledge, and smuggling questionable goods across systems blessed with peace and prosperity. She gets by—but only just. In her dreams, she is still haunted by thoughts of Ardulum, the traveling planet that, long ago, visited her homeworld. The Ardulans brought with them agriculture, art, interstellar technology…then disappeared without a trace, leaving Neek’s people to worship them as gods. Neek does not believe—and has paid dearly for it with exile from her home for her heretical views. Yet, when the crew stumbles into an armed confrontation between the sheriffs of the Charted Systems and an unknown species, fate deals Neek an unexpected hand in the form of a slave girl—a child whose ability to telepathically manipulate cellulose is reminiscent of that of an Ardulan god. Forced to reconcile her beliefs, Neek chooses to protect her, but is the child the key to her salvation, or will she lead them all to their deaths?
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Summary: Ardulum. The planet of myth. The planet of unwanted destiny. The Charted Systems are in pieces. Mercy’s Pledge is destroyed, and her captain dead. With no homes to return to, the remaining crew sets off on a journey to find the mythical planet of Ardulum—a planet where Emn might find her people, and Neek the answers she’s long sought. Finding the planet, however, brings a host of uncomfortable truths about Ardulum’s vision for the galaxy and Neek’s role in a religion that refuses to release her. Neek must balance her planet’s past and the unchecked power of the Ardulans with a budding relationship and a surprising revelation about her own genealogy. Ardulum: Second Don blends space opera elements and hard science into a story about two women persistently bound to their past and a sentient planet determined to shape their future.
Word Count: 121000
Summary: A child’s memory. A journey’s end. Lance doesn’t remember the time before Ulfr found him. It’s a dark pit in his mind that he avoids at all costs. And yet, despite his best efforts, pieces start to fall, and echoes from the past begin to ring. However, he has little time to comprehend their meaning, since the Captain of the Imperial Army herself has come to collect him and bring him to the capital city of the Nifdem Empire. Whisked away to the gilded streets and glittering court of the Hill of Tarran, and then to the snowy reaches of Swenen, Lance and Gust will learn the answers to questions they’ve had from the start. And be forced to acknowledge their roles in the survival of the empire and the ripple effects of their actions. But such knowledge can come at a steep price. As allies and enemies begin to step from the shadows, Lance will learn the truth of his past and the price of his redemption, and all the pain that comes with them. While Gust will have to decide what he’s willing to sacrifice to safeguard the one he loves.
Word Count: 76000
Summary: A spy lurking in the shadows, a nation on the verge of an invasion, a man desperate to protect his home. Lucian is the Blade of Castrial, the kingdom's spymaster and first line of defence, lauded for his success in repelling an invasion from Garaner. But the war has left Castrial's economy in shambles, and when the neighbouring kingdom of Sarian musters their armies and sends spies into Castrial, Lucian realises two things: they have a spy in their midst, and they can't afford the cost of fighting off another invasion. And if that wasn't trouble enough, there is Alaric, the Shield of Castrial and the only man in the Echelon whose power is equal to Lucian's. Returned from banishment like the vengeful spirit of their long-lost relationship, Alaric carries a deep-set grudge against Lucian, a grudge that may well be justified. Lucian’s desire to protect his nation is nearly equal to his wish to reconcile with Alaric, but if he cannot get his act together and convince the Shield to work with him, Castrial will fall. Blade Broken is a queer, sword-and-sorcery fantasy and the first book in The Echelon Series. If you love flawed characters, betrayals and redemption, and gritty worldbuilding with lots of political machinations, you will love this book.
Word Count: 73600
Summary: The king is dead. Hail to the queen. Born with weak magic, Zhenya, the heir apparent to the throne of Askary, is faced with a choice when her father the king dies unexpectedly: Rule the land alone and rely upon the mercy of others to protect it, or give her hand in marriage to someone who will bring true power back into the bloodline. Before she can make her decision, Zhenya narrowly survives an ambush – but quickly finds herself in a new predicament. Keryth has spent years fighting her way up the ranks of the royal guard. Now, she serves close to the queen, but her ambitions reach higher – guard captain, or even the future queen’s personal entourage. When the king dies, she sees an opportunity, but before she has a chance to impress her new queen, she has to make a rash decision to save both their lives. Stranded on a remote island, surrounded by a strange fog that won’t let them leave, Zhenya and Keryth are forced into an unlikely alliance to survive. In such close proximity, it doesn’t take long for the lines between royalty and commoner to blur, and feelings blossom that neither woman is sure they can afford. The fragile peace on the island is shattered when they make a harrowing discovery – their misfortune was not an accident. Now in a race against time, they both need to find their strength and unravel the mystery of the island to return home, or risk losing everything – and each other.
Word Count: 120000
Summary: U.S. Marshal James Creed has known loss, starting from the untimely death of his wife and daughter in a sudden fire. His work, chasing down and arresting outlaws across the Wild West, is all he has left to live for. Then one day, in 1876, the infamous killer Corwin Blake catches Creed by surprise and guns him down. Creed awakes after a mysterious young woman resurrects him in a basement laboratory beneath a brothel. Half alive, Creed feels torn between his need for justice and his desire to fall back into the peace of death. Creed's instincts drive him to protect the city of Santa Cruz, California, from the outlaws it harbors while searching for Blake. He uncovers a secret criminal organization, likely protecting Blake, determined to use resurrection technology for its own ends. The former marshal, now faster, stronger, and a more deadly shot than ever before, must work with a brothel madam, a bounty hunter, and the remaining marshals to uncover the criminal syndicate before they can misuse the machines of rebirth and create more mindless zombies. Meanwhile, he must also stop Blake, before the outlaw kills the only people he cares about. His own death can wait.
