Word Count: 96000
Summary: "Today I swam through MOMA. Leon says it was a waste, encasing the art, then flooding the museum—frivolous and elitist. I say it was a gesture of optimism, a triumph of technology and political will." Want to thrill to the possibilities of a hopeful future? We asked a bunch of sci-fi writers to spin tales of a better future, imagining ways in which the world might become a better place. From a swim through an underwater museum to a joyous dance at a futuristic concert, from the eco-friendly aftermath of an alien invasion and retreat to the refurbishing of an old climate-ravaged home in New Vancouver, these fourteen short sci-fi stories will to restore your faith in the future. A world transformed is a world we can all hope for. Book three in the Writers Save the World short story anthologies. If you enjoy this book, check out Fix the World and Save the World.
Word Count: 54000
Summary: Silas Thornwood's worst nightmare has come to life. Darien's familiar Pip is gravely injured, and Darien and Jasper have been kidnapped. Someone ruthless and violent is holding the man Silas loves prisoner, for purposes he doesn't want to imagine. Silas needs help from his friends to locate and rescue Darien. And when he does, those responsible― whether sorcerer, human, or demon― are going to be truly, utterly sorry…
Word Count: 41000
Summary: NO ONE FIGHTS DIRTIER THAN AN ARCHAEOLOGIST Foul-mouthed Dr. Nel Bently has every archaeologist’s dream: a pristine site, new crew, and a private patron to fund her passion for dirt. With her trowel barely into the dry earth of Chile’s coast, however, Nel learns their work is being sabotaged. The local activists Los Pobladores take issue with anyone brave or stubborn enough to set boots on their land. Nel refuses to give up the site that will make her career to vandals and looters, but she must protect both her friends and her life’s work. With a benefactor playing chess with their lives, radiocarbon dates that are downright supernatural, and angry militants who may actually have a point, Nel is ready to fight dirty.
Word Count: 36,000
Summary: True love only happens once in a lifetime, right? Nixy Vogel found wedded bliss, only to be widowed soon after. Her job of matching others with their forever-loves gives her focus, and joy. And now some smoking hot alien wants to put Silverstar out of business? She should be furious; instead, her shuttered heart burns for him. Waiting several lifetimes for “the one.” The ancient mate-matching tradition of Kai Firewing’s clan could end unless the Silverstar Agency is exposed as a fraud. Simple enough to do…until his rival lights a fire in his heart as only the soul mate of an immortal phoenix can. Will Nixy embrace her second chance before it—and Kai—goes up in flames? Welcome to the Silverstar Agency, specializing in intergalactic love matches for those over fifty.
Word Count: 99000
Summary: It’s kill or be killed for the crew of the Ungovernable. With the mafia after their heads, ex-smuggler pilot Jez and the crew have two choices—run, or fight back. Problem is, there’s nowhere in the System to run. So instead, they’re going to take the entire crime syndicate down. But pulling a sting on the mafia—and living to tell the tale—is going to take a hell of a lot more than just good intentions. And when you can’t even trust the people you’re working with—well, let’s just say they’ll have to master the art of subterfuge, or die trying. Trojan Horse is the sixth book in R.M. Olson’s science fiction space opera series The Ungovernable. With a crazy, close-knit crew, plenty of humour, and loads of action, Firefly meets Ocean’s Eleven in this fast-paced, kick-ass, wickedly fun series.
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Summary: Being too close to the truth got Jon Xiong's mother killed. While searching for answers, a murderous cult shows up at his door. A secretive organization called the Tuners comes to his aide and teaches him about his rare ability to travel between worlds called tuning. He grapples with his new superpower and is stuck between those who would maintain order in the multiverse and those who would destroy it. Jon must avoid the same gruesome fate as his mom and figure out what happened to his family.
Word Count: 31600
Summary: Can love last when one won’t leave, and the other can’t stay? Fear of moving farther away from his family had cost Eer the love of his life, but now, after twenty-five turns, Kat has returned…with a son, and Eer’s feelings resurface as if it had been only yesterday since they’d first kissed. But any hope Eer has of rekindling their love seems doomed to fail when a murderer’s taste for revenge forces Kat to choose between endangering their family or running… and leaving Eer behind, again. ___________________________ wordcount: 31,600 words TALES OF THE FOREST is an ongoing series of standalone stories linked by a forest world. Content warnings are available in the book's front matter and on the author's website.
Word Count: 40000
Summary: A Lycan descendant of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, Tristan is not as extraordinary as his ancestors. He is an average warrior, unremarkable throughout. But this fact does not trouble him because he has found his Twin Flame, the one person destined to be his, who will love him unconditionally, life after life. Then his Flame betrays him, leaving him shattered and dying. Brokenhearted, Tristan dissolves the sacred bond and leaves. His best friend, Ushna, accompanies him, vowing to guard and protect him, and Tristan slowly comes to realize that love does not require a sacred bond. But if he hopes to keep the love he chooses, they will first have to survive ancient secrets, lies, mythical creatures, and the return of absent gods...
Word Count: 40000
Summary: A Lycan descendant of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, Tristan is not as extraordinary as his ancestors. He is an average warrior, unremarkable throughout. But this fact does not trouble him because he has found his Twin Flame, the one person destined to be his, who will love him unconditionally, life after life. Then his Flame betrays him, leaving him shattered and dying. Brokenhearted, Tristan dissolves the sacred bond and leaves. His best friend, Ushna, accompanies him, vowing to guard and protect him, and Tristan slowly comes to realize that love does not require a sacred bond. But if he hopes to keep the love he chooses, they will first have to survive ancient secrets, lies, mythical creatures, and the return of absent gods...
Word Count: 111000
Summary: Now a Free novel in ebook: For a hidden shifter, falling in love with a man may be the death of them both. Simon Conley knows about being an outcast. Born into a secret werewolf pack, he’s the lone gay wolf, an outsider even among his packmates. The top wolves consider him a perversion, a failure, and a security risk. To survive in the human world, werewolves rely on absolute secrecy, and any breaches of their code are dealt with swiftly— and violently. So when Simon falls in love with Paul, a human man, even his Alpha's grudging tolerance won't protect him. He must keep Paul from discovering the truth about him and the secrets the pack jealously guards, or it’s not just their love that’ll end up dead. (rereleased Jan 2021 with light editing and the 1.15 short story included)
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Summary: Eliot Ness has deemed the notorious gangster off limits, while Director J. Edgar Hoover has taken note of Saul and Christian’s activities and has his own plans for the two agents. Meanwhile, Mr. Brown’s mysterious master finally reveals herself, putting Saul’s family in more danger than they’ve ever been before. Saul’s life is changing again, and not for the better. Will the choices Saul must make in order to save his family, stop Capone, and deal with the new threat be worth the price he must pay?
Word Count: 120000
Summary: Some bonds are strong enough to last a lifetime, and change the world. Rory O'Sullivan has spent his life alone. Once upon a time, he made one real human connection as a gay man. That moment happened in Nazi captivity, and the wolf he escaped with was a Soviet soldier. They had a taste of what love might mean, but in 1944, personal happiness had to come second to survival. Now, seventy years later, when he feels the presence of Nikolai, somehow close and needing him after all that time, no one— not gay Alpha Aaron of the Minneapolis West pack, or rising political threats, or even top Alpha Rick Brown himself— will stop him. Rory's going to answer the appeal he's waited a lifetime for. Some bonds can't be denied. This is a new novel in the Hidden Wolves series.
Word Count: 100000
Summary: He'd rather fight enemy wolves and rogue humans than face his own heart. When Aaron took down a violent, power-crazed wolf and inherited half a pack, he knew being Alpha wasn't going to be easy. A week later, he's finding out what an understatement that was. Other werewolves are calling for the extermination of his pack's gay wolf, or for Aaron's own death, and the risk of exposure to humans is growing. Aaron can't afford to let his long-suppressed sexuality escape his rigid control. When one of his younger wolves is in trouble, it's simply Aaron's job as Alpha to help and protect him. But keeping a cool distance from a young man who appeals to all his senses could be Aaron's toughest challenge. (This is a rerelease of the 2012 original with light editing. Content warning for substance abuse, some violence.)
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Summary: I thought I was done with Vampires… …but I should have known they’d come back for me. I can’t trust the people around me, and it’s become clear everyone is after my power. The problem is, I don’t understand my power, and I certainly don’t want it because it comes from the Devil himself. Ever since age thirteen, the Devil visited me in my nightmares and tormented me. Nowadays, he drops into my mind and thoughts whenever he wants to and I’m thoroughly confused. Am I Dante Coranguis, or am I this other being named Snakeheart? I need help, but I don’t know who to turn believe anymore. I see plots to drain my powers or kill me, but the only thing keeping me alive is the last thing I want—the power of the Antichrist. Unfinished Business is the fifth book of The Snakeheart Series (Season 1), a supernatural novelette series about Dante Coranguis and the ancient prophecy of the End Times. Get it now.
Word Count: Information not available
Summary: I thought my boss was just another eccentric billionaire… …but I didn’t realize he was the financier of a global satanic cult, too. No matter how much sleep I lose thinking about my life, I can’t escape the numbing evil that surrounds me. Ever since the Vampires dragged me into this mess, my life has been an uphill battle against supernatural forces I barely understand. I’m not a religious man by any stretch of the imagination, and the mere thought of stepping into a church makes me nauseous. But the insane, unexplainable events happening in my life make me truly wonder if destiny has condemned me to an unholy fate: the Herald of Satan, or the Antichrist himself. When I found out the company I work for is nothing more than a front for a secret human organization that has been financing the end of the world (aka the apocalypse) and the coming of Lucifer Morningstar, well, that was the day I decided to foil the Devil and end it all. Unholy Alliances is the fourth book of The Snakeheart Series (Season 1), a supernatural novelette series about Dante Coranguis and the ancient prophecy of the End Times. Get it now.
Word Count: 135000
Summary: His pack would've killed him for his kinks and desires, but his human lover might destroy his wolf. Brandt Davis loved being part of his Michigan werewolf pack, until they found his stash of gay porn. He escaped their anger, running in wolf-form into the wilderness, but he can’t live that way forever. And he can’t hide in fur like a coward when an injured man needs his help. Ethan Sjulstad knows life is making him crazy when a solo hike into the Minnesota Boundary Waters seems reasonable. Then a bad fall leaves him seriously hurt and facing death. Delirious, he hallucinates being rescued by a big gray wolf and a naked woodland godling. For a man who has always loved fantasy, it's worth surviving just to find out what the hell is going on. (This is a lightly edited rerelease of the 2014 original.)
Word Count: Information not available
Summary:
In 1920s Chicago, postal employee Saul Imbierowicz is unwittingly swept up in a city-wide conflict between rival gangs, federal agents, and supernatural forces beyond his control. After striking out on his own from his overbearing Jewish family, Saul quickly becomes involved with the seductive and mysterious Moira. He soon becomes mixed up in the events of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, witnessing the shooting and fleeing from the scene after Moira takes a bullet and is presumed dead. However, Moira is far from dead, and due to her influence Saul finds himself increasingly entangled in the rival factions seeking control over the city, coming face to face with Bugs Moran, Al Capone, and the federal agents pursuing both. Everybody wants something from Saul, but will he be able to save himself and his family, and uncover the supernatural secrets of the city, before it's too late?
Word Count: 120000
Summary: Nothing wrecks a guy's day like finding out he's a werewolf. From the moment artist Dylan Shore arrives in Chicago, his life gets twisted like a kaleidoscope. Why does a street gang he's never met before want him dead? Why is a hot but odd mathematician stalking him? And how can half the things Alex Corwin says possibly be true, no matter how honest he seems? Alex has a frightening dilemma. Dylan is attractive, appealing, out and proud. He's also completely unaware that he's a werewolf. It shouldn't be Alex's job to tell him, and warn him that gay wolves usually end up dead. But someone has to, before he finds out in blood and violence. Chicago's not Alex's hometown, but somehow he needs to protect Dylan from the local packs, protect the wolves from being outed by Dylan, and keep his cool around the first man to touch his own deeply-closeted heart. (This is a lightly edited rerelease of the 2016 original.)
Word Count: 72000
Summary: Twenty years before Simon found Paul, a decade before Aaron joined the Minneapolis West pack, there were other gay wolves living hidden lives. Sawyer Holt thought he was dead at the age of sixteen when his brother Leon caught him kissing a human man. Dragged up in front of his Alpha, he could only hope for a painless end, especially when Rick Brown stared at him with an icy gaze and said to Leon, “I’ll take care of it.” Except what Rick gave Sawyer wasn’t death, but a new concealed life. In Minot, North Dakota, Sawyer has spent fourteen years isolated among humans, carving out a future for himself. Until a messenger arrives from Rick, saying that Leon has discovered the ruse, and it’s time to run again. Sawyer’s furious about losing his hard-won life, but intrigued by the young man carrying the message. James Ferguson doesn’t appreciate being sent from his home and pack in Virginia to run errands for the Chicago Alpha, but as Twelfth out of twelve adult wolves, he’s in no position to complain. He figures he’ll deliver the message and package, and hurry home for Thanksgiving. But a snowstorm, and the huge, muscular, confusing werewolf who rescues him, upend his plans. Soon, James’s whole world changes, and the only future he may have depends on whether he and Sawyer can survive being hunted, together. Unseen Past is a prequel novel set in the world of the Hidden Wolves, twenty years before Book 1.
Word Count: 11000
Summary: *This story is included in the new 2021 edition of Unacceptable Risk but kept available for those who have the old edition A free short-story epilogue that contains spoilers for Unacceptable Risk - Hidden Wolves book 1 Paul Hunter just spent two days as a captive to werewolves, his life hanging in the balance, a witness to crimes and craziness. Now he's back in his regular life, and living with Simon, the man he's been falling for. And he's part of a werewolf pack. He needs his brain to somehow catch up with all of that. Simon thought saving his human mate from his own pack would be the hardest thing he'd face with Paul, but he's beginning to realize that was just the beginning. He has to figure out how their future will work, and convince his skittish lover that staying with the pack is better than leaving it, while hints of threats to Paul's safety keep him awake at night. Fortunately Simon is up for the challenge.
