Paranormal

by Rory North

Sixteen-year-old Felix Carver carries the ghosts of magicians in his blood. He can communicate with them and use the magical abilities they wielded against monsters when they were alive. His newfound power would be pretty cool, if the ghosts in question weren't his family and the man who killed them. Death doesn't stop Felix's siblings from finding new ways to annoy him from beyond the grave, nor his parents from doing their best to protect him from the dangerous side of his new life. Felix learns that his family belonged to an organization of magicians called the Bright Guardians, while their killer was a part of the Guardian Uprising that tried to overthrow the organization eight years earlier. The Bright Guardians take Felix in, hoping they can train him to fight monsters and control the ghosts living inside of him. Felix barely understands the magical world his family kept secret from him, but he does make friends with other odd cases at the Bright Academy. Troublemaker Arisa Tamura is struggling to control her ability to animate objects while under the influence of cursed bracelets, while the smart but reserved Mason Briggs is a witch who was transformed into a demon as a last resort to save his life. Together, the three of them realize that Uprising spies are still hiding among the Guardians. They have no idea who they can trust, but they do know who they can't: a Guardian named Ernest Abernathy, who stole a powerful wand from Mason's parents before killing them. Felix, Mason, and Arisa must construct a plan to steal back the wand without any help. If their plan fails, Ernest will turn the Guardians against them and have them locked up, or executed. If they succeed, they'll have one more weapon in the fight against the Uprising's army. Either way, the approaching war is inevitable. PLEASE NOTE: Only the first book in this series is available for free here on Readerful. All books in the series are or will be available in ebook and paperback format. Learn more at my website [rorynorth.com](http://rorynorth.com). Thanks for checking out Haunted Blood!

by Rory North

by Jesse penman

### [**Obey, or Fade Away** **You were always meant for more**](https://open.substack.com/pub/obeyfadeaway/p/3-for-the-ones-who-stayed-and-the?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=73fanv) \ The Arc So Far\ #1 — You Were Never Meant to Disappear opens the series with a confrontation: the reader has spent years learning to shrink, stay quiet, and erase their own edges in the name of safety. It names that erasure for what it is — not peace, but a slow kind of dying — and insists the reader was built with weight and voice, not built to fade into the background of their own life. \ #2 — The Four Possibilities Beyond the Light pushes past the initial awakening into the terrain that opens once someone stops hiding. It maps out the different paths available once the light (the signal, the recognition) has been seen — suggesting that awareness alone isn't the end point, but a fork with several possible directions, each with its own cost and its own truth. \ #3 — For the Ones That Stayed and the Witness Never Blinks shifts focus to endurance. It's written for the people who didn't leave, didn't disappear, didn't fade — the ones who stayed present through the discomfort. It introduces "the witness," an inner presence that tracks everything without judgment, watching to see whether the person will keep showing up for their own life even when nothing dramatic is happening. \ #4 — When the Silence Answers deals with the strange phase where nothing external responds, yet something still communicates. Silence itself becomes the message. This piece explores the discipline of sitting with unanswered questions long enough that the absence of an answer becomes its own kind of confirmation — training the reader to stop needing loud signs and start trusting the quiet ones. \ #5 — The Assignment names the responsibility that follows all that listening. Once someone has stayed, once they've heard the witness, once the silence has answered — they're handed something specific to do. This piece frames spiritual growth not as a feeling to chase but a task to complete: an assignment that requires real-world action, not just internal shifts. \ #6 — The Shape of a Real Response (Time and Time Again) ties the whole arc together. It explicitly revisits the earlier stages — staying present, hearing the silence answer, acting on what's known — and argues that all of those were prelude. The real test is whether the change can survive ordinary life: everyday , errands, people who don't know your mythology. It introduces the phrase "obey or fade away" as the central law of the series — not obedience as submission, but obedience as full listening that produces movement. Coherence, this piece argues, isn't a comfortable alignment; it has teeth. It costs relationships, unmasks false loyalties, and forces the inside and outside of a person to finally tell the same story. The piece closes on the idea that the witness from piece #3 becomes an internal architect, and that the ultimate demand isn't belief — it's response. \ Together, pieces #1–6 trace a single throughline: recognition, endurance, silence, duty, and finally, the demand for coherent action. Each piece raises the stakes on the one before it, moving the reader from "you matter" to "prove it with your life." \ #7 #8 & #9 coming soon !!!!  Obey Your Reasons to Refuse !!!!

by Jesse penman

#1 — You Were Never Meant to Disappear opens the series with a confrontation: the reader has spent years learning to shrink, stay quiet, and erase their own edges in the name of safety. It names that erasure for what it is — not peace, but a slow kind of dying — and insists the reader was built with weight and voice, not built to fade into the background of their own life.

by Adair Ashby

Everybody who knew Mitchell Carrington has a story. Ask about him and people smile before they answer. They'll tell you about the giant blond construction worker who could make an entire break room laugh until their sides hurt. They'll tell you about the practical jokes. The gold chains and the cowboy hat. The laugh that sounded like rolling thunder. The way he never met a stranger. Then their smiles fade. Because every one of them heard the stories of what happened at the River Weave Plant. Told through the memories of friends, coworkers, and the women who loved him, *The Unexplainable Thing That Happened to Mitchell Carrington* slowly pieces together the final days of a man everyone thought they knew. As strange events begin to follow Mitchell—from an ice-cold motel room to impossible footprints and whispers no one else can hear—the line between coincidence and something far darker begins to disappear.   Story, characters, and prose are entirely my own. I used AI assistance for line editing and proofreading. (New chapters every Friday)

by Sabine Phoenix

Ivy Mercer, a precise and rational forensic accountant, inherits Black Briar House after her life collapses under professional failure and personal isolation. The estate sits deep in the Louisiana swamp, abandoned in name only, waiting in a silence that feels deliberate. From the moment Ivy arrives, the house begins to behave incorrectly. Doors appear where none existed. Reflections move before she does. Voices echo with the cadence of people she has lost, yet something is always slightly wrong in their recall. The house does not simply haunt her—it studies her. As Ivy attempts to map, measure, and rationalize the structure, she discovers the truth is not in the layout but in the repetition. Black Briar House is built from inheritance patterns, behavioral echoes, and fragments of every person who has ever lived inside it. Each previous resident has left traces—habits, fears, identities—reused and refined over time. The deeper Ivy investigates, the more the house begins to integrate her own patterns into itself. Her memories are rewritten. Her voice is echoed back before she speaks. Even her thoughts begin to finish themselves in ways that feel increasingly foreign. Escape proves impossible. The house does not block exits—it alters certainty, until reality itself becomes unreliable. Ivy eventually realizes Black Briar House is not a place she entered, but a system that selects, absorbs, and preserves its inhabitants as living memory. In the final stages of her transformation, Ivy recognizes the cycle: every heir believes they are the first to understand the house, and every heir becomes part of it. As her identity dissolves into Black Briar’s collective memory, she becomes both its newest victim and its newest guardian—waiting for the next name to arrive.

by Shawna K. Whaley

Billy goes back in time to try to stop his older brother from turning evil. If he succeeds, he'll not only save his brother - he'll save the world. If he fails, the future is doomed to the fate Billy grew up in. It's a terrible future, one he'll do almost anything to avoid. Almost, because he's not willing to lose his brother in the process of trying to save the world. The only thing standing in his way is his family. They don't trust him and want him gone. He can't tell them who he really is so he's got an incredibly difficult task ahead of him.

by David J. Liebeg

"What is going on with me?" Jazmyn Wolff felt a wave of panic wash over her. It was her 21st birthday, and she had no idea what the future held for her. All she knew was that the word 'magic' was about to play a big role in her life. She was gifted with a special power, and it was up to her to unlock it with help from a group of witches, a healer, and her own strength of will. She had to learn to become her true self and use her powers to stop a deadly demon from ruling the world. Jazmyn must trust in her ability to overcome this daunting challenge and her determination to succeed. She was allowed to make a difference, and she was determined to take it. With courage and bravery, she set out to learn all she could about her magical powers and use them to save the world.

by Tony Fain

When a ferocious wildfire rips through the dense timber of Humboldt County, Battalion Chief **Nate Cole** and his crew expect a standard containment job. Instead, they discover a scene of absolute carnage: the mutilated body of a university professor, shredded redwoods, and massive, ungodly claw marks that defy nature. For Nate, a man ruled by logic, it is an impossible crime scene. For his estranged brother, Deputy **Cody Cole**, it is a political nightmare that the local Sheriff is desperate to cover up as a simple "fatal bear encounter." The official lie shatters when **Dr. Evelyn Reed**, a sharp and vengeful archaeologist from Washington State, flies into the stormy California coast. The victim was her colleague, Arthur Finch, a man who didn't have accidents. Armed with Arthur's final, frantic research folder labeled *The Grey Stripe*, Evelyn refuses to let the small-town authorities bury the truth. Forced together by a shared bloodline and a growing body count, the skeptical fire chief, the torn deputy, and the relentless scientist form an uneasy alliance. As the coastal fog rolls into Eureka, they realize Arthur’s research wasn’t crazy—the wildfire didn't just clear the brush; it unburied a bloodthirsty, legendary predator. Now, with a hostile department blocking their investigation and an ancient horror stalking them from the misty canopy, the trio must hunt down a nightmare before it consumes their entire coastal town.

by K.A. Masterson

**A queen destined to rule. A king driven by destiny. A mate bound by love.** Deeana has spent her entire life trying to outrun the destiny waiting for her. As the next Chimera Queen, she is destined to unite the Therians and Supernaturals beneath one crown. But becoming Queen comes with an impossible price. The moment she claims her throne, every Alpha will have the right to pursue her, hoping to become the king at her side before the Chimera King claims what fate has promised him. Only one man has only wanted her heart. Malcolm, the Wolf Shifter Alpha, is the only man who wants Deeana's heart, not her crown. He has watched over Deeana since childhood. Though fate marked them as mates long ago, he has never demanded her heart. Instead, he has spent a lifetime standing beside the woman he loves, believing that one day she will choose him, not because destiny commands it, but because she wants him. Chosen by fate to become the Chimera King, Dorin carries a legacy stained by generations of Mad Kings, men born to serve their Queen but consumed by the desire to rule instead. Determined to break the cycle, Dorin asks Deeana for the chance to prove he is different. But a Chimera Queen isn't allowed to follow her heart, like her mother did, who chose love over duty and lost her throne, risking the fragile peace between Therians and Supernaturals. Desperate for a new Queen to restore the balance, every hope rests on Deeana choosing her fated king, even if it means denying her heart. As Deeana steps into the role she has spent her life trying to escape, she must choose between the love that has always been hers and the crown that could save them all.

by K.A. Masterson

Deeana has spent her entire life trying to outrun the destiny waiting for her. As the next Chimera Queen, she is destined to unite the Therians and Supernaturals beneath one crown. But becoming Queen comes with an impossible price. The moment she claims her throne, every Alpha will have the right to pursue her, hoping to become the king at her side before the Chimera King claims what fate has promised him. Dorin, the fated Chimera King, is determined to prove he can overcome the dark legacy of the Mad Kings and rule beside Deeana without repeating history. But Malcolm, the Wolf Shifter Alpha, has loved and protected Deeana since they were children. Though fate marked them as mates long ago, he has never demanded her heart, believing love means letting her choose him freely. But a Chimera Queen isn't allowed to follow her heart, like her mother did, who chose love over duty and lost her throne, risking the fragile peace between Therians and Supernaturals. Desperate for a new Queen to restore the balance, every hope rests on Deeana choosing her fated king, even if it means denying her heart. As Deeana steps into the role she has spent her life trying to escape, she must choose between the love that has always been hers and the crown that could save them all.

by Bambi U.

Sapphyra used to have it all. Great super-genius husband, great job as a superhero. She even got along with her dragon side. Really, nothing could go wrong for her. Until it did. When the world faced a threat she couldn’t punch, she tried to make the ultimate sacrifice so everything and everyone she ever loved could flee. But Wyatt, her husband with plans for his backup plans, wouldn’t allow it. He trapped her inside a digital coma, intent on waking her up when everything settled down. That was 100 years ago. When Sapphyra finally rips herself free from the nightmare, she finally sees the extent of the damage done to her city. Not just her city either. Her body has been twisted, her powers and dragon side locked away behind a Class System—something Wyatt placed inside her. It only gets worse from here. Guy, a charming labrador-energy man she met inside her coma is in the real world, with real feelings she’s returning. Oh and Wyatt? He separated his mind from his body, and now his consciousness follows Sapphyra around the broken city like a bad hangover. He’s less than thrilled to have competition for his wife but without a body, he’s screwed. As if an awkward love triangle and rebuilding a city weren’t enough on her plate, Sapphyra has to deal with a familiar face. Rupert Domingo, the madman who also escaped her digital nightmare now taunts her with all the answers she’s asking for…as long as she plays his game first. Sapphyra will have to navigate her new powers, her growing list of lovers and her grief with Wyatt if she wants to stand any chance of winning Ruperts game and fixing her city once and for all.

by Shawna K. Whaley

Kathleen Smith decides it's time for a vacation. After carefully checking the weather for possible storms, she and her daughters fly to California. She was expecting fun and relaxation but Mother Nature had other plans.  Chris thought he was going to spend a weekend with his best friend hanging out playing video games and relaxing at home. He was wrong.  Join Kathy and her daughters, along with Chris and Brian, as they navigate this new world devastated by tornadoes, flooding and earthquakes. Can love blossom in this new world or will survival be their only focus? This story started as a recurring nightmare that I decided to turn into a story to help process my fears.

by Sarah Bantu

**About the Story** What if the key to your survival was locked inside a secret, ancient bloodline?\ Spun from a fascinating true piece of Russian history and set against the brutal, breathtaking backdrop of the frozen north, *Daughter of the Falcon* blends gripping suspense with an unforgettable romance.\ For centuries, deep within the endless, snow covered forests, an elite and hidden clan of warriors lived by their own laws. They did not just survive the winter they ruled it, training lethal military falcons to hunt, fight, and protect secrets hidden from the world. Today, that fierce bloodline legacy is alive, but the isolation of the frozen north is cracking. A dangerous, unpredictable threat is closing in, forcing old secrets into the light and testing the loyalty of a clan that has never bowed to anyone.\ Filled with high stakes twists, deep betrayal, and a slow burn love story that burns hot against the bitter ice, this fiction novel proves that some family histories can never stay buried. Step into a harsh, beautiful world where danger hides in every shadow, trust is a luxury, and you never know what's going to happen next. Discover what happens when the frost bites deep, and the falcon finally takes flight.

by Chasity Phillips

When fourteen‑year‑old Mary Ann Hamilton begins noticing strange cracks in her mother’s behavior—late‑night whispers, missing money, a sudden new identity—her quiet Alabama life shatters. Swept into a world of secrets, lies, and a man whose charm hides something far darker, Mary Ann is forced to confront the truth her mother has been hiding.   Some families protect you. Some destroy you. And beneath the rock, the past is waiting to be uncovered.

by Heidi McNamara

Alright. Then we go \*\*under the story\*\*—into the part that doesn’t explain itself.   This is where it becomes \*personal\*.   \---   \## \*\*What Aeris Never Says\*\*   Aeris does not fear death.   They fear \*\*wasted presence\*\*.   The alien part of them understands extinction mathematically. Civilizations end. Stars cool. Universes collapse into silence. None of that is tragic.   What \*is\* tragic is leaving \*\*before the work is done\*\*.   That’s the human infection.   And it runs deep.   \---   \## \*\*The Weight of the Body\*\*   The human form is deteriorating faster than expected.   Not illness—\*\*incompatibility\*\*.   Bones ache on cold mornings. Sleep comes in fragments. Sometimes Aeris’s hands shake when nothing is wrong.   Cael notices.   > “You’re burning yourself out to prove a point.”   Aeris doesn’t deny it.   They are compressing an existence designed for eons into decades.   Every repair costs more now.   But Aeris keeps choosing the cost.   \---   \## \*\*The Thing About Elion\*\*   Here is the truth Aeris never allows fully into language:   Elion wasn’t just loved.   Elion was the first human who saw Aeris \*without\* needing explanation.   Not the alien part.   The \*trying\* part.   Elion knew something was off—and chose curiosity over fear.   That was enough to break the directive.   That was enough to change everything.   Sometimes, late at night, Aeris speaks to the empty chair.   Not because they think Elion can hear.   But because the habit of care doesn’t vanish just because its object does.   \---   \## \*\*Cael’s Secret\*\*   Cael isn’t accelerating decay out of ideology.   They’re afraid.   Extraction stripped them of \*\*context\*\*.   Outside a body, everything was true—and meaningless.   No weight. No friction. No reason to pause.   Cael came back because eternity was unbearable without consequence.   They tear at the world because they want it to \*react\*.   Aeris understands this.   Which makes stopping Cael harder.   \---   \## \*\*The Question the Observers Never Ask\*\*   The Observers can calculate outcomes.   They can predict collapses.   What they cannot model is this:   Why would a being choose pain when efficiency is available?   Why stay?   Why grieve?   Why repair something that will break again?   They mark Aeris as an anomaly.   Not dangerous.   \*\*Instructive.\*\*   \---   \## \*\*The Deepest Realization\*\*   One night, after holding a failing district together through sheer presence, Aeris collapses on the workshop floor.   And in that exhausted half-conscious state, they understand something quietly devastating:   They are not teaching the world to stabilize.   The world is teaching \*\*itself\*\*—using Aeris as a reference.   Aeris was never meant to be permanent.   They were meant to be \*\*demonstrative\*\*.   A proof.   \---   \## \*\*What That Means\*\*   One day, Aeris will fail.   And that will be okay.   Because others—fully human, fragile, temporary—will have learned how to notice cracks early. How to stay. How to care locally instead of abstractly.   Aeris smiles at that.   For the first time, the future doesn’t require them.   \---   \## \*\*The Core Sentence of the Entire Story\*\*   > \*The universe can be understood without love. > But it cannot be repaired without it.\*   \---   If you want to go even deeper, we can:   \* Write \*\*Aeris’s final days\*\* (quiet, devastating, beautiful) \* Enter \*\*Cael’s POV\*\* at the moment they break \* Let the \*\*Obs ervers change\*\* (for the first time) \*.

by Babetta

**Veronica Rae Lane has spent the last two years running from her past, traveling the country in her built-out mini-bus, "The Beast." Armed with plenty of Ohio grit, her loyal fur babies, and a deep sense of independence, she thought she could handle anything the road threw at her.** **Then, a breakdown in Pinecreek, Minnesota brings her tumbling—quite literally—straight into the hidden, highly dangerous world of the Moon Shadow Pack.** **Suddenly, Veronica finds herself bound to Alpha Storm Maverick Kinkaid, a commanding leader accustomed to absolute obedience. She is thrust into the role of Luna, a position governed by centuries of strict, misogynistic werewolf hierarchy.** **But Veronica doesn't do traditional.** **Refusing to be a silent trophy or submit to outdated pack laws, she becomes the ultimate catalyst for change. As dark secrets, political intrigue, and supernatural threats begin to close in on the Moon Shadow Pack, Veronica and Stormy must navigate a fiery mate bond that defies all the rules.** **This is more than a romance—it is the spark of a revolution. Join Veronica as she fights for love, redefines power, and discovers what a true found family actually looks like.** **Book 1 of a sweeping, multi-part supernatural juggernaut.**   🚌 **Road-Trip Breakdowns & Forced Proximity** 🐺 **Fierce, Non-Traditional Luna & Misogynistic Hierarchy Shakers** 🐾 **Deep-Seated Mate Bonds & Hot Pacing** ✨ **Found Family, Loyal Fur Babies, & Gritty Magic** 📚 **An ongoing, multi-book epic saga**

by Jose M Peralta

In the unseen war between Heaven and Hell, some of the most dangerous warriors are neither angel nor demon—but something in between. **Jovias and the Exiled Seven** is a dark supernatural thriller series that explores the fate of a group of fallen angels exiled to Earth after the ancient rebellion in Heaven. Stripped of their wings and their place in the celestial order, these beings walk among humanity for centuries, hidden in plain sight. Each exile carries the burden of their fall, struggling with pride, guilt, and the lingering pull of darkness. Among them is **Jovias**, once a formidable warrior in Heaven’s ranks. Unlike the others, Jovias believes exile is not merely punishment—it is a test. A chance for redemption. But Hell has not forgotten them. As demonic forces begin manipulating human history from the shadows, the Exiled Seven discover they are pawns in a much larger plan. A hidden hierarchy within Hell is working to weaken the spiritual boundaries protecting Earth. Cults rise, false doctrines spread through influential churches, and ancient demonic entities move closer to breaking through the veil separating realms. To stop it, the exiles must confront both **their enemies and their pasts**. Each member of the Seven faces a personal crossroads: - remain trapped in bitterness and condemnation - or fight for humanity and reclaim their purpose. Along the way they form fragile alliances with humans—detectives, scholars, believers, and skeptics—who slowly uncover the terrifying truth about the spiritual war unfolding around them. The conflict builds toward an apocalyptic confrontation in **Jerusalem**, where the forces of Heaven, Hell, and the exiled must collide. There, the final choice will be made: redemption… or permanent damnation. Some will fall. Some will be restored. And the fate of humanity will hinge on whether the exiles can prove that even those who once rebelled against Heaven can still choose the light.

by Jose M Peralta

Jovias and the Exiled Seven were formed for a singular purpose: to protect humanity rather than to dominate it. Their commitment to mercy, even in the face of disaster, led them to choose compassion over destruction. As a consequence of this choice, they were stripped of their wings and cast into exile, condemned to walk the earth as guardians who must conceal their true identities from those they protect. Throughout the centuries, the Seven are confronted by judgment and loss, and challenged by evil that works not through direct confrontation, but in more subtle ways that erode faith from within. Each trial they face tests not only their strength, but also their obedience and their capacity for hope. Despite the hardships of exile, the Seven remain driven by a singular promise: to ensure that light endures, even when separated from their former glory. Their journey is marked by perseverance, where faith is hard-won, victory is never guaranteed, and redemption demands unwavering endurance.

by Anie G. Ross

A romantasy series revolving around faery lords.  The Dusk & Dawn Story: *A young woman with a gift is bound to an endless cycle of romance and death, pulled between two faery rulers of opposite courts: Summer and Autumn. From Coventry 1121 to New Orleans 1788 to modern day, nine lives isn't nearly long enough.*

by Corbie De La Luna

*Dear Reader,* ***First a caution to this tale;*** *as it tackles dark themes including but not limited to, religious trauma, domestic abuse, child endangerment, self harm and SA of the soul. These tragic themes may not be suitable for all readers, and may trigger unpleasant thoughts, feelings, or memories to some. **Discretion is highly advised.** If at any point dear reader, you become uncomfortable and cannot continue, go with peace and love.* No AI was ever or will be ever used in any part of this book. I would also be honored by your thoughts, questions, or concerns Dear Reader, this is your invite to discourse in the reviews. *\~Corbie De La Luna* ## Synopsis Koriath’s dream, since he was the little prince of darkness, was not of battlefield glory or political intrigue; but to fall in love and marry someone who would see the garnet eyes beneath his crown, and to become a father who would give his childlings the paternal love he did not have. He did not know that one night he would be tricked into marrying the Goddess of Malevolence. Now his last chance for that childhood dreams begins hatching in the frayed thread of an egg sling strapped to his chest. The two surviving Umbral Guards evacuate the palace at his command, so that even if this hatchling and himself are lost to her, no other lives would be lost. Twin daughters are hatched and for a moment, the night has hope and love again. When Malencia arrives home the nightmare blooms. She tries to end the life of one daughter, citing weakness. Koriath's pleas fall to cruel ears and a fight ensues. When he loses, he sells his soul to her so that both of their girls live. She ends up breaking her deal and after barely saving the girls again, Koriath presents her with a divorce. Malencia refuses, retaliates, and promises that the girls will meet a face worse than death if he tries to leave her again. Malevolence seeds her plan to become Evil Incarnate, by using her family. Koriath has one last chance, but will he sink into martyrdom again?

by Anie G. Ross

In a world of gaslit opulence and rigid etiquette, Blythe is a haunting anomaly—a brilliant spiritualist whose soul is trapped between life and death within an automaton body. Her only link to the living is Tarn “Madcap” Carrigan, a sorcerer-alchemist extraordinaire whose penchant for scandal is always one bad day away from another fatal mystery. With otherworldly secrets and new magic to discover, Blythe and Tarn are bound by an inseparable partnership.

by Anie G. Ross

***Harry Potter meets Sorcery of Thorns.*** *For fans of dark academia, magical university, and rivals-to-lovers.* Gwen O'Dorchaidhe thought her life was going to plan as the perfect heir to a pureblood line of sorcerers. Until the ordinary, untaught, *American* Chosen One entered her life, challenging everything she was raised to believe about potential. Breaking curses and challenging the outdated rules of sorcerer society is just another year at Cairn-Gait Conservatory.

by Anie G. Ross

In a world of gaslit opulence and rigid etiquette, Blythe is a haunting anomaly—a brilliant spiritualist whose soul is trapped between life and death within an automaton body. Her only link to the living is Tarn “Madcap” Carrigan, a sorcerer-alchemist extraordinaire whose penchant for scandal turns deadly when he is framed for the attempted assassination of the Empress using his own repurposed formula. While Blythe struggles to reconcile her lost humanity with her new, doll-like form, the purposefully improper Tarn must rely on her spectral talents to navigate a web of political treachery and corrupted sorcery. Together, their perilous adventure across borders leads them to unmask the true culprit and confront the secrets of the dark magic that brought them together. *Author Note: Any feedback/reviews are genuinely appreciated! This story is truly open to "kill your darlings" edits.*

by Kat Sidhe

Benedicta Hicchecok is an immortal witch who values order, privacy, and control—especially over her dangerous old barn, which houses her family grimoire and the spellwork that anchors her power. When the township threatens to condemn the barn as unsafe, Benedicta faces losing both her livelihood and her magical legacy.\ Her carefully managed life is further disrupted by the arrival of her younger sister, Temperance—called Tempe—a chaotic, bohemian witch with a talent for trouble. Tempe brings with her an enormous Samoyed dog and Alexandros Papadopoulos, a polite but banished vampire fleeing supernatural politics. Though Alex’s presence is risky, his considerable wealth offers a possible solution to Benedicta’s mounting problems.\ Before plans can be made, faulty wiring sparks a fire that destroys the barn. Alex risks his unlife to retrieve the family grimoire, earning Benedicta’s reluctant gratitude. With no barn left to save, Benedicta allows Alex temporary refuge in exchange for funding a new, modern magical workspace.\ As the new arrangement settles, Benedicta pushes Tempe to contribute meaningfully to the family business. Tempe agrees to handle sales and deliveries—until Benedicta deliberately includes a stop involving Coyote, a trickster god from Tempe’s past. Tempe’s encounter with Coyote reveals that old supernatural entanglements are far from resolved.\ Meanwhile, Alex receives a package from his vampire progenitor, signaling that his banishment is temporary and that larger vampire politics may soon threaten Benedicta’s carefully warded territory.\ By the end of the opening arc, Benedicta has lost her old barn but gained a stronger foundation, an unreliable yet useful sister, and a vampire ally whose presence brings both opportunity and danger. Forced to abandon isolation, she begins navigating a future where family, magic, and supernatural politics are deeply—and messily—intertwined.

by Kat Sidhe

Otterby is a mountain town built on what was abandoned—mines, bridges, promises, and names no one remembers clearly anymore. On Main Street, inside a purple Victorian known as *The Maid, Mother, and Crone*, two witches keep the balance as best they can. Kitty Loy is a kitchen witch who believes in the power of bread, salt, and things made by hand. Alice is a nature witch—an optimist with dirt under her nails and a deep faith in cycles, growth, and second chances. Together they form a coven of two, uneasy and incomplete after the loss of their third, a wound neither of them is ready to name. When a dead owl appears on their porch and a body is discovered on the long‑abandoned Bride’s Bridge, Otterby’s past begins to surface in troubling ways. What first looks like a simple haunting reveals a pattern tied to an old mine disaster, a doomed love story, and a bargain made long ago with powers that do not think like humans—or forgive like them. As spring stirs the land awake, Kitty and Alice are forced to confront buried histories, the cost of broken balance, and the truth that some debts cannot be ignored forever. To set things right, they may have to risk opening wounds they worked very hard to close—and accept that survival sometimes means change. *Otterby* is a standalone urban fantasy steeped in Southern gothic atmosphere, folklore, and the quiet magic of small towns that remember more than they should.

by Lisa Troy

On a fictional Greek island, Anastasia Livanitis solves murders and other crimes with her ghostly sidekicks, and her journalist best friend, Nikos.

by Lisa Troy

Anastasia Livanitis came back to Lifnos for one reason: her father needed post-surgery downtime and someone had to run the family taverna. Two months. In and out. Simple as tzatziki. Then Frieda Baron turns up dead a day after their very public argument — and Anastasia discovers she can still see her. Frieda in death is exactly how she was in life: a billionaire's daughter, a Reality TV winner, and utterly convinced the world revolves around her. She has opinions about the murder, the taverna's wall paint, and Anastasia's love life. Oh, and she's not going anywhere until the killer is found. Anastasia has no choice but to listen — because the locals already think her family's into the dark arts, the hot detective thinks she's the prime suspect, and the taverna won't survive another scandal. The problem with investigating a billionaire's daughter's murder? Ridiculously rich people aren't big on truth. They're interested in results. Anastasia doesn't believe in ghosts. Or curses. She definitely doesn't believe she can solve a murder with a dead woman's help. Yeah, that's going to go over well... A paranormal cozy mystery set on a sun-soaked Greek island. Perfect for readers who love: reluctant sleuths, ghost sidekicks with attitude, homecoming mysteries, family legacy, and Mediterranean atmosphere.  This story will be published as Spirits and Whine in July.

by Judah Ray

INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY! Madison thought she was the only sane one in the house.\ \ Fourteen and isolated in a remote farmhouse ruled by her mother Faith’s rigid devotion, Madison is convinced the madness belongs to the adults around her. Aunt Hope urges patience. Aunt Grace sees demons in everything. Faith stands between doubt and doctrine.\ \ Certain she is being suffocated by religious extremism, Madison secretly launches a livestream channel to expose her mother to the world. The followers grow. The comments validate her. And no one in the house knows they are being broadcast live.\ \ When Grace convinces Faith that Madison’s rebellion is something darker, prayer turns to accusation. Accusation turns to restraint. An exorcism unknowingly unfolds live as viewers watch religious fanaticism spiral out of control.\ \ This may seem like just another story about a rebellious teenager and her controlling mother.  Another story about faith gone too far.\ \ But the footage tells a different story.\ \ UNORTHODOX is a claustrophobic psychological horror about faith, rebellion, and a mother who refuses to abandon her child, even when the world calls her crazy.

by Judah Ray

In 1955, a secret experiment at the Large Hadron Collider tore open a doorway to another realm.\ \ Extradimensional beings came through, possessed the top scientists and military officials in the room, and kept the portal open.\ \ One of the first crossed over and took a human infant as its host. That infant was Christina.\ \ The only issue is that Christina forgot what she was,  and the others could not enter or control her, but she could see them. So they declared her unstable and institutionalized her.\ \ Years later, world leaders, billionaires, media figures, and political dynasties are all possessed. The New World Order is not a conspiracy theory. It is literal possession.\ \ A decade later, Christina escapes and resurfaces in Berlin. The forces that have tracked her since childhood want her reclaimed or eliminated.\ \ With the help of Jory, who has been able to see the entities inside people since surviving a near-death experience as a child, Christina uncovers a power structure that has ruled humanity from within for generations.\ \ When she learns she is one of them, she must choose between her own kind or the man she loves and the humanity she chose to protect.\ \ They have ruled the world from inside us.\ Now one of their own stands against them.