Word Count: 101,000
Summary: AWARDS B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree 2020 READERS FAVORITE International Book Awards 2021 - Bronze Medal LITERARY TITAN Silver Medal 2021 READERS FAVORITE 5 star review 2020 Sometimes, death is necessary. Two thousand years after the Great Diaspora, humanity has spread across the Orion Spur, the human domain fractured and diverse, divided into numerous small federations, empires, dictatorships, and a thousand unaligned and lonely planets. On one of those small worlds, a plant grows, a weed that feeds the addiction of many and the greed and avarice of a few, and kills without favor. Lazarus Hawk, ex-soldier and ex-mercenary, convicted of a crime of terror he did not commit, and sentenced to life on an airless prison moon from which there is no escape, has been offered a way out. It’s a chance. A good chance. To accept the offer, all he has to do is die. Forced to undertake a mission against his better judgment, Hawk finds himself teaming up with the locals of a small, backward world, and Abbie Renner, a young Guarda officer searching for the source of the drug Hellfire, and prepared to go to any lengths. This time, she has gone too far. This time she needs help. Can Hawk overcome the mistrust and reticence of a small colony world to accomplish the mission he has been forced to undertake in return for his life? If you like great, classic science fiction, you will love this new work by multi-award-winning author Mike Waller, an action-packed dive into the world of a galactic mercenary driven by the ghosts from his past. Grab a copy now and join Lazarus Hawk in his search for justice for a remote colony world.
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: 125075
Summary: In the aftermath of Ahnak’s Doom, the Elementals have fled to the North. Have they escaped one peril only to encounter another even more terrifying? Fallout from the Doom threatens the survivors with starvation. Aftershocks set the simple dwellings of Tenfir Abarad quaking, sending townspeople screaming into the streets in renewed fear. And in the near-total darkness, the Elementals find their powers dwindling. Can the refugees resolve their differences with the northern people and work together to survive the Impact Winter? Is the planet still resonating from the gargantuan impact, or are more sinister forces at work? And will the Elementals discover the reasons for their limited powers in time to face their latest, most devastating enemy? Continue your journey of discovery with this first book in the Second Chronicles, and follow our heroes as they battle once more with nature, dread foes, and their own internal demons!
Word Count: 128900
Summary: Opal's father is making her miserable on the doomed generation ship the New Hope. When a telepathic alien asks, she agrees to be its translator, but reluctantly. It's a lifetime job, she's only thirteen, and it's going to make her family unhappy. But after aliens whisk their ship into orbit around a beautiful habitable planet, Trye, her larger community is grateful. The friendship she develops with the alien Ireti almost replaces her family, who refuse to accept her new role. E-5 Danielle entered hibernation with a mission: to protect the New Hope from enemies within. Awoken after the ship's long journey and rescue, she realizes uneasily that predator aliens are easier to understand than this communal, anti-military culture. New Hopians strike Danielle as naive, vulnerable. They're obsessed with how they were moved to Trye, not why. Opal and Danielle both want to be protectors, but in incompatible ways that shove them apart. Secrets will to force them to work together. Because Trye is a rich planet. Someone would love to sweep the Spacers right off it. And there are Spacers who would do anything to help.
Word Count: 114192
Summary: In the new land of Nanegria, every Elemental’s power is enhanced and strengthened. But unlimited, uncontrollable power is more of a curse than a blessing. What is causing these strange effects? How is it connected with the overwhelming Stone memories that plague Piers’ every waking moment? And can the Elementals persuade the dragons of Nanegria and their riders to join them on their last quest to find the ultimate answer? The final volume in John Beresford’s epic fantasy series The Second Berikatanyan Chronicles brings to a thrilling conclusion the adventures of the seven Elementals and their companions, as they race to an electrifying and unanticipated climax. Fans of high-stakes adventure and intricate world-building will not want to miss this stunning finale.
Word Count: Information not available
Summary: Sometimes the greatest romance can be found among dear friends in their darkest time of need.... 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: 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: 124703
Summary: A distant, compelling mental summons drives Ru'ita to seek out its origin, accompanied by the other Elementals. But the source is not at the coast. It lies much further east, and the Silver Sea now lies between the Elementals and their ultimate destination. Can they persuade a shipmaster to take them, when for generations they have avoided sailing east, fearing that they would fall off the edge of the world? And if such a voyage can be taken, what other strange encounters are waiting from them, beyond the farthest point anyone has navigated in living memory? The Elementals' journey of discovery becomes a true voyage in this second book of the Second Berikatanyan Chronicles, where the natural forces they must battle with prove more sinister and terrifying than anything they have faced before!
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: 98926
Summary: An unbidden journey to a new world. A mind-bending search for intergalactic empathy. Will mankind ever understand the true meaning of the alien interactions with Earth? Amidst Alien Stars, the standalone second book in a spellbinding First Contact series from Clayton Graham, takes readers on an interplanetary journey to a strange and dangerous alien world. Fans of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Contact, and Arrival will be captivated by this gripping tale of mystery, betrayal, and alien intrigue. ★★★★★ "There is world building of such depth and lush detail that you could almost feel it." ★★★★★ "Not only is this an exciting, action-packed page turner—I love the intelligence reflected, the witty dialogue, and the genuine depth in the characters’ emotions." ★★★★★ "Admirable world-building and the unsurpassable, indefatigable, drive of the human spirit to not just survive, but to thrive, power this engrossing sequel to the author's debut science fiction novel, Milijun." Following their terrifying capture from their home planet, Laura Sinclair and son, Jason, lead a group of desperate humans in a bid to forge their own future, and that of the entire human race. Aboard an alien space station, orbiting a mysterious planet in a strange new galaxy, they find themselves as collaborators in a breathtaking scheme of cosmic survival—for aliens and humans alike. But who can they really trust as they struggle to understand the challenging and hostile environment that holds them in a grip of iron? To succeed, they must solve the puzzle of extraterrestrial races in the throes of a perplexing and historic conflict. But will that be a bridge too far?
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: 222000
Summary: Contract killers don’t retire. They don’t start over and they don’t live normal lives. Zane Cortese doesn’t care what the unspoken rules are and he breaks away from a life of murder to become a regular, law-abiding citizen. He settles down to do what he’s always loved—writing songs. So what if he lives on a remote mountain side, has no friends, and there are discreet cameras situated all over his property. Being normal isn’t as easy as it sounds. Zane’s struggle to be like everyone else is second only to his infatuation with the cowboy renting the cabin on his property. There is a list of logical and ethical reasons why he shouldn’t pursue a relationship with the arresting man—not that Zane knows how to have, you know, a relationship. Despite what he wants or is even ready for, his pushy agent arranges for him to meet a popular band. Needing the distraction, he agrees not knowing that before the night is over he will be caught in a web of schemes. One thing’s for certain, Zane doesn’t care if life is normal as long as he gets to keep the people that he’s quickly coming to love. Tags: medium burn, polyamorous romance, unusual paranormals, an assassin trying to be normal, an abandoned cowboy far from home, an old eternal looking out for his favorite person, one man struggling—or not—with discovering paranormal beings, said beings striving to claim him in different ways, found family, blooded family, Scandinavian roots, Central American lore, oracles, Beowulf reimagined, dragons, all the world building
Word Count: 117,949
Summary: When your greatest enemy is your own sister, can you save a nation without losing your soul? In the epic conclusion to Lynette M. Burrows' The Fellowship Dystopia Series, Miranda must find a way to break the theocratic Fellowship’s iron grip on 1965 America while protecting her real identity. But Miranda wants more than the end of the Fellowship—she wants justice for the deaths of her first love and her beloved mentor. Meanwhile, her sister Irene, uses deception, threats, and the Angels of Death behind the scenes to regain her status as wife of the Fellowship’s Prophet. Unless she is stopped soon, she will lead the country more ruthlessly than any before her. And When I Wake is a searing exploration of whether the fight for justice and for freedom can coexist when everything you love has been taken from you. If you love morally complex female leads and freedom-from-tyranny stories with deep emotional stakes, you won't want to miss it. If you love morally complex female leads and freedom-from-tyranny stories with deep emotional stakes, you won't want to miss the final book in the trilogy!
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?
