Books Tagged With where - general - rural

Word Count: Click here to reveal115000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Battles and adventure crisscross the Viking Age! From monumental sea clashes to beleaguered mountain strongholds to war with the tribes of Eire, circumstance drives the scattered Agneson clan across the known world. And beyond the lands of Midgard, mythic hidden folk challenge our forerunner hero. The award-winning Forerunner Series epic continues…. Fleeing an arranged marriage, Kara escapes across the narrow sea to follow her warrior dreams. Escaping slavery, Cub joins Rollo’s horde in Britany, while his outlawed brother Sorven fights for survival in the Welsh mountains. Uncle Karl and his warriors rally to Harald Tanglehair in his ambition to unify the wild kingdoms of the North Way, and young Thorfinn is left behind, safe and secure in a tiny fishing village... or is he? Kara gains her place in king of Dublinn’s ranks to prove her mettle, but being a warrior is not what she expected, and what of these new feelings she finds for her closest companion? Will Karl and his crew perish in the great battle of Hafrsfjord? And how will an unprepared Thorfinn survive kidnapping by an 8-armed giant, leaving behind worried friends and a very angry dragon? Don’t miss this 5-star epic fantasy critics are calling “whimsical and gritty,” with “fabulous, engaging characters.” If you enjoy the history of The Last Kingdom and Nordic myths and legends, the Forerunner Series is a grand tale not to be missed!

Word Count: Click here to reveal195000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Belonging can sometimes be Hell Jin is 17, pansexual, blue-haired, half-Korean and a lifelong outsider. His modus operandi, after years of neglect and chaos, is never belong, never attach, because both just bring pain. What he doesn't know, and mustn't, is if he does ever belong, his lust demon father will take him to Hell forever the day he turns 18. But when he moves to the remote Scottish town of Hammer Falls, where he shouldn't fit in at all, he finds being supernatural and queer aren't quite the barriers to belonging he'd hoped. As his lust demon blood begins to show and he grows ever closer to gorgeous part-angel demonstalker Nate, how long can Jin continue to convince himself he doesn't belong and isn't getting attached? Lust & Other Demons is the first in a trilogy containing a snarky, prickly half lust demon, hot demon hunters, werebears, angst, messy love and explicit MM sex. Books 2 & 3 also contain steamy MMM+ polyamory scenes as part of a key relationship. NOTE - These books are NOT suitable for younger readers or people likely to be offended by speculative views about religion.

Word Count: Information not available

Summary: Step into a world beyond the material realm with 'Noncorporeal, ' a spine-chilling anthology packed with haunting tales of ghosts and other ethereal beings. Prepare to be captivated as you journey through stories that will keep you wide-awake, make you question reality, and even elicit a chuckle or two. Get ready for an unforgettable ride into the realm of the supernatural with 'Noncorporeal' - your next stop for spooky delights.

Word Count: Click here to reveal104000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: The Scarlet Order vampires are on the run. Rudolfo de Cordoba has led most of the Scarlet Order vampires to a new home in Colorado where they can regroup and unlock new vampire powers. Alexandra and Drake have gone to New Orleans to continue their quest for lost Biblical writings when they learn the government's project to create super soldiers from vampires continues. Marcella and Roquelaure have traveled to the South of France to avoid trouble only to stumble upon a terrorist plot and an even more frightening means of quashing extremism. Meanwhile, Special Agent John Lassiter is on the trail of the Scarlet Order vampires. Will the vampires unlock their new gifts and save humanity from itself before Agent Lassiter catches up and ends the vampires' immortal existence? The only thing certain is that they'll learn truths about themselves and the universe we live in—and those truths will not leave them unscathed.

Word Count: Click here to reveal92000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: The year is 1876, Sheriff Ramon Morales of Socorro, New Mexico meets a beguiling woman named Fatemeh Karimi of Persia, escaping oppression in her homeland. When an ancient lifeform called Legion comes to Earth, they are pulled into a series of events that will change the history of the world as we know it. In their journeys, Ramon and Fatemeh encounter mad inventors, dangerous outlaws and pirates. Their resources are Ramon's fast draw and Fatemeh's uncanny ability to communicate with owls. The question is, will that be enough to save them when a fleet of dirigibles from Czarist Russia invades the United States?

Word Count: Click here to reveal75,600 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Welcome to the Shifting Lands. Silluka was born with only one arm and could never practice the exacting motions to summon the favor of the gods. Caught stealing, she is forced to test her powers or be branded an outcast. She fails, and loses citizenship to her village. In a fit of desperation, Silluka tries to steal a badge of citizenship from a mysterious elder. But instead, Elder Quilqi shows Silluka a different path to gain the powers of the gods, aided by an octopus-like technological wizard who worships their own eldritch divinities. Time is short for training however, because a new island is speeding toward the coastal town, throwing deadly hurricanes and tidal waves before it, and threatening all who live there. Only the gods and godlike storm warriors protect the village from destruction, but all of them fail when a mysterious creature bursts through the wall. It's only one forerunner for a species of terrifying turtlemen: fast, deadly, and ready to invade the larger island. The village must flee inland before the invasion, while Silluka is weighed down by her outcast status and her brother’s failing abilities. To save herself, her family, and her village, Silluka must overcome stigma and self-doubt. She must learn the scope of the world outside her village. She must learn Physical Magic.

Word Count: Click here to reveal95000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: “Reality took a greasy slide off-kilter. He had to be mistaken. Please, please God let him be mistaken…” Miles Baumgartner lost his boyfriend. His house. His job. Worst of all, he lost his nephew when Ian—his almost-son—died, crushed to death in a car accident nine months ago. So how is there a recent photo of Ian on Facebook? A series of lies and half-truths leads Miles far north to a long-abandoned orphanage. Secrets slink within St. Hamelin’s shadowed halls, and when Miles starts piecing the truth together, the horrors that walk within its rooms tighten their grip. They say that time heals all wounds, but time is running out for Miles. How can he start his life over now, knowing what really happened to Ian and the children of that unholy place? To have any chance, he must escape before dark forces curse him to walk eternally with the evils inhabiting St. Hamelin’s.  

Word Count: Information not available

Summary: A Paranormal Excursion in Four Acts. It should have been a simple field experiment. Go in, prove I can do what I claim, and walk out with the cash. If they could see what I see. Feel the helplessness I do when something else takes over. I’ll bet they’re not kept awake at night by the voices in this place. They don’t see the darkness with eyes that follows us all around this estate as we gather proof. This money was going to help my little sister with her surgery. Good intentions and the road to Hell.

Word Count: Click here to reveal38000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: RISE (noun / verb) Eight definitions to inspire writers around the world, and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell: 1) An upward slope or movement 2) A beginning or origin 3) An increase in amount or number 4) An angry reaction 5) To take up arms 6) To return from death 7) To become heartened or elated 8) To exert oneself to meet a challenge Rise features 300-word speculative flash fiction stories from across the rainbow spectrum, from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.

Word Count: Click here to reveal82000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Does a bear shift in the woods? Well, partially. That was what got grizzly shifter Ted Farnsworth into trouble. He wasn’t trying to break the Secrecy Pact. He just wants people to see the real him. So he signs up with the mate-matching service Supernatural Selection — which guarantees marriage to a perfect partner. Not only will Ted never be lonely again, but once his new beaver shifter husband arrives, they’ll build Ted’s dream wilderness retreat together. Win-win. Quentin Bertrand-Harrington, scion of an incubus dynasty, has abstained from sex since nearly killing his last lover. When his family declares it’s time for him to marry, Quentin decides the only way not to murder his partner is to pick someone who’s already dead. Supernatural Selection finds him the ideal vampire, and Quentin signs the marriage agreement sight unseen. But a mix-up at Supernatural Selection contracts Quentin with Ted. What’s Ted supposed to do with an art historian who knows more about salad forks than screwdrivers? And how can Quentin resist Ted’s mouthwatering life force? Yet as they work together to untangle their inconvenient union, they begin to wonder if their unexpected match might be perfect after all.

Word Count: Click here to reveal185000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Book 2 in the Hammer Falls Series (should be read in order) Ever since Jin met his demon father, Ashmedai, and noticed how similar they are, he's been plagued by the idea he's bad. He can see it in the deceiving effects of his lust-demon eyes, the friendship he ruined with best friend Sam, and in the many, horribly obvious differences between himself and his noble part-angel boyfriend Nate. And now, even his fledgeling 'good' magic seems to have vanished - smothered and replaced by something with sinister, evil-feeling intentions... As animals turn up mutilated in the woods and Ashmedai's plans to avenge his banishment become clearer, Nate leaves for a place at the oppressive Seminary and Jin begins to spiral - doubting Nate, doubting himself, fighting his own impulses about love, sex, good and evil. But nothing is what he thinks: not the Seminary, not his magic, and certainly not Ashmedai's plans. Can Jin overcome his fears about what being 'good' enough means in time to save not just himself but all the other people implicated, before his father's schemes bear their terrible fruit? Sons of Heaven and Hell contains a prickly, velvet-loving half-demon, hot demon hunters, werebears, angst, messy love and explicit MM sex and steamy MMM polyamory scenes not suitable for younger readers.

Word Count: Click here to reveal32000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Two men haunted by more than the past. Painter Stefan Cobbe was homeless and debt-ridden after the death of his wealthy partner, but the worst loss of all was his artistic inspiration. After two years of nothing, he’s offered patronage by an eccentric gallery owner and starts to produce again, canvas after canvas. The only problem? He can’t remember painting any of them—not one single brushstroke. Luke Morganstern’s reputation as an art-fraud investigator is in tatters. He can’t afford to turn down any job, even a lousy one for an anonymous client who sends him after an unidentified forger in a remote cabin in Oregon. When the alleged forger turns out to be Stefan, the man he never stopped loving, Luke’s professional ethics are stretched beyond the breaking point. As the two men take tentative steps toward reconciliation, evidence begins to mount that they’re not alone in the woods. Someone—or something—is watching. Something with sinister plans for them both. To escape, Luke must overcome his suspicions and Stefan must trust Luke with his deepest fears. Otherwise they could forfeit their relationship, their sanity—and their lives. Publisher’s note: Publisher’s note: This is a heavily revised and significantly expanded reprint of Northern Light. The second book in the Art Medium series, Tested In Fire, is a first edition. Both are sold together in both ebook and print collections.

Word Count: Click here to reveal54418 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Mercy must unlearn her past if she hopes to find her future. After eluding hunters who wanted her dead, Mercy finds herself in a strange new place to call home. With the help of the bizarre Thomas Farrell and the mysterious Leyda, she discovers how different the world is from what her father taught. The violence of her past still haunts her, but the truth she uncovers rattles her core. Mercy must put her past and fears behind her, unlearn what she once believed to be doctrine, and uncover her true capabilities as a burgeoning scientist if she hopes to make a difference in Kanta. Drawn to the laboratory and to caring for the werewolves she once worked so hard to capture, Mercy discovers her own true passions instead of those demanded of her. When Andrei, a young, handsome werewolf, enters her life, Mercy sees firsthand the harsh realities of the werewolves she once demonized. She wants to help, but does Mercy have the courage and the wits to do the impossible?   Book 2 of The Wolves of Kanta series

Word Count: Click here to reveal117000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family… Quirk and Moth have avoided killing each other long enough to solve another case. They decide on a local job next, and take up the search for a missing scientist. How could Quirk know this new mystery put them on a headlong collision course with his troubled past, a plethora of personal issues, and a hoard of genetic hybrid creatures with an appetite for anything that moves? When their client dies in mysterious circumstances, law enforcement pursues the dysfunctional duo all the way to a research lab in frozen Yellowknife. Can Quirk and Moth find the scientist before they are banged up for murder, or has she already been eaten? Is it coincidence Quirk’s father-in-law bought the company? Can they expose the shadow from Quirk’s past and clear their names? Quirk and Moth need time, but it’s fast running out, and the bodies are piling up. Find out what happens in The Carborundum Conundrum!

Word Count: Click here to reveal24000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Every time something goes missing from the village, Sir Violet, the local knight, makes his way to the dragon's cave and negotiates the item's return. It's annoying, but at least the dragon is polite. But when the dragon hoards a person, that's a step too far. Sir Violet storms off to the mountainside to escort the baker home, only to find a more complex mystery—a quest that leads him far beyond the cave. Accompanied by the missing baker's wife and the dragon himself, the dutiful village knight embarks on his greatest adventure yet. The Dragon of Ynys is an inclusive fairy tale for all ages.

Word Count: Click here to reveal51004 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Captured! It didn’t matter that Mercy found a cure for lycanthropy or fended off bloodthirsty werewolves in Crowsmirth. Oscar the hunter still found her. Finding herself in a place she never wanted to return to again, her captor insists she play a twisted game. Oscar wants to be the father she never had, and Mercy his doting daughter. Refusal is not an option. Plotting to escape while playing along is dangerous, but Mercy is determined to get home. She must unravel the mystery of her parents’ past and conceal her growing fury if she hopes to see her friends again.   Book 4 of The Wolves of Kanta series

Word Count: Click here to reveal92459 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Ben and Alysia, sole mates, cursed to be separated by age and social norms until they live a life and raise a child together in love, struggle to defeat the curse. Meanwhile, the originator of the curse, Dorry, hounds them from life to life in a selfish and self- destructive vendetta. Follow these souls through Albert, Bernidine and Darius, nobles in fifteen hundreds France when the curse begins. To Abigail and Bernia Sapphic lovers in the year 1774 who are hounded by Donald, a false pretender to Abigail’s Estates. Later still in the Colorado Territories of the American west shortly after the civil war Ada and Bailey, a young emancipated slave and a radical Doctor from the North, struggle to love against the bias of their time and the plots of Deigo. Then in our current times, the lovers strive to break the curse and let love triumph. But is love enough when the world is against you?

Word Count: Click here to reveal47421 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Mercy must bring justice to Kanta. After months of being held captive in her childhood home, Mercy returns to Farrell Mill, expecting a warm welcome from her friends. But there is none. Farrell Mill has been raided and left to rot. Everyone she knows and loves is missing and even her research is gone. Thomas and Andrei have been arrested, accused of reselling werewolves, a crime they did not commit. But if they declare their innocence and reveal their true purpose at the mill of curing and freeing werewolves, they could put many lives in danger. Mercy will need to face her most terrifying opponent yet: the people of Kanta. She will need to rally the goodwill of the werewolves she has helped and hope it will be enough to turn the tide in her favor. This time without masks, without lies, and without a disguise. Can Mercy find her allies and free her friends without losing everything? The clock is ticking. An execution date looms closer and Mercy is scrambling to keep from losing the only family she has left. Book 5 in The Wolves of Kanta series.

Word Count: Click here to reveal56024 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Mercy is on a mission. She plans to administer her partial cure to as many werewolves as she can find, giving them a new chance at life. That means leaving Kanta and convincing werewolves of her good intentions. But finding their campsites during the day isn’t easy. Hot on the heels of a large camp somewhere near Crowsmirth, Mercy and Andrei get side-tracked by an unexpected rescue mission. They soon learn that there are far more werewolves in those woods than they expected. They’re outnumbered, completely unprepared for the sheer numbers against them, and worse yet, running out of daylight. Desperate to get out of the forest before night falls and the slaughter begins, they run straight into a team of highly organized werewolf hunters. Surrounded by vicious killers and countless werewolves, can Mercy and her friends survive the long night in Crowsmirth?   Book 3 of The Wolves of Kanta series.

Word Count: Click here to reveal69504 (Click here to hide)

Summary: The Prince of Shadows, the Jack of Shades or just plain Jack is a naughty boy, a good boy really but naughty all the same. There's nothing he likes better than a wrong to right. Hmm . . . let's start again . . . there's nothing he likes better than a willing man or woman for that matter, willing to get down and dirty with Jack. If he can right a wrong and get laid on the side then Jack is a very happy man. I say man but then do we really know who or what Jack is? Never mind he is still one of the good guys. Jack is a man with many shadows, many inhabitants as it were, and not all of them originating from this world. He has a problem. Part of him or is it one of him needs to go home and sort out things. It's going to be dangerous, it could be a one way trip but, what the heck, there could be a chance of getting it on with . . . . well that's to be seen.   Available on Smashwords - free