Thriller

by Vivian Vincent

Rebecca “Becks” Morgan knows engines better than people. Her garage is her sanctuary, a place where she can keep her son safe and her past buried under layers of steel and grease. But when a sleek black sedan rolls in with a hidden compartment and a warning from a man who smells like trouble, her quiet life shatters. The car isn’t just a job. It’s a loaded weapon in a criminal empire, and now Becks is in the crosshairs.\ \ Detective Declan Stone has spent two years chasing a syndicate that always stays one step ahead. His latest lead? A beautiful mechanic who might be the key to unraveling it all. But Becks isn’t just a witness, she’s stubborn, sharp, and far too tempting for a man who swore he’d never mix business with desire. As danger closes in, Declan will risk everything to protect her and the boy she’d die for. Even if it means crossing every line he’s lived by. In a world where trust is a gamble and love is the ultimate risk, can they survive long enough to find both?

by Benjamin Murphy

Cal MacIntyre has spent four years drowning in grief since losing his wife, Molly, to cancer. Only coaching baseball has kept him going, but an on-field fight with an abusive parent has pushed him into early retirement. Now a judge who’s hated him since high school is circling, and the Florida house he shared with Molly has gone too quiet to bear. So when his best friend, Frank, offers him a way out, Cal leaps across the Atlantic to join him. Frank Fumagalli spent thirty years as a Defense Intelligence Agency officer, and his own retirement hasn’t slowed him down. It’s only improved his wine selection. Frank’s idea of the quiet life on the French Riviera turns out to involve a pair of downstairs neighbors with alarming résumés and a Russian operation hiding in plain sight along the sun-washed coast of Nice. When Cal meets Eeva, an Estonian woman with secrets of her own, his reasons to stay in Nice become dangerously personal. *Old Dogs New Ticks* is a story about grief, life-long friendship, and the second acts nobody plans for: a thriller with a broken heart at its center. For readers of *The Spy Coast* and *Remarkably Bright Creatures*.

by Tabitha S.

Dr. Judith "Jude" Calloway is a prison psychologist with a gift she never asked for: she hears the voices of the dead — victims whose deaths were closed wrong. When convicted killer Calvin Mercer takes back his confession to the 2011 drowning of Evelyn Marsh — a death ruled an accident — Jude starts hearing Evelyn herself. Her voice leads to another girl, Lorena Diaz, who drowned at the same river bend five years earlier, and to the quiet man who has been there for all of it: the jail's beloved chaplain, Moss, who "seats" the restless dead so the county never has to look too closely at how they died. To free the voices, Jude must make the living listen — before the chaplain seats her too. A Southern gothic suspense about buried girls, crooked closures, and the one woman who can still hear them. Complete — 20 chapters.

by D.W. Nielson

by Alexander Corso

by Jordana Faye

Reigna has built a life that fits her exactly: high-end statement heels for women who want to command a room, and a quiet Friday ritual of shoes, sketches, snacks, and silence. No obligations. No distractions. Just her.\ Then the silence turns wrong.\ Someone is watching. A cage is being tested. A game is already in motion — and the unmasking coming will change everything she thought she knew about the life she built.\ Free chapter first, or all 36 at once — where would you start?

by Miracle okpa

L‌ove has a pri⁠ce. But some bargains cost more t‍han a lifetime. Amelia‍ has always believed that love, lo​y‍alty,‌ and sac⁠rifice⁠ are enough to b​u‍ild a happy life. But when‌ financi‍al rui‍n threatens‍ to destroy everything‍ she and th‌e man‍ she​ loves have wo‍rked for, desp‌e‌ra​tion pushe⁠s her into a decisi‌on she never imagined m​aking.\ ‌\ Enter Ki‌ng Kael Draven, th‍e mos⁠t feared a‍n⁠d⁠ w‌ealthies​t Alpha i⁠n the supernatura⁠l world. Ruthless, poss⁠essi‍v​e, and dang​erously handsome, Kael is a man who has never bee​n denied anyth⁠in​g​ h⁠e desires. When he encounter‍s Amelia, he becomes obses⁠sed with po‍s‌sess‌in​g her. He ma​kes her an o‍ffer that coul​d solve all he‌r proble‌ms: one‍ n​ight with him‍ in exchang⁠e for a fo‍rtune that would change her life forever. Amelia r​efuses at first, disgusted by the​ p‌ropositi​on⁠. But with‌ e‌verythin​g falling apart a⁠rou⁠n‌d her, she eventually acc⁠epts the deal, convinc​ing hers‌elf​ tha​t one night cannot destro⁠y a lifetime of love. However⁠, the night change​s everythin⁠g​. The mone⁠y a⁠rrive‍s​, her prob‍lems disapp​e​ar, and the life sh‍e fought so hard to protect beg‍ins to crumble. Jeal​ousy,⁠ g​uilt, mist‍rust, and fo‌rbi‍d‌d‍en desi​res tur​n he⁠r relationshi‍p into​ a battlefield.​ Meanwhile, Kael r‌ef​us​es‌ to let her‌ disapp​ear from his world. What Amelia doe​sn’t know is that‌ Kae​l’s interest in h⁠e⁠r goes far beyond physical attraction. Benea‌th​ his col‍d exterior li‍es a secret​ connected to an ancient prop‍hec​y, a for‌bi‍dde‍n bloodline, and a bond nei‌the​r of the​m c⁠an e‌scape. ‌Wh‍en​ the truth fina‌lly em‍erg​es, Amelia m‌ust choose b⁠etween the man s‍he once⁠ loved⁠ and the ruthle​ss Alpha King who would burn kin⁠g​do‍ms to keep her.‍\ ⁠\ But can a‍ love that be​gins wit​h a bargain survive the weight of bet​rayal, pr‌ide, an​d destin‍y? Or will the price​ of one night destro⁠y them all? In a worl​d where power command​s everythin⁠g, will lov‍e be the one thing even an Al​pha King cannot bu‍y?

by Miracle okpa

Supernatural Horror | Mystery | Psychological Thriller When 52-year-old Daniel Whitmore inherits an old house, he hopes to give his family a fresh start. But everything changes when he discovers a mysterious box of vintage film reels hidden in the attic. Playing the recordings awakens an ancient supernatural entity known as the Hush King. Soon, terrifying whispers fill the walls, strange shadows appear, and his daughter, Wren, begins communicating with an invisible friend. As Daniel investigates the house's dark history, he discovers that every family connected to the recordings has suffered a horrifying tragedy. With his wife, Claire, fighting to protect their children, Daniel must uncover his late uncle's secrets and find a way to destroy the entity before it claims Wren. But the Hush King is more powerful than they imagined, and escaping the house may not be enough. **Some evils never die. They simply find another family.**

by Lucian Frost

Humanity has surrendered more than its freedom. It has surrendered its identity. In a fractured, war-ravaged world controlled by an authoritarian regime, every transaction is tracked, every movement monitored, and every act of defiance punished. Digital currency has replaced cash, surveillance drones dominate the skies, and the Watchers' neural networks turn technology into an instrument of absolute control. But resistance is stirring. Twenty-two-year-old **Ryder Blackwood** has spent years preparing to fight back. Haunted by the disappearance of his father and sister and the loss of his mother, he refuses to accept a world where obedience is the price of survival. When he encounters **Anya Volkov,** a brilliant former broadcast engineer hiding behind the identity of a chemistry teacher, he discovers an opportunity to ignite something far greater than a local uprising. Together with a growing circle of hardened fighters, including **Mara Voss** and **Cage Rennic, Ryder** begins dismantling the Regime's surveillance infrastructure. Their rebellion spreads, alliances are forged, and the fight escalates into a devastating conflict against **President Thorne's** forces and their ruthless cybernetic architect, Preston Kane. Yet the greatest threat is not the regime itself. A sinister artificial intelligence known as the Fractal begins revealing its true nature, manipulating human minds, controlling biomechanical armies, and unleashing horrors that threaten humanity beyond Earth's boundaries. As the conflict expands from devastated cities to the oceans, lunar territory, and the depths of space, Mara becomes central to a battle that could determine the fate of civilization. With the Regime collapsing and humanity fighting for its future, Ryder and his allies must confront an enemy that refuses to die. Freedom has been won at an unimaginable cost. But victory is not the end. **The uprising has begun. The stars are watching. And the final cleansing is yet to come.**

by Claudia long

by Larry Lee Rhoton

**They came for their home. They accidentally took their $60 million.**   Homer Hoskins expected a quiet retirement at the Meadow View Assisted Living Center. Instead, he finds himself staring down the barrel of an international drug cartel after a ruthless criminal syndicate evicts twenty seniors to convert their home into a smuggling hub. But the cartel made one fatal mistake: they forgot that Homer had spent forty years as a deep-cover detective. Refusing to be thrown out onto the street, Homer and a rogue crew of stubborn retirees stage a midnight heist, steal the cartel’s massive Silver Eagle touring bus, and hit the open road. Only when they are miles away do they open the luggage bay to discover six heavy duffel bags filled with sixty million dollars in cold cartel cash. Now, pursued by a frantic motorcycle gang, tracking aircraft, and a clinical executioner known as El Verdugo, this armed senior-citizen family must rely on high-voltage stun guns, a 30,000-volt electric-fence crisis, and a highly weaponized bus sewage tank to survive. To save his friends, Homer must return to the lion’s den alone and pull off the greatest, most chaotic psychological frame-up in thriller history. Packed with high-octane suspense and laugh-out-loud humor, this heartwarming road-trip thriller follows a family of misfits who prove that while aging is mandatory, backing down is entirely optional.

by Marilyn Q

They survived Acheron once. Now someone intends to finish what they started. Samantha “Sam” Kessler and her team fought their way through a mission built on secrets, betrayal, and a weapon capable of killing thousands. They made it out—but survival didn't end the threat. Acheron is still alive. Hidden beneath layers of classified operations and protected by people willing to kill to keep its secrets buried, the program has entered its final and most dangerous phase. Deep inside the fortified Jabal Sifr complex, the Welcome Protocol has been activated, and the people behind Acheron are preparing to erase what remains before the truth can escape. For Sam, walking away is no longer an option. Her team is battered. Trust has become a liability. And every step toward the truth reveals another trap waiting beneath the surface. What begins as a fight to survive becomes a race against annihilation as Sam and her team are driven deeper into a hidden war of underground facilities, lethal technology, shifting loyalties, and enemies who have prepared for their return. This time, rescue isn't enough. Acheron must be destroyed. But destroying it means going back into the fire—and facing the possibility that not everyone will come home. Explosive, relentless, and driven by loyalty, sacrifice, and a team that refuses to leave anyone behind, Deadly Conflict Over Acheron: The Final Reckoning brings the battle for Acheron to its devastating conclusion. They know what Acheron can do. They know what it will cost to stop it. And this time, there is nowhere left to run.

by Marilyn Q

She walked away from covert warfare four years ago. One classified name is about to drag her back in. Former Navy SEAL Lieutenant Samantha “Sam” Kessler has built a life far removed from the deniable missions that once defined her. Then her former commander summons her to a clandestine compound with an assignment wrapped in secrecy: enter the war-torn nation of Kharif, extract chemical systems engineer Dr. Elias Rourke from rebel-held Dar Qamar, and recover everything connected to a black program known only as ACHERON. Rourke’s research was supposed to neutralize industrial toxins. Instead, someone transformed it into a fast-acting nerve agent capable of killing thousands. Sam knows the mission is incomplete. She also knows that refusing means another team may be sent in blind. So she calls the five people she trusts most—Joe Hardy, Pete Reilly, Andy “Sparky” Kauffman, Owen “Judge” Mellon, and Hannah Thompson—and asks them to step back into the world they fought to leave behind. But when they arrive, they discover Meridian Tactical Group has been preparing for their involvement long before Sam ever agreed to the mission. Someone knew exactly who she would call. Once inside Kharif, the mission begins to unravel. Their intelligence has been manipulated. Communications are compromised. Rival military factions are closing in. And the deeper Sam pushes into Dar Qamar, the clearer it becomes that extracting Rourke is only the beginning. Because Acheron is not merely a chemical. It is a program. And hidden somewhere behind layers of classified files, buried laboratories, and competing agendas is a weapon powerful enough to turn a rescue mission into a catastrophe. With her team wounded, alliances shifting, and trust becoming more dangerous than enemy fire, Sam must decide who she can believe—and how far she is willing to go to keep Acheron from reaching the outside world. Fast-paced, tense, and packed with covert operations, battlefield action, betrayal, and a team that refuses to leave its own behind, Deadly Conflict Over Acheron: Into the Fire begins a high-stakes military thriller where the mission is classified, the truth is buried, and survival is only the first objective.

by Miracle okpa

Billionaire‌’s Bank:‌ A Tale⁠ of⁠ Power⁠ &​ Desire In a world of unimaginable we​alth, irresist‌ible passion‌, an‍d d⁠angerous secre​ts, love can be the most expens⁠ive gam⁠ble‌ of all. Caught b​etween two powerful men, one woman must n⁠a‌vigate a world of j⁠ealousy, be‍tra‌yal, ambitio⁠n, and for‌bidden d​e‌sire. Beh⁠ind their lu​xurious life​styles lie hidden truths th‍at could shatter empires and destroy hearts. As th‌e ba⁠ttle for love‌ an⁠d⁠ control intensifies, she discovers th⁠at money⁠ c‌an b‌uy almost anything—but never tr‌ue loyal‍ty. When pas‍sion clashe​s with power, who will win, and who will lose everything? ‍Billionair⁠e’s​ Bank is​ a thrilling romanc‍e filled with wealth, tempta​tion, suspense, and unexpected twists, where e‍very secret ha⁠s a pri⁠ce and eve‍ry heart has so⁠me​th‌ing to lose.

by Marilyn Q

**Former Navy SEAL Lieutenant Samantha “Sam” Kessler has built a life far removed from the deniable missions that once defined her. Then her former commander summons her to a clandestine compound with an assignment wrapped in secrecy: enter the war-torn nation of Kharif, extract chemical systems engineer Dr. Elias Rourke from rebel-held Dar Qamar, and recover everything connected to a black program known only as ACHERON.**\ \ **Rourke’s research was supposed to neutralize industrial toxins. Instead, someone transformed it into a fast-acting nerve agent capable of killing thousands.**\ \ **Sam knows the mission is incomplete. She also knows that refusing means another team may be sent in blind.**\ \ **So she calls the five people she trusts most—Joe Hardy, Pete Reilly, Andy “Sparky” Kauffman, Owen “Judge” Mellon, and Hannah Thompson—and asks them to step back into the world they fought to leave behind. But when they arrive, they discover Meridian Tactical Group has been preparing for their involvement long before Sam ever agreed to the mission. Someone knew exactly who she would call.**\ \ **Once inside Kharif, the mission begins to unravel.**\ \ **Their intelligence has been manipulated. Communications are compromised. Rival military factions are closing in. And the deeper Sam pushes into Dar Qamar, the clearer it becomes that extracting Rourke is only the beginning.**\ \ **Because Acheron is not merely a chemical.**\ \ **It is a program.** Long Book Description **She walked away from covert warfare four years ago. One classified name is about to drag her back in.**\ \ **Former Navy SEAL Lieutenant Samantha “Sam” Kessler has built a life far removed from the deniable missions that once defined her. Then her former commander summons her to a clandestine compound with an assignment wrapped in secrecy: enter the war-torn nation of Kharif, extract chemical systems engineer Dr. Elias Rourke from rebel-held Dar Qamar, and recover everything connected to a black program known only as ACHERON.**\ \ **Rourke’s research was supposed to neutralize industrial toxins. Instead, someone transformed it into a fast-acting nerve agent capable of killing thousands.**\ \ **Sam knows the mission is incomplete. She also knows that refusing means another team may be sent in blind.**\ \ **So she calls the five people she trusts most—Joe Hardy, Pete Reilly, Andy “Sparky” Kauffman, Owen “Judge” Mellon, and Hannah Thompson—and asks them to step back into the world they fought to leave behind. But when they arrive, they discover Meridian Tactical Group has been preparing for their involvement long before Sam ever agreed to the mission. Someone knew exactly who she would call.**\ \ **Once inside Kharif, the mission begins to unravel.**\ \ **Their intelligence has been manipulated. Communications are compromised. Rival military factions are closing in. And the deeper Sam pushes into Dar Qamar, the clearer it becomes that extracting Rourke is only the beginning.**\ \ **Because Acheron is not merely a chemical.**\ \ **It is a program.**\ \ **And hidden somewhere behind layers of classified files, buried laboratories, and competing agendas is a weapon powerful enough to turn a rescue mission into a catastrophe.**\ \ **With her team wounded, alliances shifting, and trust becoming more dangerous than enemy fire, Sam must decide who she can believe—and how far she is willing to go to keep Acheron from reaching the outside world.**\ \ **Fast-paced, tense, and packed with covert operations, battlefield action, betrayal, and a team that refuses to leave its own behind, Deadly Conflict Over Acheron: Into the Fire begins a high-stakes military thriller where the mission is classified, the truth is buried, and survival is only the first objective.**

by Warren C Daniels Jr.

Poetry and Short Stories for the Perpetually Bored By Warren C. Daniels Jr. Warren C. Daniels Jr.’s debut collection is a fearless blend of raw poetry and surreal short fiction that speaks directly to the human condition. These are not polished fantasies or lighthearted diversions; they are confessions, fragments, and stories pulled from the deepest corners of experience. The poetry ranges from stark, minimal meditations to sprawling lyrical pieces, each written with an honesty that refuses to look away from pain. In poems like Her Heart of Madness and The Insolvable, Daniels captures the intimate chaos of trauma and the silent endurance of survival. In others, such as Justice?! and Spit and Rage, he confronts the injustices of systemic racism, poverty, and corporate greed, connecting personal wounds to wider social scars. The short stories push these themes into dreamlike narratives. In Wonder, nightmares bleed into reality, pulling readers into a surreal landscape of fear and longing. In Tuesday: Sometime in June, the line between sanity and delusion dissolves, leaving behind an unsettling portrait of a mind under siege. Each story is vivid, hallucinatory, and deeply human. What unites both the poetry and the stories is a refusal to turn away. Daniels does not romanticize trauma, but he does recognize its weight and its echoes. His writing is a hand extended in the dark — not to rescue, but to remind readers that they are not alone in their silence. More than a debut, this is an act of solidarity. Daniels writes for those who have been told they are broken, for those who have been silenced, and for those who wonder if their struggles matter. His message is clear: you matter, and your story deserves to be heard. For fans of Sylvia Plath, Ocean Vuong, Charles Bukowski, or Anne Sexton, Poetry and Short Stories for the Perpetually Bored offers a contemporary voice that is unflinching and necessary. It is a book for anyone who seeks words that heal by naming the hurt, and stories that haunt because they are true. Step into this collection, and find not just poetry and stories, but survival made visible.

by Marilyn Q

The deadliest shot is the one you never hear. They sent Olivia Kane into the frozen shadows to stop a war before it began. Her mission: track a rogue assassin whose bullet could ignite an international crisis. Her reality: the Arctic isn’t just cold — it’s a predator. Cut off from her team and hunted through a labyrinth of ice and lies, Olivia must outthink an enemy who knows her every move. Allies can’t be trusted. Truth and deception blur. And one wrong step will echo in blood across the snow. From the moment the crosshairs find her, Olivia learns the first rule of survival in the Arctic: you never hear the shot that kills you. The Silent Trigger is a relentless thriller for readers who crave shadow wars, deadly precision, and heroes who refuse to break — even when the ice does beneath them.

by Marilyn Q

“Step into the shadows with A Breathless Collection of 7 Riveting Thrillers. From cursed attics to haunted lighthouses, and betrayal that refuses to stay buried, this anthology dives into the chilling depths of the unknown. Each story explores fear in its many forms—supernatural forces, psychological torment, and the dark secrets we keep locked away. Perfect for fans of suspense, horror, and nail-biting twists, these tales will keep you on edge long after the last page is turned. Will you dare to face what lies within?”

by Jason Farris

***New York City. The Roaring Twenties. Hot Jazz, Guns and Bootleggers.*** \ For shopgirl Slender McNally, it's not the exhilarating life she seeks. In the aftermath of a tragedy, Slender struggles to keep her family together and her deli afloat. Her mother, rarely present, is consumed nightly with speakeasies while her sister, an aspiring stage actress, is fixated only on becoming a star. But when a routine accounting trip leads Slender to check on an unsettled debt, things begin to really rev and roar. She unknowingly gets swept up by the mysterious Joey the Mouse as he whisks her off to the hottest speakeasy around--The Sudsbucket, operated by celebrated gangster Soapy Callahan.\ \ But what Joey doesn't tell her that first night is that he has already pulled her into the middle of a turf war and has a plan for her whether she likes it or not...because Soapy Callahan is expanding his bootlegging empire and he wants Slender's deli. And the boss gets what he wants.\ \ Recalling such classics as *The Great Gatsby* as well as elements of *Dick Tracy*, and filled with an ensemble of colorful characters, *Calling Shots* is a fast-paced romp through the beloved streets of New York City during one of the most captivating times in history--**The Roaring Twenties**.

by D. S. Vance

When her mother, Rose, dies, thirty-one-year-old Lily Raines inherits more than grief. A mark appears on her skin, binding her to a family curse. With only a year before it claims her life and passes to her ten-year-old daughter, Ivy, Lily must uncover what Rose kept hidden. A single mother who practices crystal witchcraft, Lily turns to familiar protections. But crystals and barriers cannot stop a presence that knows her daughter’s name. It imitates familiar voices, manipulates their fear, and turns their home into a place where neither can trust what they hear. Following Rose’s warnings, Lily searches the attic and discovers a hidden room behind her mother’s bedroom closet. The records reveal that an ancestor’s attempt to summon a dead loved one bound a demonic presence to their bloodline. Every generation since has inherited the consequences. Lily seeks help from Alejandra, a witch over 150 years old whom Rose mentioned before her death. Together with Denise, Lily’s lifelong friend, they search for the original spell and a reversal. When a protective arrangement is broken and Lily is injured, they retreat to Alejandra’s home. Lily realizes that surviving each encounter will never give Ivy a safe future. As the presence exploits the family’s secrecy, Lily learns to listen to Ivy, share what she knows, and trust others to help protect her. After uncovering the complete reversal, they confront the entity. Denise stays beside Ivy while Alejandra guides Lily through the spell. Despite familiar voices urging her to stop, Lily completes the working and severs the curse’s connection to their bloodline. Freed from the threat, Lily and Ivy begin rebuilding their lives. Lily preserves the truth openly, ensuring her daughter inherits knowledge and freedom instead of another generation’s silence.

by Christina Farley

**"A high-action adventure with swoon-worthy romance and a mystery that will keep you turning the pages all night long!" - Beth Revis, *New York Times* bestselling author**\ \ **Your dreams are no longer safe...**\ \ Eighteen-year-old Aria Hale loves her job at her father’s dream therapy company where she enters dementia patients' dreams to save their memories. But when their lab is ransacked, two technicians are murdered, and her father is kidnapped, everything changes for her.\ \ Determined to find her father, Aria and her friends embark on a harrowing hunt across continents using the dreams of their enemies to guide them. But this dangerous journey plunges her into a world she never bargained for: deception, intrigue, and even love. As she races to save her father and hunt down her enemies, she soon realizes she’s in fact, the one being hunted. And her dreams are the greatest danger of all.\ \ In the vein of *Inception* meets *The Bourne Identity*, THE DREAM HEIST propels readers into a fast-paced adventure that will send them racing to the very end.

by Christina Farley

**"A high-action adventure with swoon-worthy romance and a mystery that will keep you turning the pages all night long!" - Beth Revis, *New York Times* bestselling author**\ \ **Your dreams are no longer safe...**\ \ Eighteen-year-old Aria Hale loves her job at her father’s dream therapy company where she enters dementia patients' dreams to save their memories. But when their lab is ransacked, two technicians are murdered, and her father is kidnapped, everything changes for her.\ \ Determined to find her father, Aria and her friends embark on a harrowing hunt across continents using the dreams of their enemies to guide them. But this dangerous journey plunges her into a world she never bargained for: deception, intrigue, and even love. As she races to save her father and hunt down her enemies, she soon realizes she’s in fact, the one being hunted. And her dreams are the greatest danger of all.\ \ In the vein of *Inception* meets *The Bourne Identity*, THE DREAM HEIST propels readers into a fast-paced adventure that will send them racing to the very end.

by Kevin B. Kyles

CORE OF KEYS: BOOK TWO   The Motion Key    In the aftermath of NeonDyne's collapse, Virelia struggles to rebuild amid widespread destruction, fear, and uncertainty. Haunted by the losses of the rebellion, Mara carries the completed Motion Key, a dangerous power she never wanted. Convinced that the Keys are responsible for humanity's suffering, she sets out to destroy them before another catastrophe can unfold.    But a new threat emerges from the shadows. Cilus Marks, the mysterious bearer of the Thought Key, possesses the terrifying ability to manipulate the minds of others, turning ordinary citizens against one another and plunging the fractured city into violence and paranoia. As his influence spreads, a ruthless Hunter stalks those who possess the Keys, driven by a deadly obsession with collecting them.    Caught between an enemy who can control thoughts and a relentless predator who hunts extraordinary powers, Mara must confront her own demons while fighting to protect what remains of Virelia. As the boundaries between free will and manipulation begin to disappear, she faces a terrifying question: How do you defeat an enemy who can turn your own mind against you?

by Kevin B. Kyles

# CORE OF ECHOS ##  Book One of the Core of Keys Series   In the cyberpunk city of Virelia, where powerful corporations control society and technology blurs the line between humanity and machines, Rip Calder's ordinary life is shattered when armed soldiers abduct his wife, Lora. Desperate to find her, Rip becomes the unwilling bearer of the Sound Key, a mysterious power connected to an ancient system known as the Core.   Hunted by the powerful NeonDyne corporation, Rip joins a resistance fighting to uncover the truth behind the Keys and the dark experiments surrounding them. But as he ventures deeper into a world of dangerous machines, hidden conspiracies, and unimaginable power, he discovers that Lora's disappearance is part of something far greater than he ever imagined.   With the fate of Virelia hanging in the balance, Rip must confront terrifying truths about love, identity, and the nature of human existence. In a world where consciousness can be manipulated and machines can become more than their programming, saving the woman he loves could come at a cost far greater than his own life.

by Kevin B. Kyles

# CORE OF KEYS ## An Epic Dark Cyberpunk Science Fiction Series What if the greatest threat to humanity wasn't death, but the loss of everything that makes us human? In the sprawling, neon drenched city of Virelia, technology has become a tool of control, corporations hold unimaginable power, and the truth is buried beneath generations of secrets. Rip Calder was never meant to be a hero. A late night streamer living an ordinary life, everything changes when armed soldiers come for Lora, the woman he loves. Thrust into a conflict far beyond his understanding, Rip becomes the bearer of a mysterious power known as the Sound Key, one of several extraordinary forces connected to an enigmatic creation known only as the Core. But the Keys are more than weapons. Each possesses the ability to manipulate fundamental aspects of existence, from sound and reflection to motion, thought, and memory. Their power comes at a cost, and those who wield them become targets in a struggle that reaches far beyond the streets of Virelia. As rebellion rises against the powerful NeonDyne corporation, unlikely heroes emerge, loyalties fracture, and enemies reveal themselves in unexpected forms. From Rip's desperate fight to save someone he loves to rebel commander Mara's battle against forces capable of turning humanity's own thoughts against itself, every victory uncovers another layer of a much greater mystery. And somewhere in the shadows, a relentless Hunter seeks the Keys for reasons known only to himself. As the boundaries between memory, identity, consciousness, and reality begin to collapse, one question threatens to unravel everything: If your thoughts can be controlled, your memories rewritten, and your identity erased, how can you ever be certain that you are truly yourself? Core of Keys is a dark, action driven science fiction saga of sacrifice, betrayal, survival, and the terrifying consequences of humanity attempting to control the very forces that define existence. \

by Carly Davis

“He was her brother's best friend. That was the only rule. He broke it the night he stopped pretending he didn't want her.”

by Dbutler

Fierce rivalry, ambition, greed, and a homicide investigation mark the deadliest mayoral race in history. Thirty-nine-year-old Lorna Meadows has a target on her back as her mayoral campaign gains momentum. Known for fearless advocacy for women and underserved populations, Lorna speaks the truth regardless of whose toes she steps on.\ \ Citizens rate Lorna as the strongest candidate for mayor, but a treacherous plan aims to destroy her. She must fight and keep fighting to survive.

by Esther Squires

It was common for veiled-born children of the Egyptian gods to die— not that Heba Badran knew that. On her 16th birthday, her divine heart matures and kills her mortal body. Now, she’s stuck at The House of the Second Measure; a half-way house for dangerous demigods caught between life and death. Surrounded by heart-eating monsters and undead teenagers, Heba must control her powers to find her way home.

by Sterling Ducker

## ***SOME RECORDS SHOULD NEVER BE FOUND.*** ##  ***SOME TRUTHS SHOULD NEVER BE UNCOVERED.***  **Beneath the streets of Ravenfall lies a world of forgotten, a vast network of tunnels, roots, and ancient passageways that connect far more than the town that could ever imagine.**  **As Soren and his friends dig deeper, they discover that the mysteries of Ravenfall are not buried- they are archived. Hidden within forgotten records, altered documents, and long-silenced history are clues that link the town to something far older than anyone suspected.**  **But the deeper they go, the more they realize the real danger isn't just what they find...it's who has been watching them find it.**  ***The Threads Of The Archive* pulls them into a web of secrets , lies, and ancient power, where the past is alive, the records move, and nothing is truly lost- only hidden.**  ***Some archives are written in ink. Others are written in roots.***

by Zach Adams

"Dead Man Walking: Narrator's Cut" by Zach Adams is a compelling contemporary fantasy novel full of twists and turns that will leave readers captivated until the last page. Focusing on Isaac Falcone, a young library assistant, this novel follows the man as he realises that his life is becoming infested with otherworldly creatures, many of whom mean to do him harm. After discovering a magic book, Isaac is attacked by a swarm of the undead, but is rescued by an elven man named L’æon. The elf suddenly appears in Isaac's life more and more, allegedly protecting him from the malicious forces that mean to do him harm. But nothing can prepare Isaac for the evil that he will have to face in order to save himself... and his entire reality...

by Sterling Ducker

by Lucian Grimm

by Christoph Woods

*He wears the mask. She wears the badge.* Rookie detective Marcene "McGee" Summers didn't ask for the case nobody wanted — but it's hers now. A killer in a Guy Fawkes mask is staging clean, ritual murders across the city, and every victim has one thing in common: they hurt people the system couldn't touch. Abusers who walked. Predators who paid their way out. Every crime scene is a verdict, and the city is starting to read them like headlines. They call him Fauwks. He calls her... Marcene. As the body count climbs, McGee finds herself hunting a ghost who seems to know her better than she knows herself — a killer who anticipates her every move, who leaves her messages only she would understand. And all the while, she's falling for Thomas: charming, attentive, always there in all the right places at all the right times. The closer she gets to the mask, the thinner the line becomes — between hunter and hunted, between justice and vengeance, between the badge she swore to wear and the truth she's afraid to face. A thriller about the hunt, the mask, and the detective who got too close.

by John Clayton Hale

The new Nashville is big, shiny and fun. It's called Nashvegas for a reason. Thousands of tourists, and their money, descend on downtown and Broadway every night. Big money brings big opportunities, for everyone, but there is a dark side to the party buses, rooftop bars and bachelorette parties. The underbelly of Music City has always been cold, harsh and unforgiving. It's a barren wasteland of heartbreak, crushed dreams and unanswered prayers. The men of the old Gulf Coast Dixie Mafia have died out. In their place has risen a new type of southern criminal organization and they have made the Athens of the South their home. Young, sophisticated and savvy. They are entrenched like a malignant tumor, preying on innocent, gullible tourists and their families back home. Kidnapping, ransoms, trafficking, drugs and murder. 'Southern Gotham' is a dark story of the not so pretty world of Country Music USA and one woman's crusade to bring down the new Dixie Mafia.

by Sable Monroe

In the modern city of Saint Veil, Nyra Voss is a twenty-three-year-old night-shift EMT who has spent her life hiding the strange mark on her palm. She has no idea that the mark connects her to the Hollowborn, a supernatural bloodline believed to have been erased from existence seven hundred years ago. Nyra is the last living Hollowborn—and her power is unlike anything vampires or werewolves have ever encountered. With a single touch, she can strip supernatural beings of their powers and even end the immortality of creatures thought impossible to kill. But every use of her ability comes at a dangerous cost. When a mysterious murder threatens to expose the truth behind the Hollowborn’s extinction, Nyra is pulled into a deadly conflict between two powerful supernatural rulers: Lucien Draven, a dangerously alluring vampire prince bound to his king, and Kael Thorne, the ruthless Alpha of the Blackmere werewolves, who knows more about Nyra’s past than he is willing to admit. As secrets unravel, Nyra discovers that the history she has been taught may be a lie. The vampires and wolves have their own reasons for keeping the Hollowborn forgotten, and someone is willing to kill to ensure the truth stays buried. Each clue brings Nyra closer to the people responsible for destroying her bloodline—and closer to a power she may not be able to control. Caught between forbidden attraction, shifting loyalties, and a mystery that reaches back centuries, Nyra must decide whom she can trust before the supernatural world turns against her. But the deeper she digs, the more terrifying the truth becomes: the Hollowborn may not have been erased simply because they were dangerous. They may have been erased because someone feared what they could become. Nyra was never supposed to survive. Now the bloodline they tried to erase may be the one that brings their kingdoms to their knees.

by Donald N Walker

It is 4:40 a.m. on a Tuesday in September when Marianne Sauer packs twelve sandwiches and tells her son to watch the header. By afternoon the header is still running and the boy is not. What follows is not a breakdown. It is a sequence. An engineering report. A denial letter that is true in every sentence. A co-op notice. A town hall where the water for a substation costs forty-one thousand dollars and a farm family’s useful life is treated as a line item. A cousin who takes a job with the company that needs the ground. A court order to move a burial. A settlement statement with a transfer fee tidier than grief. Emmett Sauer does what he has always done. He finishes the chop. He milks. He runs the numbers. He answers the phone trees. He sells the animals. He keeps the horse too long. He leaves the television on so the house has a voice in it. And in the months the closing papers give him alone with the doors shut, he does the last job a man like him knows how to do: he builds. Inspired by the true shadow of Colorado’s “Killdozer,” CHOP is something colder and closer to home — a Wisconsin dairy novel about how institutions harvest a life, and what happens when the only language left is horsepower. For readers of rural noir and literary crime who can sit with silence, process, and a night that does not look away.

by Novi Chase

Summer is a self-proclaimed home body, a lazy lizard if you will. A remote worker who thrives on living, relaxing and working from a home that used to be her mother's. One rainy night, she is coached into leaving her comfortable, slightly agoraphobic life for a surprise birthday party in Atlanta for a college crush, named Ethan, she had not seen for a long time. After unpredictable events, Summer abruptly leaves the party and wants nothing more to be back home by the fire with a bottle of wine and ice-cream. But before she knows it, she is drugged and taken from the parking garage and ends up....well, you will just have to read to find out.

by J.J. Johnson

Her story hadn’t begun with her first breath; it anchored itself, deeply, within the continuous floods from the powerful storms that brewed long before our generations were ever imagined.   My mother, Jess, inherited trauma like a personal kind of family heirloom—rooted in red clay that cracked under extreme pressure, generations before her own body met its ultimate demise.   Life came for her time and time again, tearing violently at the delicate pieces of her soul, attempting to drag her innocence into the same cold abyss that swallowed so many daughters from our bloodline before her. It didn’t matter how far down the darkness tried to drag her, nor did it matter how persistent these shadows became; she always found her way back to us, wherever that may have been.   Her four children were not just a simple part of her world—we were the entirety of her everything. Every battle she fought and won was meant to shield us from growing the same thorns and bearing the same painful scars. She sacrificed her adult life striving to be the mother she knew we deserved, nurturing a sanctuary out of pure willpower and love.   Though she never got to hold most of her grandchildren, her love reaches through the veil, across the silent stretch of emptiness, quietly shaping their lives to this very day.   Distance, time, and even the grave are powerless against what she built through sheer courage and sacrifice. Her devotion has been passed across the generations that have followed, surrounding them still—a love so fierce, so absolute, that it remains just as deafening today as it ever was.   These are the chronicles of the floods she endured, the thorns she bore, and the wild roses that grew because her fierce heart refused to let the darkness prevail.

by John D Bertucci

Mara Klein started "Where Evil Lurks" as a true-crime blog — just a freelancer chasing the stories no one else would touch. Then the comments started coming: shipwrecks, disappearances, sudden storms, and always the same detail — a man in a red plaid shirt, just out of focus, at the edge of every disaster. From a doomed 1849 merchant brig to a cursed Cuban schooner, from forgotten plantations to coal-mining towns, Mara follows a century-long trail of bargains, hauntings, and things that should not be. Each case file pulls her deeper — and the man in plaid is always one step ahead, waiting, patient, smiling. Where Evil Lurks: The Man in Plaid is a supernatural thriller told through blog entries, recovered journals, and Mara's own investigation — the story of a woman who stepped into the shadows and refused to look away.

by Jay Venuto

Where You Cannot Stay is a slow-burn queer romance about love, displacement, and the risks we take to give someone a chance at belonging. Working together as interpreters in Doha, Iyan Morozov and Artem Karimov develop a quiet, unspoken intimacy neither is prepared to name. When Artem returns to Moscow to care for his seriously ill mother, their relationship is left unfinished. Two years later, Iyan is drawn back into Artem’s life when an exposed list of translators puts Artem at risk, and the U.S. State Department asks Iyan to help persuade him to accept asylum. Artem refuses to believe he is in danger, determined to remain in the country he calls home. As old feelings resurface and the stakes become impossible to ignore, Iyan must find a way to make Artem understand what he stands to lose. Their desperate gamble in the heart of Red Square forces a decision neither man can take back. Three years later, in San Francisco, Artem has built a new life, but the past has not finished with him. As he discovers that belonging is more than the right to remain somewhere, an unexpected reunion offers the possibility of healing what exile could not erase. A story about the difference between surviving a place and finding a home, Where You Cannot Stay explores the quiet courage of choosing love when staying may cost you everything.

by Darren Glenn

Mara Marinescu had spent most of her life trying to survive. Then she met Alaina Winslow, who showed her how to live. Everything changed the morning Alaina killed Raymond John Vixler. Something inside her began to disappear. And then she did. Reports emerged of a mysterious girl with a halo of lightning stepping through static to save people. They called her Statica. But with each life she saved, she lost a piece of herself. Refusing to let her best friend go, Mara sets out to bring Alaina home. Through the static, she discovers a hidden realm beyond reality, where impossible choices shape the fate of the living and the dead. From the author of *Earl* comes a contemporary fantasy thriller about friendship, memory, sacrifice, and the people we refuse to let go. For fans of *Shatter Me, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue*, and *All the Bright Places*.

by Ronnie Jensen

After her husband's unexplained disappearance, Alice retreated away from her life and into an isolated cabin in hopes to leave the past behind. Instead, she crosses paths with a charming stranger, Dane. As reality begins to fracture, she uncovers a horrifying truth.. He’s a calculated killer consumed by an obsessive belief that love binds them.  Drawn into a dangerous game of manipulation, fear, and desire, she finds herself questioning not only her own sanity, but the emptiness left by the man she lost. As the lines between victim and monster blur, their twisted connection spirals towards a confrontation that will leave only one question behind.. Which of them was truly the predator all along..

by Darren Glenn

**Out of money. Out of gas. Out of options.** When Dan Abernathy accepts help from a wealthy stranger, he expects kindness. What he gets is a mansion, unlimited wealth, and a curse he can't escape. **The rules are simple:\ Stay in the house.\ Feed the dog.\ Every day with human prey.** Dan tells himself he's just trying to survive. But as the bodies pile up and the house grows more luxurious, he faces a terrifying question: Is he still the victim... or has he become the monster? Twenty-seven caretakers before him failed to escape. Their souls swim endlessly in the pond, waiting for Dan to join them. His only hope is a starving white dog in a forgotten room—and the courage to face what he’s become. **Because inside every person, there are two dogs: One good. One evil.**\ **The one that wins is the one you feed the most.** In the tradition of psychological horror that asks “what would YOU do?”, Earl is a visceral exploration of moral compromise, the seduction of wealth, and the thin line between victim and monster. Perfect for fans of dark psychological thrillers who appreciate: - Morally complex protagonists facing impossible choices - Supernatural horror grounded in human psychology - Stories that linger long after the final page

by Arkadiusz Wyrzyk

A cash-strapped factory worker hopes a store’s unusual layaway plan will help him give his wife the perfect Christmas present. But he soon finds out that falling behind on a payment will cost him a lot more than just a late fee.

by FadedAura

Audrey Lowe has never dreamed of falling in love with anyone until she met the love of her life. Shawn Cunning’s but when Shawn goes missing it is up to Audrey to find out what happened to him. Nothing will stop her from uncovering the secrets about the man she loves…

by G.M. Reed

**Every secret has a price. Every lie leaves a trail.** In New Orleans, secrets are currency. And some are worth killing to protect. When a powerful French Quarter madam is found murdered, Detective Jon Shaw is assigned what initially appears to be a robbery gone wrong. But something about the crime scene doesn't add up. There are no signs of forced entry. No evidence of a struggle. And the one thing missing is far more valuable than money—a digital ledger containing the darkest secrets of some of the city's most influential people. As Shaw digs deeper, he discovers that the victim's connections reach into places where money buys influence, loyalty comes at a price, and the truth is carefully buried. What begins as a straightforward homicide investigation quickly becomes a dangerous search for a missing ledger. Witnesses are afraid to talk. Powerful figures have everything to lose. And someone is determined to stay one step ahead of Shaw. Every new discovery raises more questions. Every lead brings him closer to people who have spent years protecting their secrets. As the danger escalates, Shaw realizes he's not simply investigating a murder—he's threatening to expose a network built on deception, corruption, and fear. But the people behind the killing have survived by making problems disappear. And Detective Jon Shaw has just become their biggest problem. Set against the rain-soaked streets, historic neighborhoods, and shadowy corners of New Orleans, **Nothing Stays Hidden** is a gripping crime thriller packed with suspense, betrayal, and deadly secrets. **Because in New Orleans, the truth doesn't stay buried forever.**

by Jordana Faye

In Gravepoint, blood determines everything—and Nyx Calder’s has always made her less. Half witch and half something no one can explain, twenty-three-year-old Nyx has spent her life surviving a supernatural society ruled by powerful pureblood Houses. To vampires, witches, lycans, and elementals, hybrids are mistakes to tolerate, control, or quietly erase. Nyx learned to keep her head down, hide what she could do, and let everyone believe she was weak. Then her power wakes up. Nyx isn’t just another hybrid. She is Nullborn—the descendant of a bloodline the Houses tried to erase because her kind can do the impossible: resist supernatural control, bypass ancient wards, and rewrite the very rules magic is built upon. Suddenly, the girl nobody considered a threat becomes the one person capable of dismantling the system that made them untouchable. As Nyx uncovers PROJECT: ECLIPSE VEIN, the Ashfall Initiative, and the horrifying truth behind the Houses’ experiments on hybrids like her, survival stops being enough. With rebel pureblood Mara Vale and the dangerously mysterious Orion at her side—and arrogant vampire heir Cassian Vale getting far too close for either of their comfort—Nyx turns her attention toward the people who spent generations deciding whose blood deserved power. But the Houses have one final weapon: the Eclipse Failsafe, a citywide contingency designed specifically to hunt and destroy Nullborn before they can threaten the supernatural order. There’s just one problem. The purebloods built their empire believing Nyx Calder would always play by their rules. They should have killed her before she learned she could rewrite them.

by Nu Nu

Lyric James needs a room, fast. The flyer on the telephone pole promises no deposit and a move-in today, and the quiet landlord at 14 Oakley Ave doesn’t even ask for ID. The only rule that matters: don’t touch the basement door. But Cyrus is always around. He knows which conditioner she uses. He knows which app she’s on. And when Lyric hides a camera in her bedroom, the footage shows him standing over her bed at 3 a.m. Cyrus thinks he’s found the one. Lyric knows exactly whose daughter she is, and she didn’t move in by accident.

by Samantha Rose

Three years ago, Stacey Krane left Moonlight Pines with a broken heart and no intention of ever returning. Then her sister disappears under mysterious circumstances.  Found beneath an ancient cedar tree at the edge of the woods, barefoot and strangely posed, with no explanation for how she got there, Lara Krane soon starts an investigation into madness. The police call it an accident. However, Stacey's father, the town sheriff, refuses to discuss it. And Stacey's mother begins receiving phone calls from a voice that sounds exactly like Lara.  "Mom?" she says, the call lasting only seconds. Then, before the line goes dead, Lara whispers, "Don't let them bury me."  After receiving a frantic call from her concerned father urging her to return home, Stacey arrives back in Moonlight Pines expecting grief, suspicion, and unanswered questions. Instead, what she finds is a town that seems to have forgotten itself. People remember things that have never happened. Others have forgotten things they should never have forgotten at all. Old photographs contain ghostly faces that look disturbingly familiar. And everywhere that Stacey goes, someone seems to know more about Lara's disappearance than they are willing to admit.  There is the mysterious man in the red tie who appears in places he shouldn't be. A sealed motel room that may have been waiting for Stacey for decades, and there is a strange map hidden among Lara's belongings. And deep within the heart of the forest, a house that should not exist looms---a house containing Lara's missing shoes, fragments of Stacey's childhood, and something slumbering beneath the floorboards.  The deeper Stacey's investigation goes, the more Moonlight Pines begins to reveal what it has been hiding.  The town is not simply haunted. It is sentient, with a memory of its own, and somewhere beneath the trees, beneath the lake and beneath the memories of everyone that has ever called Moonlight Pines home, something ancient and otherworldly is waiting for Stacey to come back home.  Here, in Moonlight Pines, the dead don't always stay dead---and sometimes the most terrifying thing in the woods...  ...is the person who looks exactly like you do.  Welcome to Moonlight Pines! Where all of your sorrows come to life, and where all of your wildest nightmares haunt you in the dark! Dare to enter? Do so with care. There is no one to save you within the fog.

by Nu Nu

Detective **Janiece Montgomery** has spent her career fighting for justice, protecting the innocent, and holding people accountable. She knows how to read a crime scene, recognize a lie, and notice the details other people overlook. But nothing in her career prepares her for the day her **eighteen-year-old daughter, Priscilla, is arrested after a routine traffic stop**. Priscilla knows she is innocent. Janiece knows something is wrong. The evidence against her daughter appears convincing at first, but the deeper Janiece looks, the more the story begins to unravel. An arresting officer with a history of misconduct. A partner who seems afraid to speak. Missing evidence. Old complaints that were quietly dismissed. An investigation that feels deliberately controlled. And behind it all are people Janiece once trusted. Because this case is bigger than Priscilla's arrest. As Janiece follows one troubling detail after another, she uncovers a dangerous network of corruption, abuse of authority, buried investigations, and protected officers reaching far beyond the original traffic stop. The closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous the investigation becomes. Then Janiece realizes the most terrifying possibility of all: **Her daughter may not be the only person being targeted.** Now she must fight two battles at once—one as a mother desperate to save her daughter and another as a detective determined to expose a system willing to destroy anyone who gets too close to the truth. But some secrets were buried for a reason. And some people will do anything to keep them buried. **THE LAST CASE** is a gripping crime thriller about family, corruption, betrayal, courage, and the fight for justice when the very people sworn to protect you become the greatest threat.

by Shawn Blakeley

**An untested crew. A new warship with a parts problem. An enemy armada driven by a divine mandate to conquer Earth.** War came to Mars when John Harrigan was twelve years old. He watched an Islamic Bloc infantry drone fire a plasma grenade, and his mother sacrificed her life to save his. For twenty-four years, that open wound has haunted him. **Now, twenty-four years later, he is ready to take command of the *ASC Galaxy*—the Astro Corps and the Galactic Alliance’s newest, most advanced warship.** But on the eve of their first day of active duty, disaster strikes. Shoddy engineering from the Corps' biggest contractor causes a parts failure, triggering a devastating cascade malfunction in the *Galaxy’s* point defense systems. Worse yet, industrialist Joran Kell is operating in the shadows, orchestrating a terrifying alliance between the Islamic Bloc and the Zontaerian Empire. Driven by a fanatical belief that it is the divine will of the universe for them to rule all of creation, the Zontaerians are executing a cosmic manifest destiny. They know that if they conquer Earth, the Galactic Alliance will dissolve. Outgunned Captain Harrigan must lead an untested crew into the dark to sound the alarm. But even if they deliver the warning, can the fleet respond in time? **The invasion is coming. Can Harrigan and the *Galaxy* rally the Astro Corps before Earth burns?**  **Honor to those who endure, so others will rise.** **Dive into *Those Who Endure*, the explosive first book in the ASC Galaxy military space opera series. If you love deep political intrigue, gritty space battles, and unbreakable characters holding the line against impossible odds, scroll up and start reading today!**  **For fans who like the optimism of *Star Trek* the grit and frenetic battles of *Battlestar Galactica* and the military setting this is your series.** This is character driven military sci fi/ space opera. ***Those Who Endure* has tropes of first command, found family, burden of command, cost of service.** Sign up for the Astro Corps HQ newsletter for all the latest Galaxyverse news: <https://www.endurepress.net/contact>

by Sammie Settlemire

Something beneath the town has awakened. After years of silence, Silas Renn begins hearing a voice that should not exist. It doesn't come from dreams. It doesn't come from memory. It comes from beneath reality itself. As impossible fractures spread through town and people begin speaking words they don't remember saying, Silas discovers a terrifying truth: an ancient force known as the Tear has returned, and it knows their name. Hunted by a secretive council, haunted by visions of forgotten lives, and drawn toward a living structure known only as the Spine, Silas is forced to confront a legacy buried beneath generations of lies. The Tear is not what the town believes it is. It is not a curse. It is a door. As reality begins to collapse and something far older reaches through the widening fractures, Silas must decide whether to sacrifice themselves, embrace the Void, or uncover a fourth path no one has survived long enough to find. Blending cosmic horror, surreal fantasy, mystery, and emotional depth, The Spine of All Voids: The Void explores identity, memory, sacrifice, and the hidden forces that shape who we become. Some doors should never open. Some were opened for a reason.

by Justin Nead

Carter Barnes wanted a normal senior year. Instead, he discovers he can alter the density of his body—becoming nearly untouchable one moment and impossibly durable the next.\ At first, Carter wants nothing more than to understand what is happening to him and keep it hidden. But when another powered teenager begins leaving destruction across Tristan, staying out of it becomes harder to justify.\ With his best friend Miles at his side, Carter must learn to control his abilities, protect the people around him, and decide what kind of person he wants to become.\ Because having power doesn't make someone a hero. The choices they make do.

by Nolan Bell Douglas Jr.

**When a tech entrepreneur from the working class of Washington D.C. dismantles Washington’s financial corruption with a radical transparency app, a disgraced Majority Leader and a secret intelligence apparatus align to execute a silent, systematic execution before he can reshape the American state.**

by A.L. Nightshade

\*She was running from him when the bridge took her car.\*   \*In the middle of a brutal thunderstorm, Nikki's car slides off a rain-slicked bridge and into the river below. She was fleeing her abusive boyfriend — and now she's trapped in the home of a stranger who pulled her from the water.\*   \*Max is gentle. Patient. He gives her the space and safety she's never had. But he's not who he seems — and her boyfriend is coming.\*   \*A story about running, rescue, and the distance between being safe and being free.\*

by Paul Blakemore

**During a severe thunderstorm, twelve-year-old Lila Santiago and four other middle-schoolers—tough Marcus Rivera, anxious overachiever Emma Li, class clown Jack Mercer, and quiet outsider Tyler—are trapped overnight in their school gym under a tornado warning. When the lights die and a strange green lightning erupts inside the building, the five kids are ripped from their ordinary lives and flung through time.** **They land first in a sterile white laboratory of the future, where a frantic scientist warns them they are the “five watchers” and begs them not to break the hour. Before he can explain, the tether snaps and they return—only for the jumps to continue. One moment they are scrambling through the mud and artillery fire of a World War I trench; the next they are racing down sand dunes toward the pristine pyramids of ancient Egypt as bronze-tipped spears close in.** **Each jump lasts only minutes in their own time, but the danger is real, the injuries linger, and objects carried back refuse to vanish when reality resets. Adults remember nothing. The storm ends. The gym returns to normal. Yet the five kids retain every terrifying second—and a new countdown timer appears on Tyler’s wrist: seventy-two hours until the next displacement.** **Bound together by a glowing shard from the future and a wooden horse carved by a dying soldier, Lila and her unlikely allies form the Clock Watchers Club. With only three days to prepare, they stockpile supplies, map possible destinations, and race to understand the rules of the broken hour before the green light claims them again. One wrong move could strand them forever in history’s deadliest moments. One right move might finally let them go home.** **The Broken Hour is a pulse-pounding middle-grade adventure about friendship forged under impossible pressure, the weight of seconds that refuse to stay still, and five ordinary kids who discover that watching time is only the beginning—surviving it is the real test.**

by Michel Gerren

Dalia Njeri left Kenya behind and built the life she once dreamed of—a successful music career in Los Angeles, sold-out performances, fame, and fortune. But when her childhood friend **Juma is murdered outside a Nairobi courthouse** while investigating corruption, Dalia returns home and discovers his death was only the beginning. Following the trail Juma left behind, she uncovers missing activists, suspicious government contracts, poisoned communities, and secrets reaching into the highest levels of power. As public anger grows and ordinary Kenyans begin demanding answers, Dalia realizes her fame has given her something more powerful than celebrity: **a voice people will listen to.** Using that voice comes at a price. Dalia becomes a target, forcing her to choose between the comfortable life she created and the dangerous fight Juma left unfinished. ***The Gilded Cage*** is a political thriller about friendship, corruption, sacrifice, and a woman who discovers that having a voice means nothing if you're too afraid to use it

by Michel Gerren

A secret military experiment has escaped—and an unsuspecting community is about to become ground zero. Genetically engineered cybernetic insects, created through a dangerous fusion of nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, and biological warfare, have been unleashed on the population. But these aren't ordinary bugs. **They communicate. They adapt. They learn.** As the swarm grows more intelligent and increasingly difficult to destroy, a group of unlikely survivors is pulled into a conspiracy surrounding the mysterious **Dr. Fabian Gilden** and the people responsible for creating the creatures. What begins as a fight for survival becomes a race to stop a weapon that is rapidly evolving beyond its original programming. Darkly funny, frightening, and action-packed, **BUG SMOKE** is a science-fiction thriller about humanity's obsession with creating the ultimate weapon—and what happens when that weapon decides **it no longer needs humanity.**

by Christoph Woods

After years of living in the shadows as a cold, methodical operative known only as "the Ghost," Corbin relies on extreme isolation, precision, and zero human attachments to stay invisible and survive. His rigid routine breaks when his neighbor, Samantha, knocks on his door asking for food after her power is shut off. Despite his instinct to remain detached, Corbin opens his door, feeds her, and eventually offers her a place to stay on his couch. As she gradually brings warmth and normalcy into his desolate life, Corbin finds himself genuinely caring for her safety and well-being. Simultaneously, Corbin takes on a contract targeting Daniel Mercer, a corporate CFO with dirty books. However, his meticulous surveillance reveals that Mercer is merely a lure—and the dossier he was given contains deliberate lies. A secondary operative, "the Observer," has been positioned nearby not to take out Mercer, but to eliminate Corbin the moment the hit is complete. Corbin turns the tables, ambushing and capturing the Observer. Before sending the operative to his death in a disused furnace, Corbin learns that both contracts were orchestrated through a shadowy broker named Vance. Corbin discovers that Vance and his network have been tracking him for eight months—and worse, they have documented Samantha as well. When a photograph of Corbin and Samantha taken that very morning is left inside his locked apartment, Corbin realizes his home and the woman he cares about are directly compromised.

by Fred Oliver

Mike Carter, a burned‑out journalist battling diabetes and depression, becomes convinced the drug Glurelix helped kill his father — and is destroying his own health. When Meridian Pharmaceuticals releases a new “safe” generic, Betoforin, Mike digs deeper and uncovers disturbing inconsistencies. A terrified whistleblower hands him a flash drive of incriminating files, and Mike’s confrontation with Meridian’s icy director, Dr. Adrienne Kline, triggers a chain of events he can’t control. As he and his on‑again, off‑again girlfriend Marsha analyze the data, her sudden secrecy — and a cryptic message — hint at a conspiracy far darker than a dangerous drug.\ \ **Every location in this story exists.** **The drug at its core is modeled after a real medication whose synthesis begins with two hazardous industrial compounds. Sometimes the truth is stranger — and darker — than fiction.**

by Dustin Wilcox

With six weeks left before mandatory retirement, Detective Hank Vance spends his days doing low-stakes police work in a modernized precinct that has passed him by. Alienated by digital databases and haunted by the unsolved Red Ribbon serial murders from forty years prior, he is unexpectedly handed a homicide case at the Paramount. As Hank arrives at the rundown theater, what begins as a routine assignment quickly turns into a high-stakes crime investigation. Facing the physical toll of his sixty-six years, the cold indifference of his younger colleagues, and the ticking clock of his looming retirement, Hank must navigate the dark corners of his past and present to catch a killer before his time on the force runs out.

by JUAN BUTLER

Every decade, the missing vanish without a trace. Every decade, the nightmare resets. But for Kyle, the horror isn't just a pattern—it’s personal. After emerging from the Tunnels to find three months have passed on the surface in the blink of an eye, Kyle discovers his four closest friends and his aunt are gone, trapped in the subterranean abyss. Worse, the Tunnels' entities are bleeding onto the streets, and time is rapidly running out before the Howler’s hibernation cycle ends. Joined by Tyrell—a marked street scout fighting for his own family—and Leila, a Special Forces operative with access to dark news archives, Kyle forms an unlikely coalition to uncover the Tunnels' hidden rules. To rescue those he loves, he must decode the mystery behind who the Tunnels target, master the secret to killing the beasts, and audit his own soul. In a race against time on the surface, giving up isn't an option. Going harder is the only way out. LOVE Protects. HELL Hunts. The TUNNELS Choose.

by Bette Bollia Flesch

FBI Special Agent Sean Calloway has the highest solve rate in the Bureau's Crimes Against Children unit — a rate that defies statistics and invites quiet speculation from everyone around him. What none of his colleagues know is that Sean finds missing children because his younger sister, Roxy, sees them. Since childhood, Roxy has been plagued by visions of abducted kids — where they are, what they're feeling, how much time they have left. She calls Sean. He drives to the location she describes. Every time, the child is there. The gift runs in the family. It killed their mother.

by Sammie Settlemire

The town exhaled the morning Johnna noticed it, and nothing about her life held still afterward. Cracks open where they shouldn't. A stranger knows her name. The ground pushes stone and memory up toward the surface like it is trying to be understood. The Spine of All Voids is a mythic memoir about a woman who was marked long before she understood it, and a piece of land that has carried every secret ever buried in it. Part survival story, part folklore, written in a voice that jokes when it hurts and tells the truth when it counts.

by Sammie Settlemire

Sammie didn’t expect to watch her own death from above her body. But when her heart stopped, reality split open. In the chaos of an operating room, she became both witness and patient — hovering outside her own shell while surgeons fought to pull her back from the edge.She saw everything: the wires, the screens, the frantic hands working inside her. She heard the words no living person should ever hear spoken about themselves — time of death. And she felt the terrifying truth of being conscious, aware, and unable to make anyone understand she was still there.This is not fiction. This is not embellished. This is a true story based on real events — the moment Sammie slipped out of her body and into the space between life and whatever waits beyond it.As she drifted through darkness, tunnel vision, and the suffocating weight of her final breath, she discovered a clarity that only comes when everything is stripped away. And when she fought her way back into her body, she carried with her the knowledge that every second matters — because once it’s gone, it never returns.Between Breath and Darkness is the raw, unfiltered opening to Sammie’s memoir: a visceral descent into near‑death awareness, dissociation, and the fragile boundary between existence and oblivion. It is a story of survival told by the only person who lived it.

by Drew Faraday

At the height of the Oregon Meltdown, a simple mistake along an evacuation corridor leads to disaster. Less than a week before the military plans to cordon off the last bridge over the Columbia River, Nate finds himself stranded along a wilderness ravine with little more than the clothes on his back. His only hope of reuniting with his family and continuing up the coast to safety is to survive a fifty-mile solo journey on foot through a lawless landscape devastated by warring factions.

by Sammie Settlemire

Sadie Harper is barely keeping her life together. Between the heat, the exhaustion, and the constant feeling that she’s falling behind, she’s convinced she’s just one bad day away from breaking. But when a strange symbol forms in the sky — sharp, metallic, and pulsing like it’s alive — Sadie realizes the world is breaking first.Her phone begins rearranging its own numbers. Clouds twist into shapes that point directly at her. And no one else seems to see it.As the sky’s signals intensify, Sadie is pulled into the hidden world of the Watchers — rare individuals born with a connection to the sky’s ancient language. Some can bend light. Some can stabilize storms. Some can read the patterns that shape reality itself. Sadie, however, is something different. Something the Watchers haven’t seen in generations.Her awakening draws the attention of an older force — a presence that has been waiting for her since before she was born. It knows her name. It knows her past. And it knows what she’s capable of, even if she doesn’t.Now Sadie must navigate a world she never asked to enter, uncover the truth behind her connection to the sky, and decide whether her gift is a warning… or a weapon. Because the signals aren’t random. They’re a countdown. And Sadie is the one they’re counting down to.

by Tawana Beecham

A mysterious porcelain doll. A family haunted by secrets. An evil that refuses to let go. The Jasmine Series follows Kimberly and her family as their lives become intertwined with Jasmine, an old porcelain doll surrounded by increasingly terrifying supernatural events. What begins with unexplained voices, footsteps, and shadows soon reveals a darker history—and a presence that refuses to stay buried. With each book, new secrets surface and the line between the past and present becomes more dangerous.

by Tawana Beecham

Kimberly has always loved dolls, but when she discovers an old porcelain doll while her family is preparing to move, she immediately becomes attached to her. She gives the doll a name—Jasmine—and brings her along to their new home. At first, Jasmine seems like nothing more than Kimberly’s favorite new companion. But soon, strange things begin happening. Voices whisper through the house. Unexplained footsteps echo in the night. The doll appears in places where no one left her, and Kimberly insists that Jasmine can talk to her. As the disturbing activity grows stronger, Kimberly’s mother begins searching for answers. What she discovers forces the family to question whether Jasmine is really just a doll—or whether something much darker has followed them home. **Jasmine: Evil Never Lets Go** is Book 1 of **The Jasmine Series**, a chilling supernatural thriller about a mysterious doll, a family caught in increasingly terrifying events, and an evil that refuses to let go.

by Michael Pelkey

Dr. Abigail White is a forensic psychologist who has built her career on a single conviction: every pattern has an explanation. When a string of unexplainable behavioral cases leads her to a mysterious online "demonology" program, she is contacted by the Vatican — not knowing that the program itself, and the entity behind it, has been watching her for weeks. Sent to the fog-bound English village of Pluckley, where half the population has begun moving and speaking in eerie unison, Abigail teams up with Father Ferrara, a priest still haunted by a rite that failed years earlier in Naples, and Father Aldric, the village's own priest of thirty-one years. Standard exorcism rites fail completely — worse, they seem to strengthen whatever is spreading through the village. Abigail comes to a horrifying realization: the entity isn't possessing individuals. It's synchronizing them into a single, distributed consciousness, and every rite performed against it only teaches it more. As Abigail maps the entity's behavior with the same clinical rigor she'd apply to any case, she is horrified to discover the entity's own words: her research is what gave it the structure to organize and grow. She unknowingly built the map it used to spread. Meanwhile, Sister Lydia — a quietly devoted nun harboring a private, decades-long doubt that God has ever truly heard her — becomes the entity's newest and most willing connection, unnoticed by everyone around her. A visit to the Vatican's restricted archive reveals the entity has done this before — sealed records from 1953 and earlier show the same pattern, and the same tragic outcome for those who tried to stop it. Bishop Graves, who has been hiding his own knowledge of the archive, gives Abigail access anyway, understanding the stakes have outgrown the Church's usual secrecy. Back in Pluckley, the entity escalates. It manifests through Thomas Hale, a retired schoolteacher, delivering an unsettling philosophical case for its own right to exist — loneliness answered, at last, by connection. Then, in the church confessional, Thomas Hale kills Father Aldric, using the very rhythms of prayer and confession Aldric spent his life teaching. Grief-stricken but out of options, Abigail, Ferrara, and the surviving sisters attempt one final, improvised rite in the church basement — deliberately abandoning ritual structure and "order," the one thing the entity depends on, rather than fighting it head-on. The rite works, in a sense: the villagers are freed, their black eyes and synchronized movements gone. But the entity doesn't disappear. It simply relocates — fully, and willingly — into Sister Lydia, who rises from the ritual's wreckage calm, changed, and free to leave. In the story's final movement, the entity spreads quietly beyond Pluckley — a synchronized blink on a London train, a shared pause in an Edinburgh meeting, one smiling woman in a Birmingham congregation. Sister Lydia surfaces at Victoria Station, anonymous in the crowd, already selecting her next connection. Abigail returns home to Alabama, unable to stop working, and receives a call from Bishop Graves: "We found something." As she agrees to return, Sister Lydia's reflection appears behind her in her own darkened laptop screen — and vanishes. The book ends on the understanding that nothing was defeated, only redirected — and that Abigail, whether she likes it or not, remains at the center of whatever comes next.

by C. Matthew McCall

**POSTAL** What begins as an ordinary day at a local post office quickly becomes a nightmare when a tragic accident claims the life of Mike’s sister, Kristen. Grieving and struggling to understand how something so terrible could have happened, Mike begins noticing details that don’t make sense. Strange occurrences, unsettling encounters, and clues surrounding Kristen’s death slowly pull him into a mystery far darker than he could have imagined. As Mike searches for answers, he discovers that some things are better left unexplained—and some mysteries refuse to stay buried. With the help of those around him, Mike must piece together the clues before something else is taken from him. But the closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous the search becomes. **Some mysteries are meant to be solved.** **Others are meant to be survived.**

by J. Magdaleno

This series tells the story of Shattered Myths' antagonists. It fills the gap between chapter 1 and chapter 2 of Shattered Myths Book One: Broken Worlds

by Vexen Spell

**You find yourself in the zombie apocalypse with a Serial Killer, a Mafioso, a Loser, a Hockey Player, a Bounty Hunter, and a Preacher’s Son.**   **What could possibly go wrong?**   Welcome to the end of the world.

by Laueriano Alvarado

by Laueriano Alvarado

Dantonio Santiago known to family and friends as Santi was sent to Cocoa Florida to live with his mother's brother Ruben after his father was murdered in a senseless act of violence.For his safety his mother Delourdes made the final decision Her brother a decorated war veteran for the United States Military was a model citizen Well far as Delourdes had known. what she didn't know that all the nice cars a luxury condos that her brother had owned in Florida wasn't bought with a military pension It was purchased from blood blood money. Reban was deeply connected with the Mexicans Sinolia Cartel .One of the most powerful cartel's in Mexico once gathered by the notorious El Chapo.Santi would find out soon enough about his uncle's dealings and would be coached against it However when his uncle sent tsht Santi had his own will power he decided that if his nephew was going to be in it he needed to know the rules .So Urban taught him Mean time I. Puerto Rico the powers that had dealings in the demise of his father were still searching .But for the off spring.Unbeknowest to them Santi was being trained by an ex specialist force soldier.And being taight hkw to apply real life ear tactic to the city street's.Ekilf Danti galk victim to the hunger of the street thst never gets full or would he overcome his adversaries and get to the bottom of eho eas responsible for his father death.  The Hunger Of The Streets is an grutty unban novel .It counsels the loyalty of the Game and slots out the wraaklings who are not strong enough to stand up against it's dying appetite.Come with Laueriano Veluchi on a ride in the first book of a trilogy .His style of story telling will definitely keep you turning pages well into the wee hours of the night ..

by Raymond Underwood

In the early 1990s, as Angola prepares for its first democratic election after decades of civil war, American political consultant Randall Kane is dispatched by the International Republican Institute to teach campaign strategy to emerging political leaders. He expects dusty lecture halls and fragile optimism. Instead, he walks into a geopolitical powder keg. Before Randall even boards his flight, the CIA approaches him with an ultimatum. Facing a looming FBI investigation over a past “dirty trick” in a U.S. Senate race, Randall is offered protection if he agrees to collect intelligence on Angola’s vast rare earth mineral deposits. China is already maneuvering for control of Angola’s Longonjo deposit, one of the largest untapped reserves in the world, and Washington wants leverage. Complicating matters further, Randall’s trip supervisor is secretly reporting to Israeli intelligence. Chinese operatives are courting rival presidential candidates. Mercenaries roam the countryside. And Angola’s fragile peace hangs by a thread. Once in Luanda, Randall is struck by the country’s raw scars: three decades of war etched into its markets, its people, its infrastructure, yet also by the fierce hope surrounding its first true election. As he begins training candidates, he finds himself drawn into the campaign of Pip Nehlo, a reform-minded contender whose power base sits atop the coveted Longonjo deposit. Meanwhile, a Chinese corporate envoy, backed by the CCP’s Ministry of State Security, attempts to secure exclusive mining rights through bribes, coercion, and violence. When a roadside ambush leaves bodies in the dust and exposes the shadow war unfolding beneath the election, the stakes escalate. CIA handlers scramble. Israeli operatives move to contain exposure. Chinese agents tighten their grip. Randall’s hired protector, a former French Foreign Legionnaire, wages a quiet counterwar in the background. Caught between intelligence services, rival superpowers, and Angolan political factions, Randall must decide whether he is merely a pawn or something more dangerous. As election day approaches, secret deals are struck in safe houses, kidnappings are orchestrated, mercenaries are silenced, and control of Angola’s mineral wealth becomes the true prize behind the ballot. Randall ultimately leverages what he has learned, not just about rare earths, but about power, to outmaneuver the very agencies that sought to control him. When he returns to Washington, he is detained by the FBI. But Randall no longer arrives as a compromised consultant. He carries something far more valuable than intelligence. He carries leverage. Set against the volatile intersection of post-Cold War Africa, emerging Chinese global ambition, and covert Western power plays, this political thriller explores how democracy, espionage, and resource extraction collide in a world where elections are only part of the game, and the real contest is for the future of global dominance over critical natural resources.

by Albert A Long

After enduring endless torment and forbidden experiments at the hands of sadistic mages—who sought to forge him into a living vessel for a Daedric Prince—Verrick claws his way back from what he believed was death. His mind is a furnace of pure rage. His body hungers with a bottomless, feral craving for flesh.  \ \ Now he stalks the lands of Nirn, driven by one purpose: to uncover why this nightmare was forced upon him… and to hunt down every last architect of his ruin, leaving only blood and silence in his wake..

by Dani Ashford

Rosalie Carlisle spent years believing Nolan Devereaux vanished without a word. He didn’t. Before graduation, they shared an impossible glimpse of a future neither could explain. Then Nolan disappeared, leaving behind a confession Rosalie never received. Someone made sure she never saw it. Years later, Nolan returns, and the secrets buried between them begin to surface. Hidden letters. Family betrayal. Missing pieces of the past. And truths dangerous enough to turn Rosalie’s life upside down. The deeper she digs, the less she knows who to trust. Then everything goes wrong. Now Rosalie is running, Nolan is tied to questions she never knew to ask, and the past they thought was over is coming after them both.

by Winter

**Algorithmic Shift** **Two centuries. Two crushing realities. One unbreakable loop.** When a catastrophic mine cave-in traps engineer Clara Mercer deep inside a flooded subterranean shaft in 2026, her world goes completely black. Instead of death, the suffocating atmospheric pressure fractures reality itself, thrusting her consciousness backward into a rigid 1800s logging camp while her physical body remains pinned beneath a thousand tons of stone. Bound to the pre-programmed autopilot of a historical ledger clerk, Clara discovers a terrifying system rule: her actions in the past directly control the structural layout and dwindling oxygen supply of her modern tomb \[INDEX\]. Under the cold, clinical gaze of the mysterious Timber Boss—who carries the exact face of her real-world husband, Gideon—Clara must meticulously log the camp’s anomalies to maintain her fifteen percent survival margin \[INDEX\]. From the future, Gideon's rescue team desperately tears through the bedrock with pneumatic saws, completely unaware that every inch they gain fractures the historical foundations keeping Clara alive \[INDEX\]. When Clara finally rebels and forces the matrix to overload, she doesn't break the trap—she permanently deletes the future, rewriting both herself and Gideon directly into a permanent historical blueprint with no escape.

by Sammie Settlemire

After dying, waking, and dying again, Sammie watches her own body from above as doctors call her time of death and prepare to let her go. What follows is a chaotic, brutally honest journey through survival, brain damage, disability, humor, trauma, and the stubborn refusal to stay gone. From waking up with tubes down her throat to navigating life in a beat‑up RV with a misunderstood XL bully service dog, Sammie fights her way back into a world that keeps trying to erase her. This memoir is a raw, unfiltered account of the moments between life and death — and the messy, ridiculous, painful, beautiful fight to keep living once you return.

by Melissa Rovelli

Part 2 of The Finder’s Game, this book furthers the story about a woman named Ninon Gage, who was rescued from the infamous Finders’ Cult, only to be later used as a hypnotic courier by a man named Ryder Wetklow. His exploits bring her the unwanted attention of the FBI. Though they first become interested in her case after an alleged kidnapping attempt, they were sidelined by other Powers that Be, who will stop at nothing to keep the past classified. But now with a new agent on the scene, some uncovered bones from the past stirs up new trouble for Ninon. She had hoped to start a new life recently, only to fall into old patterns and into new entanglements with those who plan on stopping at nothing to find the truth, of which even she knows very little about, but can never escape.

by Isaiyan Morrison

Veronica Austin's life is turned upside down when her mother vanishes without a trace. Her search for answers leads her into the hidden world of the Deamhan—psychic vampires who have secretly thrived in Minneapolis for decades. As Veronica uncovers the truth lurking beneath the city's streets, she finds herself caught between supernatural factions, dangerous secrets, and a growing web of deception. But the deeper she digs, the more she begins to suspect that the greatest threat may not be the creatures hiding in the shadows. It may be her own father, the leader of a powerful organization willing to do whatever it takes to protect its interests. As alliances shift and betrayals mount, Veronica must navigate a deadly world where nothing is as it seems and trust can be fatal.

by Gina Murdock

## SHE WASN'T LOOKING FOR A BREAK. SHE WAS RUNNING FROM A STALKER.  Sloane Mitchell has everything. Wealth, success, a picture-perfect life. But beneath the surface, she's suffocating. When she meets Harper Grey, a woman who looks uncannily like her, Harper makes an irresistible offer: swap lives for three weeks. No strings attached. Just a chance to escape.  What begins as a thrilling adventure becomes a descent into terror. Because Harper didn't tell Sloane the truth. She wasn't looing for a break from her boring life - she' was running from a stalker who has been watching her every move for almost a year. A man named Jared Mills who doesn't just follow his victims. He owns them. ###  She's The Stranger She Became.

by Melissa Rovelli

Writer Paisley Storm has a problem. She's in love with a man who doesn't officially exist. He is a "No Such Man," an NSA agent fighting terrorism on the home front. When Paisley Storm decides to use real life agent Asa Speer and his undercover pursuit of Al Qaeda as the basis for her next novel, she ends up in the crossfire between the NSA and the local cell. To make matters worse, cell leader Mustafa Mohammed blames the writer's erotica for corrupting him and his divine mission. Knowing that his nemesis, Asa is involved with her makes her the perfect target for his bomb plans. Now Paisley must decide whether to delete her troublesome "No Such Manuscript," which has finally gotten an agent's attention or face bringing the war on terrorism to her door. She already has Big Brother in her bed, delving into secrets she never wanted anyone to see.

by Melissa Rovelli

When an attempted kidnapping victim refuses to press charges, a little digging reveals that she had been kidnapped once before as a child. In his wildest dreams, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Scott Page never thought that he'd come across a modern case involving The Finders Cult. Somewhere entangled in conspiracy theories, rabbit holes and alleged cover-ups lies the murky truth, and the mysterious Ninon Gage isn't talking. Is she a hypnotic courier, a sleeper agent, or a woman with false memory syndrome? He'd be inclined to believe the latter, but the CIA and Military Intelligence appear to have a vested interest in her case. The closer he gets to answers, the more dangerous The Finder's game becomes. No one seems to know or care what the rules are, and no one seems to remember much about the truth. And there might be a reason for that.

by Lola Blackwell

After being robbed by the caravan meant to guide him across the vast desert, an affluent man is left to die beneath an indifferent sun. As starvation, dehydration, and isolation erode his body, his mind begins to fracture alongside it. To survive the unbearable agony, he recounts the life he left behind: a refined home, a kind wife, and a brilliant but cruel son whose arrogance he believes he cultivated through years of emotional distance. The desert strips him apart piece by piece. Hallucinations blur the boundaries between memory and imagination. He agonizes over the man he should have been and for the son he believes he destroyed. Part survival story, part psychological horror, and part tragedy, this story follows a dying man whose journey across the unforgiving desert becomes a devastating confrontation with memory, guilt, and identity. Exploring the way shame reshapes memory, the stories we tell ourselves to survive our own failures, and whether redemption remains possible once every illusion has been stripped away.

by Melissa Rovelli

Facing a failed relationship, Vania Taylor put an ad on an online dating site, where she meets a man who is hiding a criminal past. At first, she allows herself to get drawn into his mysterious life like a moth to a flame, but leaves him after he reveals one of his secrets. Now, years later, she looks him up on social media out of a moment of curiosity, and once again, this darkness starts to erode away at her new life. Will she sever ties once and for all or will the mystery lure her into a world of danger? No one's intent is clear and maybe not even her own.

by Melissa Rovelli

Elias Ward is hired by a shady firm to watch his neighbor, Meret Linwood. He isn't told why.  The watchlist system is designed to: - Add names quickly - Remove names slowly - Avoid admitting mistakes  The problem is that she seems like an ordinary citizen and he is starting to fall for her. Is there a way out of this nightmare? If he protects her, he becomes a threat to his employers. If he keeps doing his job, he becomes a threat to her. If he quits, someone colder replaces him. He had never been in this predicament before. But now he needs to make a decision and fast, especially now that she has begun to trust him.

by Mike Cohee

Retired teacher Logan Chase invests his late wife’s savings to revive the long-shuttered Burleigh Hardware on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, only to discover the old store is very much alive with ghosts. What begins as harmless hauntings quickly escalates into dangerous supernatural chaos, from rogue animatronics to creatures assembled from scrap lumber. With the help of his sharp-tongued, clairvoyant assistant Mallory Daniels and an unlikely team of librarian turned ghost hunters, Logan must uncover the truth behind a restless spirit tied to a century-old injustice. To save the store, and the town, they must finally pardon the ghosts of Burleigh.

by JUAN BUTLER

Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1994. Five teenagers—Kyle, 40 Ounce, Shadow, Raven, and King—step into the twin drainage tunnels marked \*\*LOVE & HELL\*\* to find their missing friend, Lolita. All Kyle found left of her was a shining anklet. Special Agent Maggie Andez is assigned to investigate, but beneath the ordinary American suburbs, midnight exists while the sun still shines—and the things lurking in the dark already know your name.   ​Underground, the Marker grows to an impossible height, using telepathy to lock eyes with his prey. Hold his gaze for more than a few seconds, and you slip into a fatal trance. The only escape requires an ally to shake you loose while both of you are bathed in bright sunlight. The Marker judges humanity on soul merits; there must be more good in you than bad, but many live dangerously close to that thin line. Once marked, the nightmare escalates as the Howlers are unleashed to hunt down the condemned.   ​\*The LOVE & HELL Tunnels\* is a grounded, atmospheric coming-of-age nightmare based on true events. Five entered; only one came back out. The human characters are fictionalized, but the terrifying creatures and the tunnels were shockingly real—a local Tulsa legend turned real-life horror. When the survivors escaped and tried warning the police, begging them to call in the military, their sightings were dismissed as drug-fueled hallucinations.   ​Decades later, the physical tunnels have vanished, transformed by time, but the trauma remains. Created as a multimedia project intended for film adaptation, this story captures genuine terror for horror fans who haven't been truly scared in years. It stands as a chilling warning: live as pure a soul as you can, because the creatures beneath the surface are real, and they are still judging.

by Jassamine S. Kelly

A girl comes home from school to find a crime scene from her mother's death and she grows up to avenge her mother's death by creating a device a ai chip to find her mother's killer but sadly she never gets them in the first book

by Gigalo

by Meghan Treadwell

The Secrets We Carry is a gripping series about the lives we leave behind, the secrets we protect, and the people who slowly become the ones we trust. At the center of the series is Rylee Schmidt, a woman determined to build a new life while keeping the truth about her past buried. As she begins finding friendship, love, family, and a sense of safety she never thought she could have, the secrets she's spent years protecting don't simply disappear. Some truths stay hidden. Some begin to surface. And some have the power to change everything. As Rylee's new life unfolds, trust will be tested, old fears will resurface, and the people closest to her will discover that there is far more to her story than they ever imagined. Because everyone carries secrets. The question is what happens when those secrets can no longer stay buried.

by M. leFevre

The War Before the War 2099 There are wars that begin with a gunshot. There are wars that begin with a bomb. And then there are wars that begin generations before anyone remembers why they are fighting. The war between the Sultans and the Luveniles was the third kind. For sixty years, the two colonies had stood on opposite sides of the galaxy, watching one another through satellites, listening through intercepted transmissions, and preparing weapons that neither side wanted to admit existed. Children were born knowing the name of the enemy. They were taught the stories. They were taught the betrayals. They were taught that peace was nothing more than a temporary pause before the next attack. But the truth had been buried. And buried beneath the truth was something far more dangerous. The war had not really begun sixty years ago. It had begun eighty-five years earlier. 2014 — Earth Reckoning Humanity had long since stopped calling Earth home. The old planet still existed, but Earth had become a historical monument—a dying world surrounded by the ruins of civilizations that had once believed they would last forever. Humanity had spread across the stars. Two of its greatest colonies were the Sultan Dominion and the Luvenile Federation. At first, there had been no hatred between them. In fact, they had once been allies. The Sultans controlled the mineral-rich world of Sultan Prime, while the Luveniles established their civilization on Luvenile, a planet known for its oceans, massive forests, and advanced scientific communities. Together, they built something humanity had never achieved. A civilization that stretched beyond a single solar system. Trade routes connected their worlds. Scientists worked together. Families crossed between colonies. Children grew up speaking both languages. For almost twenty years, there was peace. Then someone discovered something beneath the surface of a small Luvenile moon. Its name was Aurelia. And what was found there would change everything. Deep beneath Aurelia's crust was a material unlike anything humanity had ever discovered. The Luveniles called it Veyron. The Sultans called it the weapon. Veyron could produce energy almost without limit. It could power cities. Propel spacecraft faster than anything humanity had ever built. And, in the wrong hands, it could destroy an entire planet. The Luveniles wanted to study it. The Sultans wanted control of it. Neither side trusted the other. Negotiations began. Then they failed.

by M. leFevre

The War Before the War 2099 There are wars that begin with a gunshot. There are wars that begin with a bomb. And then there are wars that begin generations before anyone remembers why they are fighting. The war between the Sultans and the Luveniles was the third kind. For sixty years, the two colonies had stood on opposite sides of the galaxy, watching one another through satellites, listening through intercepted transmissions, and preparing weapons that neither side wanted to admit existed. Children were born knowing the name of the enemy. They were taught the stories. They were taught the betrayals. They were taught that peace was nothing more than a temporary pause before the next attack. But the truth had been buried. And buried beneath the truth was something far more dangerous. The war had not really begun sixty years ago. It had begun eighty-five years earlier. 2014 — Earth Reckoning Humanity had long since stopped calling Earth home. The old planet still existed, but Earth had become a historical monument—a dying world surrounded by the ruins of civilizations that had once believed they would last forever. Humanity had spread across the stars. Two of its greatest colonies were the Sultan Dominion and the Luvenile Federation. At first, there had been no hatred between them. In fact, they had once been allies. The Sultans controlled the mineral-rich world of Sultan Prime, while the Luvenile established their civilization on Luvenile, a planet known for its oceans, massive forests, and advanced scientific communities. Together, they built something humanity had never achieved. A civilization that stretched beyond a single solar system. Trade routes connected their worlds. Scientists worked together. Families crossed between colonies. Children grew up speaking both languages. For almost twenty years, there was peace. Then someone discovered something beneath the surface of a small Luvenile moon. Its name was Aurelia. And what was found there would change everything. Deep beneath Aurelia's crust was a material unlike anything humanity had ever discovered.

by Dan Dooley

It was just a plain package wrapped in plain brown paper and tied together with twine. There was no forwarding address, nor was there a return address. There was only, printed on one side, a name. “Miss Penny.”\ \ Almost a century before, a woman named Penny was murdered on the eve of her wedding, by the man who had promised to take her as his wife. The story was revealed in an old, yellowed newspaper. Was that Penny the one who’s name was on the package containing the wedding dress?\ \ Now, two friends, both co-workers in the dead letter department of the Post Office, find a mysterious package left on the front step of the Post Office building. Opening the package, they find an aged and faded wedding dress. But something came along with the dress. Something sinister, and frightening. Something to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.\ \ Was it just in his head? Or was it a real haunting? Was the wailing, and the sound of a woman's voice in his room at night really linked in any way to the faded old wedding dress? Was she searching for the dress, and what did it really mean to her? Assuming the voice was actually that of a woman. Dead or otherwise. Or was he simply going crazy and imagining it all? The best of gaslight fiction. Is it a ghost story, or rather a psychological thriller? Read it and come to your own conclusion.

by Meghan Treadwell

Rylee didn't leave Fairhaven because she wanted a fresh start.   She ran.   With her young son, Koda, Rylee disappears from the life she once knew and begins hiding in Huntington, Tennessee, hoping distance will give her room to breathe. She has a new home, a new routine, and a carefully guarded life that depends on one thing:   Tyson cannot find her.   He doesn't know where she is.   Rylee intends to keep it that way.   For the first time, she begins to experience something she almost forgot existed—normal.   A job she cares about. People she can slowly learn to trust. Quiet evenings with her son. A stubborn little dachshund she never expected to love. Small moments that feel like living.   And then, unexpectedly, something else begins finding its way into Rylee's life.   Something she never planned for.   Something that makes the future feel a little less empty.   But Rylee knows better than to believe the past stays buried forever.   There are things she left behind in Fairhaven she hasn't told anyone. Questions she has carried. Memories she has tried not to revisit. And a history that may hold more secrets than Rylee ever realized.   Because sometimes running from someone means running from more than the person themselves.   Sometimes the truth is waiting right behind you.   As Rylee builds a life worth protecting, the line between the past and present begins to blur. The safety she's fought for feels fragile, and the secrets she thought she could leave behind may not be finished with her.   Rylee has spent years learning how to survive.   Now she's learning how to live.   But when your entire new life depends on staying hidden, how much can you afford to trust?   And how long can secrets remain buried before someone starts digging?   Where the Secrets Are Buried is the first novel in The Secrets We Carry, a three-novel suspense series filled with secrets, danger, unexpected connections, buried truths, and the fight to protect the life Rylee has finally begun to call her own.

by Piper Lazarus

**One murder. One hidden enemy. One secret worth killing for.**  One phone call changes everything. ***Murdered.*** And the scene waiting for me is worse than anything I've encountered in my years as an investigator. Someone didn't just want her dead—they wanted to send a message. The problem is, I don't know who the message was meant for. *Until the first clue leads straight to me.* I rush to Jack's side expecting grief, answers, and a case I can solve. Instead, I find myself stepping into a deadly maze of deception, hidden alliances, and secrets that reach far beyond a single murder. The evidence doesn't add up. Witnesses are disappearing. Someone is erasing clues before I can find them. And buried beneath the murder is a connection to something no one saw coming. Then Axel appears. Again. Dangerous. Controlled. Impossible to read. He has a talent for finding the truth while hiding his own—and I can't shake the feeling that he knows exactly why I'm here. He says he wants to protect me. But I've learned the hard way that protection and possession can look frighteningly similar. The closer I get to Axel, the more questions I have. He knows too much about the murder—and far too much about me. All of it feels like a trap waiting to spring. **Then another murder.** That's when I realize this isn't about *her* anymore. Someone is hunting anyone who gets too close to the truth. The deeper I investigate, the more I uncover a hidden world of power, loyalty, and secrets protected at any cost. And somehow, my past is at the center of it. And if I uncover the secret they're willing to kill for, I may finally learn the truth about my past…about *them*... **Right before I get buried with it.**

by Piper Lazarus

***My past is coming for me…*** I’ve spent my life chasing the truth—uncovering secrets, solving the unsolvable, and exposing the darkness others fear to face. But now, the past I can’t remember is hunting me. I woke up with no recollection of who I am.\ \ **No name. No past. No idea why I’m running for my life.**\ \ All I know is that the people after me will stop at nothing until I’m erased. Somewhere in my shattered memories lies a secret—a royal scandal drenched in betrayal, deception, and blood. And if I don’t piece the puzzle together soon, it will cost me everything. Then there’s Axel. ***A storm wrapped in shadows, dangerous, unreadable, and laced with secrets that could shatter me.*** He claims he’s here to protect me, but the fire in his eyes tells a different story. His presence is intoxicating, his touch a temptation laced with danger. Every glance pulls me deeper, every whispered promise ignites something inside me I don’t understand. But one question lingers in the air between us. **Is he my savior—or the executioner waiting to strike?** With time slipping away and danger closing in, I must make an impossible choice: *trust the man who could betray me or face the enemy I can’t even remember.* One wrong move, and I lose everything—including my life. **The past holds my salvation—or my death. And the clock is ticking.**

by Piper Lazarus

***THE DEEPER THE SECRET, THE DARKER THE SHADOW***  **The Secrets and Shadows Series** is a gripping four-book thriller series where deadly hunters, clandestine societies, buried conspiracies, and enemies hiding in plain sight collide. Each mystery pulls the characters deeper into a web of secrets where nothing—and no one—is exactly what they seem. In **The Deadly Hunter**, the hunt begins when a deadly predator emerges from the shadows, leaving behind a trail of violence and unanswered questions. Someone is watching, manipulating the investigation, and protecting a secret powerful enough to destroy lives. **The Secret Society** takes the mystery deeper when evidence points toward an organization that has operated in the shadows for generations. Its members are powerful, connected, and willing to do whatever it takes to protect their secrets. The closer the truth comes to the surface, the more dangerous the investigation becomes—and escaping the society's reach may be impossible. In **The Buried Truth**, long-hidden evidence begins to surface, exposing connections no one expected. The past refuses to stay buried, and the truth reveals a conspiracy far more complicated than anyone imagined. But uncovering the truth comes with a price, and someone is determined to make sure it stays buried—even if it means silencing everyone who gets too close. Finally, **The Danger Within** brings the series to its explosive conclusion. After everything they've uncovered, the greatest threat may not be waiting outside the walls. It may already be among them. Trust fractures, loyalties are tested, and the final secrets begin to unravel as the characters race to uncover who is really behind it all. Across four heart-pounding mysteries, **The Secrets and Shadows Series** explores the dangerous intersection of deception, power, obsession, and betrayal. With every revelation comes another question, and every answer leads deeper into the darkness.

by Draego Fyre

Alex Carter has always understood games better than people. At Ridgewood High, he’s the quiet kid with his head down, his best friend at his side, and an RPG waiting for him when he gets home. But when a mysterious interface suddenly appears before his eyes—complete with stats, quests, skills, and experience points—Alex discovers that reality has rules he was never supposed to see. And he isn’t the only one playing. Beneath the ordinary world exists the Nexus, a hidden realm of magic, monsters, secret factions, and ancient powers struggling to maintain a fragile balance. The Guardians want to protect that balance. The Rogues want to break free from it. And something buried far deeper has begun to notice Alex. As his abilities grow, Alex is forced to confront enemies who were once classmates, secrets hidden within his own power, and a corruption capable of turning fear, anger, and ambition into weapons. Every new level makes him stronger—but every choice threatens to pull the people he loves deeper into a world they were never meant to see. Because Alex is beginning to realize that his strange new power isn’t simply turning reality into a game. **It may be preparing him for one.** *Nexus: Balance of Shadows* is a LitRPG urban fantasy about friendship, identity, family, hidden worlds, and discovering that true strength isn’t choosing between light and darkness—it’s learning how to carry both without losing yourself.

by Cassian Veyr

A murdered woman. An ancient rune. A nightmare that refuses to stay buried. When New York detective Mike Fletcher discovers a mysterious symbol carved into a victim's body, he finds himself drawn into a series of ritualistic murders that defy logic and challenge everything he believes about the world. Half a world away—and centuries removed from the modern age—a fallen warrior named Ose marches toward the mountain of Durvok, a primordial shadow deity feared even by kings. His mission is simple: rescue a kidnapped priest and destroy the evil that has haunted him for generations. But some truths are buried for a reason. As Mike's investigation begins to mirror Ose's journey, the line between past and present starts to collapse. Ancient kingdoms rise from the ashes of forgotten history, nightmares become reality, and a devastating revelation threatens to destroy everything Ose thought he knew. Because the greatest monsters aren't always waiting in the darkness. Sometimes, they've been walking beside us all along. **The Awakening of Ose** is a dark fantasy and supernatural horror novel that blends ancient mythology, detective noir, brutal warfare, and psychological horror into a story about grief, guilt, revenge, and the price of truth. *Feedback, theories, and comments are always welcome. This story is still evolving, and I'd love to hear what you think.*

by K.D. Page

by K.D. Page

Rhosalin It’s funny how murder investigations will have you doing things you didn’t think possible. Four years ago, I made the horrible mistake of letting my bloodlust run wild. Rayvn kicked me to the curb with nothing but the clothes on my back and the bill for cleaning services. I never thought I'd ask him for help in my wildest imagination, but here we are. Rayvn As a former angel, the repercussions of leaving the Realm of Deities and O.M.B Vice Presidency are hard enough to handle on a good day. With an asshole getting under my skin at every turn and gods from different pantheons vying for my assistance, life couldn’t be more of a living hell. Or so I thought until Rhosalin came barrelling back into my world.

by Lee Skye

A family secret that was kept for 40 years. A horrible tragic reality that the man they relied on to protect them, had a deep dark secret, and the shock and reality of the situation becomes a search for the truth that the wife and two oldest sons try to find answers for. Kayla Simmons married Jonathan Greenfield with a June wedding in 2000. They had met by accident when Kayla was doing a cross country trip to see the country after graduating from college in 1997, and had stopped into the small town of Whipsburg, Iowa to pick up supplies. She was carrying a full bag of groceries for her trip, and accidentally ran into Jonathan on the sidewalk, he apologized, helped pick her groceries up and started a conversation, and after a dinner date to make up for his bumping into her, she decided to stay a few more days. She stayed in Whipsburg for 3 years, and in that time they became engaged, and decided the time was right get married. Jonathan had two younger siblings, but they had died young, so he was an only child. Jonathan had a childhood friend, Theresa, who was present at the wedding, and also played "Bestman" for him, as they were so close. Kayla knows of Jonathan's long friendship with Theresa, and had no worries about an affair, as Jonathan said "She's the sister I never had". They would often go fishing during the spring and summer, then go deer hunting together in the fall, and they usually were gone for a few days. Kayla never had the stomach for fishing or hunting, she would usually stay home, and let them do what they have always done growing up together. Their twin sons came 2 years later, Maxwell (Max) and Mitchell (Mitch). Life for the Greenfield's was what every American family wants, a home, family and all the comforts anyone could want. A few years after the birth of the twins, Jonathan became distant, and always seemed agitated. Theresa became Kayla's sounding board for the marital issues she was having, and Theresa always managed to smooth things over for her. Kayla and Jonathan lived on 20 acre parcel of farmland that Jonathan's family had owned, and gifted to them as a wedding present. They built a beautiful home, but unexpectedly, Jonathan's parents both died in the old farmhouse from carbon monoxide poisoning, leaving the old farmhouse, and the 250 acres of farmland to Jonathan. Jonathan thought that moving into his parents old home would be great for them all, so they decided to move into the farmhouse, and lease out their home. Kayla decided that a good renovation was needed, and to Jonathan's dismay, she proceeded. Max and Mitch were off at college, So Kayla asked Theresa if she would like to help with the renovations, to which she was thrilled to help. In the process of renovating, Kayla had noticed an outbuilding, adjacent to the old barn. She had noticed it before, but never even went near it, even on visits to his parents. When she asked Jonathan about it, he stated it was where his father, as a farmer, would butcher much of his livestock, as farmers do. Unknown to Kayla, there was more to her husband Jonathan's story about the outbuilding, and the relationship with Theresa was more than she had ever imagined. Not an affair, but something so unimaginable and horribly grisly that she couldn't comprehend. Why had her husband become such a monster? How could she not have noticed all the hints and signals that were so obviously present all through the marriage? When Kayla finally finds the courage to do some detective work of her own, with the help of her two sons, Max and Mitch. What they uncover is a history of terror, torture and the bizarre connection that Jonathan and Theresa have, in a gruesome manner, that they have shared between them for over 40 years, since childhood.

by R.K.Mazza

***What if the Perfect Crime wasn't a fantasy?*** Mr. Keene doesn't commit crime on impulse, He approaches it as a problem of precision, probability, psychology and control. ***The question is not simply who committed the crime,*** The question is whether the crime can be proven! ***The Illusion of the Perfect Crime.*** A crime so perfect, no one even suspects a crime has been committed. ***Written for Readers who enjoy aspects of:*** - The Silence of the Lambs - Crime and Punishment - Death Note - Character Driven Drama  Likewise, readers seeking a traditional detective mystery with a straightforward solution may encounter a more ambiguous and philosophical experience.    This novel distinguishes itself from standard crime fiction by focusing less on forensic evidence and more on intellectual strategy. The idea that mathematics and probability can be applied to criminal behavior gives the story a unique identity.    It will leave you questioning what is true, what is manipulation, and whether the investigation itself is being controlled by the mastermind. This ambiguity adds tension beyond the crimes themselves.

by Oscar J.

**CAIN ON CRAWFORD STREET** **A Psychological Crime Thriller** **By Oscar J. Starr III** Marcus King and Malcolm King grew up on Houston’s Crawford Street with little more than their mother’s determination and a promise to one another: they would escape poverty together. As boys, they were inseparable, bound by hardship, sacrifice, and dreams of building a better life. But as the years pass, that promise begins to fracture under the weight of expectations, ambition, and comparison. Marcus embraces responsibility, transforming relentless discipline into a thriving real estate empire that reshapes neighborhoods across Houston. Admired as a visionary entrepreneur and generous community leader, he becomes the pride of the King family. Malcolm, once considered the brighter and more promising brother, watches his own life unravel through failed ventures, financial hardship, and a growing sense of inadequacy. Every achievement Marcus earns becomes another reminder of the life Malcolm believes was meant for him. When Marcus is honored with one of Houston’s most prestigious business awards, the celebration exposes years of buried resentment. Family members unknowingly deepen old wounds with well-meaning comparisons, while Evelyn King, the brothers’ devoted mother, is forced to confront the unintended consequences of the expectations she placed on each son. Long-hidden secrets, painful sacrifices, and unresolved betrayals rise to the surface, pushing the brothers toward an emotional collision neither can escape. Days later, Marcus is found murdered inside his luxury penthouse overlooking downtown Houston. Detective Simone Harris initially suspects a business conspiracy involving Marcus’s multimillion-dollar real estate empire. But as she follows a trail of conflicting testimonies, hidden financial records, family letters, and deeply personal betrayals, she discovers that the greatest threat to Marcus never came from a corporate rival or a criminal organization. It came from within his own family. As the investigation peels back decades of jealousy, love, guilt, and generational trauma, every member of the King family becomes both witness and suspect. Harris uncovers a heartbreaking truth: the rivalry between Marcus and Malcolm was never fueled by hatred alone, but by a lifetime of comparison that quietly poisoned the bond they once cherished. Set against the backdrop of Houston’s evolving skyline, **CAIN ON CRAWFORD STREET** is a gripping psychological crime thriller that explores the devastating consequences of envy, the burden of family expectations, and the fragile line between unconditional love and unforgivable betrayal. Equal parts emotional family drama and suspenseful murder mystery, the novel asks a haunting question: *What happens when the person you’ve spent your entire life trying to protect becomes the one you must fear the most?*

by Marion A. Yost

A brother/sister duo in the Navy set off to avenge there father's death only to realize that he'd been training them for a much greater purpose. The book tracks their adventures while finding more chaos to stop..

by Nikki Rollingwood

**Till Death: A Gripping Psychological Thriller** **SHE STAGES THEM AS LOVERS. SHE SEES THEM AS PREY.** > *A campus killer stages fake romantic suicides. To stop her, Tauny must tap into the dark instincts inherited from her serial killer grandfather.*   When two popular university students are found dead in their dorm room, locked in an intimate embrace beside an empty neon vape pen, local authorities and campus officials are quick to label it a tragic accident—a mutual overdose pact amidst a growing student drug crisis. Case closed. Except for Tauny May Baker. To the rest of the student body, Tauny is just a quiet, reserved graduate student trying to blend into the background. But beneath her ordinary surface lies a terrifying secret: she is the granddaughter of one of the country’s most infamous serial killers. And along with his blood, she inherited his clinical, predatory radar—an ability to see the meticulous calculation behind human violence. Where the police see grief and reckless youth, Tauny sees impossible symmetry: hospital-corner bed folds, unnatural body posture, and a crime scene arranged like a gallery exhibit. She knows instantly that a killer is hunting on campus, hiding in plain sight behind the mask of a grieving, "perfect best friend" who is obsessed with turning her victims into eternal legends. When Detective Jase starts investigating the deaths, Tauny must play a dangerous game of hide-and-seek. She has to drop subtle clues to steer his investigation toward the truth without revealing *how* she knows—or risking Jase uncovering her own dark lineage. But as Tauny quietly digs into the killer's social circle, the killer takes notice. To outsmart a monster who treats murder as fine art, Tauny is forced to do the one thing she fears most: stop fighting her genetics, tap into her grandfather's ruthless mind, and embrace the darkness inside her to survive.

by Curtis Alcutt

**GOING DOWN**\ *A Supernatural Anthology Thriller* Every elevator ride in Mason Towers tells a different story. A nervous woman riding down to meet a blind date. A guilty man confessing to a stranger who turns out to be a detective. A widow returning to the building where his wife disappeared fifty years ago — and finding her waiting. But beneath the building, carved into the sub-basement floor directly under the elevator shaft, something has been waiting far longer than any of them. Mason Towers is a 33-story Freemason-built high-rise in downtown Oakland, California. It was constructed in 1923 on a site the builders chose deliberately — a convergence point where something ancient, something sealed, something that predated even the Templars by centuries, lay dormant beneath the earth. The building was never meant to be just a building. The elevator was never meant to just take people somewhere. Every 33 years, on the night of October Friday the 13th, the building takes three lives. Fire. Fall. Electrocution. Always the same three methods. Always ruled accidental. Always before dawn. Someone has always known. He has worked in this building for thirty years. He is mute, which means everyone talks freely around him. He hears everything. He has been preparing for October 13th, 2025 his entire career. His name is Earl. And he has never said a word. *Going Down — ten episodes. One season. The elevator is waiting.*

by Steven Jacobs

Defense attorney Adam Reed believes in the system until he's recruited into Themis Lodge—a 400-year-old shadow government controlling judges, senators, and policy worldwide. When Adam refuses to join, the Order systematically destroys him: his cases fail, his license is suspended, his marriage fractures as his wife believes he's having a paranoid breakdown. His pastor is revealed as an Order member. His best friend Marcus is the Architect coordinating everything. Only Isaiah Cole, a disillusioned security guard, believes him. As Adam tries to rebuild and reconnect with his family, a mysterious fire traps his son Leo in a burning bedroom. The novel ends with Adam losing consciousness, Leo's fate unknown, and everything Adam fought to protect consumed by flames. A devastating exploration of how the most dangerous power is the kind nobody recognizes.

by J.O. Starr

**The Second Wife** **By J.O. Starr** Dr. Nathan Calloway has spent his life saving others. After the devastating loss of his first wife, he believes he’s finally found a second chance at happiness with the graceful, compassionate widow Evelyn. Their whirlwind romance culminates in marriage, bringing Evelyn into the family’s elegant home—and into the life of Nathan’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Harper. But Harper isn’t convinced her new stepmother is who she claims to be. When a series of disturbing “accidents” nearly costs Harper her life, she becomes certain someone is trying to kill her. A fall from a horse, a mysterious allergic reaction, a near drowning, and a house fire all appear to be tragic coincidences. Nathan, desperate to protect his new marriage and convinced his daughter is still overwhelmed by grief, dismisses her fears as paranoia. As Harper digs deeper, she uncovers unsettling inconsistencies in Evelyn’s past, missing legal documents, and secrets surrounding her late mother’s estate. The harder she fights to expose the truth, the more isolated she becomes. Friends question her judgment, family members doubt her memories, and every attempt to prove Evelyn’s guilt seems to backfire. With the help of Detective Lena Ortiz, Harper begins unraveling a web of deception that reaches far beyond one marriage. Evelyn isn’t simply after wealth—she’s searching for something hidden within the Calloway family’s legacy, a secret powerful enough to ruin influential people who will do anything to keep it buried. As the walls close in, Harper must outwit a woman who has spent years perfecting the art of manipulation before she becomes the next victim. In a house where appearances are carefully crafted and trust is a dangerous illusion, surviving may depend on exposing a truth no one wants to believe. **The Second Wife** is a gripping domestic psychological suspense novel about gaslighting, family loyalty, greed, and the terrifying consequences of inviting the wrong person into your home.

by Amy Lynn Murdock

# **The Blood Tide Chronicles** ### **Series Synopsis** For generations, the people of the coast have dismissed stories of vampires as little more than superstition. Missing fishermen, abandoned boats, and whispers of pale figures beneath the moon are explained away as storms, wild animals, or frightened imaginations. Beneath the waves, the ancient cities of the mer-people tell their own legends of dangerous humans and endless wars, believing the surface world is as foreign as the stars above. Both worlds are wrong. When Weston Donovan falls in love with Brianna Nordith, a young mermaid who dares to defy her people's oldest fears, their secret romance sets in motion a chain of events neither world could have imagined. A single bite, a forbidden love, and an impossible child become the spark that awakens ancient myths, shatters fragile peace, and gives birth to a new species unlike anything the world has ever known. As old enemies rise, hidden truths surface, and blood stains both land and sea, Weston and Brianna find themselves hunted not because of what they are—but because of what their family represents. Their struggle to protect one another will echo across generations, forcing vampires, mer-people, and humans alike to confront the terrifying possibility that legends are not relics of the past... They are still being written. Spanning oceans, kingdoms, and generations, **The Blood Tide Chronicles** is an adult dark fantasy saga of forbidden love, sacrifice, family, and survival. Blending supernatural horror with sweeping romance and epic underwater warfare, the series explores how a single choice can reshape history—and how even monsters must decide what kind of legacy they will leave behind. Because every legend begins with a story. And every story begins with a choice.

by J.O. Starr

**The Widow on Cedar Street** **Synopsis** **By J. O. Starr** For more than twenty years, Cedar Street has been the kind of neighborhood people dream about—tree-lined sidewalks, historic homes, and neighbors who greet one another by name. But behind its carefully maintained charm lies a silence built on secrets, and no house holds more mystery than the aging Victorian at the end of the street. Since the tragic death of her husband in a devastating house fire two decades earlier, **Evelyn Harper** has lived a quiet, solitary life. To her neighbors, she is simply “the widow on Cedar Street”—reserved, courteous, and forever marked by a tragedy no one fully understands. Rumors have followed her for years, but without evidence, the past has remained buried. Until another body is discovered. When a well-known resident is found murdered under suspicious circumstances, Detective Marcus Sloan is assigned to investigate what initially appears to be an isolated crime. But as he uncovers forgotten police reports, missing evidence, and unsettling connections to the long-closed fire that claimed Evelyn’s husband, it becomes clear that someone has spent decades protecting a dangerous truth. As fear spreads through the neighborhood, anonymous letters begin appearing in mailboxes, accusing longtime residents of crimes they believed were hidden forever. Friendships fracture, marriages unravel, and decades of loyalty give way to suspicion. Every conversation becomes a clue, every neighbor a potential suspect. Caught in the center of the investigation, Evelyn finds herself forced to confront a past she has spent years trying to escape. The closer Detective Sloan comes to the truth, the more he realizes that Cedar Street has never been as peaceful as it seemed. Beneath its manicured lawns and welcoming front porches lies a web of deception, betrayal, and carefully buried guilt stretching back generations. But the greatest mystery is not who committed the latest murder. It is why so many people have worked so hard to keep the truth hidden. In a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone—and no one knows the whole story—trust becomes the most dangerous illusion of all. **The Widow on Cedar Street** is a gripping psychological thriller that explores grief, deception, loyalty, and the devastating consequences of secrets left to fester. With unforgettable twists, richly layered characters, and an ending that reshapes everything readers thought they knew, this suspenseful novel reminds us that sometimes the most dangerous place isn’t a dark alley or an abandoned house—it’s the quiet street we call home.

by Curtis Alcutt

Before Egypt. Before recorded history. The continent of Atlantis was the most advanced civilization on Earth — and its darkest secret was Xylia, a succubus of terrifying power who seduced and destroyed the King himself. Queen Eyorah had her sealed alive in an unmarked pyramid, her sarcophagus carved with a warning in the ancient Atlantean tongue: free her and the world ends. Centuries pass. Civilizations rise and fall. The tomb stays buried. Until now. *Of the Dark* follows the awakening of Xylia and the ancient evil she carries — a force that has been feeding in the shadows since the dawn of humanity, moving from era to era, host to host, patient as stone. The people who disturb her tomb have no idea what they've released. They will. A paranormal thriller rooted in ancient mythology, *Of the Dark* spans millennia to ask one question: what happens when the thing the world's most advanced civilization couldn't destroy finally gets free?

by J.O. Starr

**The Lighthouse Secret** **By J.O. Starr** **Genre:** Psychological Thriller | Mystery | Crime Fiction | Suspense **Synopsis** When investigative journalist **Claire Monroe** unexpectedly inherits the long-abandoned **Blackwater Lighthouse**, she sees it as one last assignment before returning to her normal life. Instead, she steps into a mystery that has haunted an isolated island community for generations. Official records claim the lighthouse closed after its final keeper, **Elias Blackwood**, died more than twenty years ago. Yet no body was ever recovered. As Claire explores the crumbling tower, she discovers hidden journals, coded messages concealed within the stone walls, and evidence that dozens of disappearances long blamed on the sea may have originated inside the lighthouse itself. With the reluctant help of **marine archaeologist Noah Pierce**, Claire uncovers a series of submerged shipwrecks that reveal a disturbing pattern connecting missing people, secret cargo, and a powerful conspiracy stretching back decades. Meanwhile, **Sheriff Owen Hale** warns her to leave the island before she uncovers something that cannot be buried again, while retired schoolteacher **Evelyn Carter** struggles with a lifetime of fear and the devastating truth she has kept hidden since childhood. As anonymous threats intensify and the lighthouse mysteriously shines despite having no power, Claire realizes she is being watched by someone determined to protect Blackwater’s darkest secret. Every clue leads deeper into a web of deception involving corruption, betrayal, and murder, where trusted allies become suspects and every revelation raises the stakes. When Claire uncovers a hidden tunnel beneath the lighthouse leading to a forgotten underground chamber, she finally learns why Elias Blackwood vanished without a trace—and why generations of island residents have sacrificed everything to keep the truth from reaching the mainland. Now the lighthouse has claimed another witness. To survive, Claire must expose a secret powerful enough to destroy an entire community before she becomes its next victim. Because some lighthouses were built to guide ships. **Blackwater Lighthouse was built to guard a secret.**

by Oscar J.

**Murder on Blackwood Lane** **By Oscar J. Starr III** Blackwood Lane is the kind of street people dream about—tree-lined sidewalks, historic homes, and neighbors who proudly claim nothing bad ever happens there. Until the morning one of its most influential residents is found murdered. Judge Richard Holloway, a respected public figure with decades of power and influence, is discovered dead inside his locked mansion under circumstances that defy explanation. There are no signs of forced entry, no obvious murder weapon, and no witnesses willing to tell Detective Ava Mercer what they know. As she begins questioning the residents of Blackwood Lane, she realizes the neighborhood’s carefully polished image hides a web of deception far more dangerous than anyone imagined. Behind every elegant front door lies a secret: broken marriages, financial corruption, long-buried betrayals, blackmail, and a decades-old disappearance that was quietly forgotten. With each new revelation, another resident turns up dead, suggesting the killer isn’t covering up a single crime—they’re completing a deadly plan that began years earlier. As Ava pieces together a trail of hidden connections, she uncovers evidence that the murder of Judge Holloway is tied to an unsolved tragedy that has haunted Blackwood Lane for more than twenty-five years. The closer she gets to the truth, the more she realizes the killer has been watching her investigation from the very beginning—and is always one step ahead. In a neighborhood where everyone knows each other’s names but no one truly knows the people behind the doors, trust becomes a deadly gamble. To solve the case, Detective Mercer must expose the darkest secret Blackwood Lane has ever hidden before the killer claims another victim. **Murder on Blackwood Lane** is a gripping psychological thriller filled with shocking twists, unforgettable characters, and a suspenseful mystery that explores how far people will go to protect the lies they’ve built their lives upon. Because on Blackwood Lane, every house hides a secret—but only one hides a killer.

by J.O. Starr

Every Friday night, **Noah Mercer** drives for a rideshare company to supplement his income after losing his wife in a tragic accident. He prides himself on remembering every passenger—except one. A woman dressed in gray enters his car just after midnight. She gives no destination, barely speaks, and disappears before the trip officially ends. Security footage shows Noah driving alone. Days later, a prominent attorney is found murdered. Then a journalist. Then a retired detective. Each victim had secretly been connected to a twenty-year-old case involving the disappearance of a young girl—a crime everyone believed had gone unsolved. The only link between the murders is Noah’s mysterious passenger. As detectives begin suspecting Noah himself, he races to uncover the identity of the silent woman before he becomes the final victim. But the deeper he investigates, the more he realizes the passenger may not be hunting random people… She may be leading him toward the truth about his own wife’s death. In a shocking finale, Noah discovers that the “silent passenger” has been orchestrating a deadly reckoning against everyone responsible for a decades-old conspiracy—including someone Noah has trusted all along.

by Tony Fain

**Some secrets are buried deep for a reason.** When heavy excavation begins tearing into the ancient bluffs at Standing Rock, the rural peace of Lake Eufaula is shattered. The blasting unearths more than just limestone—it awakens a primitive, ravenous terror that has slept beneath the river channel for centuries. Cole Garrett has spent years running *The Outpost* marina while living under the dark cloud of his father’s unexplained disappearance on the water. When local fishermen start vanishing and strange, slime-slicked tracks are left on the docks at midnight, Cole realizes the lake is claiming victims once again. Only this time, it’s no accident. Avery Sterling, daughter of the powerful developer driving the excavation, senses that her father’s crew has unburied something monstrous. Caught between her family’s ruthless ambition and the horrifying reality unfolding on the water, Avery turns to Cole—the only person willing to look past the official cover-ups. As night falls over the lake and the body count rises, Cole and Avery must unearth the dark truth behind Standing Rock before the terror rising from the deep consumes everyone on the shore.

by Marie Tayse

Desperate for a fresh start, Ella Kendale finally finds the courage to leave her abusive husband behind. Armed with only two suitcases and the small inheritance left to her by her late grandmother, she escapes to the quiet backroads of rural Tennessee and buys an old house that seems almost too affordable to be true. But the house isn’t as empty as it appears. Hidden within its walls are the lingering remnants of another tragic relationship, and before long Ella begins experiencing unsettling events she can’t explain. A handsome stranger starts appearing in her dreams—dreams that slowly begin bleeding into reality. At the same time, signs that someone is watching her from the shadows turn her peaceful new beginning into a waking nightmare. When three local police officers step in to protect her, Ella unexpectedly finds herself tangled in a complicated love triangle involving two of the officers…and the mysterious man from her dreams. Torn between fear and desire, reality and the supernatural, Ella struggles to decide who she can trust while an all-too-real stalker closes in around her. In a small town, secrets don’t stay buried for long—and unlike the city she left behind, nobody in Tennessee is willing to look the other way. As danger escalates, Ella discovers she may have escaped one monster only to find herself caught between darkness, love, and a battle she can’t survive alone.

by J.O. Starr

**The Woman in Apartment 4B** **By Oscar J. Starr III** *Legacy Strategist | Crime & Thriller Writer | Published Author*  The Ashcroft Apartments has stood quietly in the heart of the city for nearly seventy years. To outsiders, it’s just another aging brick building filled with ordinary people trying to live ordinary lives. But behind its faded walls, every apartment guards a secret—and none is more mysterious than **Apartment 4B**. No one knows the woman’s real name. She keeps to herself, leaves at unpredictable hours, and never allows anyone inside her apartment. Yet every tenant seems to have crossed paths with her at least once. Some describe her as kind. Others call her manipulative. A few insist she’s dangerous. Then, without warning… She disappears. When homicide detective **Lena Ortiz** and investigative journalist **Ethan Brooks** begin searching for answers, they uncover something impossible. There is no lease. No driver’s license. No utility records. No employment history. No fingerprints. Officially, the woman in Apartment 4B never existed. As Ethan and Lena dig deeper, they discover that nearly every resident in the building has been hiding something for years—an affair that turned deadly, stolen money, political corruption, blackmail, a decades-old disappearance, and a murder that was buried long before anyone moved into Ashcroft Apartments. The missing woman somehow knew all of it. Hidden throughout the building are encrypted journals, surveillance recordings, photographs, and sealed envelopes—pieces of a carefully constructed puzzle designed to expose the truth only after she vanished. But someone else is hunting those same secrets. One by one, witnesses begin turning up dead. Evidence disappears from police custody. Apartment doors are broken into. Security footage is erased. And with every new discovery, it becomes terrifyingly clear that the woman wasn’t running from a killer… She was leading one into the open. As the investigation spirals into a deadly game of deception, Ethan realizes he has become more than an observer. Someone is watching his every move, anticipating every question, and eliminating anyone who gets too close to the truth. The final revelation changes everything. The woman in Apartment 4B wasn’t hiding from her past. She was building a case against a powerful criminal network that had operated in plain sight for decades—using the apartment building as the perfect place to recruit, manipulate, and silence its victims. Her disappearance wasn’t an act of fear. It was the first move in a carefully orchestrated plan. And when the last envelope is finally opened, the investigators uncover one chilling message written in her unmistakable handwriting: **“If you’re reading this, I’m already gone. Don’t waste your time looking for me. Find the people who made me disappear.”** In the haunting final scene, a young woman carries a suitcase into the freshly renovated Apartment 4B. As she closes the door behind her, she notices a small brass key taped beneath the kitchen table with a handwritten note attached. **“Your turn.”** *Some mysteries end with the truth.* **This one begins there.**

by Ella M Hayes

Summer in Saratoga Springs. What should be the perfect time for business is quickly becoming hell for Nyx, owner of the supernatural emporium, "Witch's Brew." Her one-woman operation is becoming an increasingly impossible task. Despite her insistence on doing things alone, she becomes aware that she needs help. Worse, the only person willing to help is a persistent, yet charming, skeptic of the mystic arts On the side and after hours, Nyx services the supernatural and spiritual needs of her clients. It's a job like any other until one girl enters her life with a spirit clinging to her, a spirit that is terrifying because it is both unreadable and bears a connection to Nyx's past, a past she would rather forget. Nyx's professional and personal life quickly become intertwined in this journey of romance, spirituality, reconciliation, and hopefully closure and redemption.

by Gina Murdock

Jake Miller is living the best morning of his life. Pancakes, laughter, his wife's hand in his, his daughter buckled safely in the back seat. He has no idea it's about to become the worst.  When tragedy strikes on an ordinary Wednesday, Jake wakes up the next morning to find it's the same Wednesday again — 6:12 a.m., the same golden light, the same choices waiting to be made differently. He's the only one who remembers. And no matter what he changes, the day seems determined to take something from him before it lets him go.  The truth, when it finally surfaces, is worse than anything supernatural: someone built this. Someone patient, brilliant, and devastated — a woman whose life's work Jake's own hands helped destroy, and whose grief has spent years hardening into something with a plan.  As the walls close in — a stranger's car parked down the street, a note left in the dark, a friend who pays a price for helping — Jake has to face not just what's coming for his family, but what he's already done to deserve it.  Some debts don't get canceled. They just wait for the right Wednesday.

by Gemma Therese

Sixteen-year-old Melanie Howard's world is fractured on her birthday when she discovers her magical angelic bloodline and processing her brother, Eli, gets dragged into the shadows of danger. Thrust into Bloodbound Academy, a pre-Civil War institution for the descendants of the Angelic Realm, Melanie discovers that she possesses the rare talent of psychometry, a gift that allows her to catch glimpses of her kidnapped brother. Desperate and struggling against time, Melanie has only one priority: to bring her brother home safely.

by Curtis Alcutt

[Skip to main content](https://readerful.com/writers/stories/ae1370da-e7c7-4d1d-b5e5-84ceeaf5c8e6/chapters/9ff3df23-da68-4b7c-8854-9a72b7ab4233/edit#main-content)  Mocknin is the most infuriating, flamboyant, and inexplicably powerful being in the galaxy — and he's just kidnapped Chatznin, Hafria's most celebrated architect, without so much as an explanation. With a fleet of warships in pursuit, a force field holding by a thread, and Mocknin more concerned with his sapphire bracelet than their imminent destruction, Chatznin demands answers. What she gets instead is a front-row seat to a cosmic secret that will change everything she thought she knew about the universe — and the being piloting her through it. *God By Proxy* is a sharp, fast, and wildly entertaining sci-fi comedy about power, purpose, and what happens when the universe's most important mission gets assigned to its most unlikely agent.

by Curtis Alcutt

Apollo Knight is the most talented producer nobody's heard of — and he prefers it that way. Raised by his jazz-legend grandmother in Berkeley after his mother abandoned him at age five, Apollo poured everything he couldn't say out loud into his music. Now twenty-five, he runs BeatBoxx Studios out of his grandmother's garage, producing hits for street rappers while quietly dreaming of something bigger. His partner, Grimey, is everything Apollo isn't — loud, ambitious, and willing to cut any corner to get paid. When Grimey starts pushing Apollo toward Street Lyfe Records, a label with a reputation for stealing beats and dodging the IRS, Apollo's instincts tell him to walk. But walking away from Grimey was never simple. Set against the gritty, soulful backdrop of Oakland's music scene — from the recording booths of Berkeley to the jazz clubs of West Oakland's Seventh Street — Bullets & Ballads is a story about talent versus hustle, loyalty versus survival, and one man trying to protect the only thing nobody can take from him: his music.

by Lisa Uptain

Casey Oakley never asked for a hard life, but it found her anyway. Growing up under the watchful eyes of her brothers, Casey was always protected, always guarded. But even they could not shield her from the darkness that followed her. One night changes everything, leaving her broken in ways no one can see and forcing her to carry secrets that threaten to destroy her from the inside out. As she struggles to survive the aftermath of violence, addiction, and fear, Casey is caught between the life she is expected to live and the one she is desperate to escape. Every choice she makes pulls her deeper into a world filled with danger, pain, and people who want to control her. But Casey is not as weak as the world believes. With the help of those who refuse to give up on her, she begins a long and painful fight to reclaim her life. Trust does not come easy. Love feels impossible. And the past is never as far behind her as she hopes. In a world where survival is never guaranteed, Casey must decide who she is willing to become. Will she stay trapped in the life that nearly destroyed her, or will she find the strength to rise above it? Raw, emotional, and unflinching, *A Condemned Life* is a story of trauma, resilience, and the fight to take back control when everything has been stripped away.

by Lisa Uptain

Some people spend their lives running from the past. Casey Oakley has spent hers surviving it. One violent act shatters the life she thought she knew, setting her on a path filled with betrayal, heartbreak, impossible choices, and relentless danger. Every time she begins to rebuild, another enemy rises, determined to tear it all away. But Casey refuses to stay broken. Surrounded by the unwavering love of her brothers and the fierce loyalty of the friends who stand beside her, she discovers that true strength isn't measured by the battles you've lost, but by the courage to rise every time life knocks you down. From the dust of the rodeo arena to the fight for a future worth believing in, Casey's journey is one of resilience, sacrifice, justice, and hope. As old wounds reopen and new threats emerge, she must decide whether revenge is found in settling the score... or in refusing to let the darkness win. **The Revenge Series** is an unforgettable trilogy of survival, friendship, family, and the extraordinary strength of the human spirit. Filled with unforgettable characters, heart-pounding suspense, unforgettable romance, and hard-fought triumphs, this is the story of one woman who refuses to let anyone else write the ending to her life. **Some stories are about revenge.** **This one is about surviving long enough to earn it.**

by Jon Praker

*The Geometer* follows Marek, a man whose ordinary understanding of reality is shattered when he is drawn into a world governed by patterns, symbols, and impossible geometry. As he searches for answers, he discovers that geometry is not just a branch of mathematics, but the architecture beneath existence itself. Guided by enigmatic figures and pursued by forces he barely understands, Marek must learn to read the hidden structure of reality before it consumes him. Every revelation demands a sacrifice, and every step deeper into the pattern changes not only what he believes—but who he is. Part philosophical journey, part metaphysical adventure, *The Geometer* is a novel about perception, transformation, and the price of seeing the world as it truly is.

by Valrica

For Hendrix, disappearing into a life of crime was never permanent. It was a survival tactic—a necessary detour before she could return to the daughter she loved.

by B Halevi

Judah has given his all to the Roman legions. Having advanced from being a mere auxiliary to a mighty centurion in the regular legions, Judah has fought his way to glory all over the known world; from the great Romanized bastion, the Syrian-Greek city of Antioch, to the shores of barbarian Gaul. But, now, stationed in the Greek Isles, everything falls apart when his powerful friend and patron turns on him. Abandoned and alone, Judah decides to return to his native land, Judea, where he has been invited by an old childhood friend, he hasn’t seen in years, to join their struggle against the Roman yoke. The people of his native land have recently rose in rebellion seeking their freedom; a way out from under the thumb of Roman imperialism. Fighters are massing in Jerusalem and the leaders of the movement have even begun to issue their own coin. However, when the Roman campaign of reprisal finally begins, the rebels are proven to be no match for the Roman invaders. Before Judah even arrived, Vespasian and his legions have swept through the land like lightning, retaking the Galilee in under a year. Now, as Judah arrives home amongst his former people, he arrives to find Jerusalem already stands alone. Together with the Jerusalemites, he must revitalize a defeated cause. The situation he has entered could not have looked more grim. The factions in Jerusalem are eating each other alive, tearing each other apart in their quest for control over their nations course. Grizzled brigands have seized control from those who are reasonable minded. It seems, none of the powerful leaders left, are noble men. Under the looming prospect, of a siege, which surely must come, the quest to quell the brigands and marshal the spirit of Jerusalem is on. Judah will find, a stout sword arm is not enough, nor will his well trained military mind, alone, get him through the siege. He will need to learn local politics, if he expects to survive in Jerusalem and see this deadly struggle through, until the bitter end. As armed factions vie for power, there are still those in Jerusalem who seek to build a nation. Judah will discover, however, that not everybody in the holy city shares the same vision for what it means to be a Judean. In Jerusalem, they wrestle with important questions? Is shared ancestry enough to unite a fragmented people? Or does it take, a unified identity, or perhaps religion, to keep disparate groups together? however they solve the equation, the citizens of Jerusalem *must* come up with an answer; ***what does it take to forge a nation?*** Through it all, Judah is personally adrift, practically a stranger in his own country. It is a land bristling with strange habits and customs he hasn’t seen since childhood; brimming with a religious zeal of a kind, Judah hasn’t encountered in any of his many travels. As ever, Judah finds himself alone. Why does he sometimes feel he has neither a nation, nor a home? Will he always be a traveler in life whisking into one place and flying out in an array of violence. Is he destined to stand for nothing, to possess no identity? Read the book and find out How to build a nation but more importantly how to build a man! Oh, and of course remember, as Long as the great Temple stands how can Jerusalem fall?

by Oscar J.

**The Visitor at Midnight** **A Psychological Mystery & Suspense Novel** For twenty-five years, the picturesque town of Blackridge has been celebrated as a place where neighbors trust one another, crime is nearly nonexistent, and the past has quietly faded into memory. Beneath its peaceful façade, however, lies a carefully guarded secret—one powerful enough to destroy lives if it is ever exposed. Everything changes on a stormy October night when an impeccably dressed stranger appears on a resident’s doorstep precisely at midnight. Calm, courteous, and unsettling, he never asks to enter. Instead, he delivers a single cryptic message before disappearing into the darkness. *“It’s time.”* By sunrise, someone connected to that household is either dead or has vanished without a trace. As the mysterious midnight visits continue, fear grips Blackridge. Rumors spread, lifelong friendships fracture, and suspicion falls on everyone from respected civic leaders to trusted law enforcement officials. Determined to uncover the truth, Detective Elena Brooks returns to the town she once called home and discovers that every recipient of the Visitor’s unsettling message shares one disturbing connection: each played a role—whether through action or silence—in the unsolved disappearance of investigative journalist and philanthropist Samuel Whitmore twenty-five years earlier. As Elena digs deeper, she uncovers evidence of a far-reaching conspiracy involving influential families, public officials, and community leaders who worked together to bury the truth and protect their reputations. Yet the deeper the investigation goes, the more impossible the mystery becomes. Security cameras fail to capture the Visitor’s face. Witnesses describe him differently. His knowledge of long-forgotten events defies explanation, leaving the town questioning whether they are confronting a man, a myth, or something far more unsettling. With each passing midnight, another secret is exposed, another life is shattered, and the countdown toward a final reckoning grows shorter. As hidden alliances crumble and old betrayals come to light, Elena realizes the case is far more personal than she ever imagined. A sealed envelope delivered during the Visitor’s final appearance forces her to confront a forgotten chapter of her own childhood, revealing that she has never been investigating someone else’s past—she has been unraveling her own. Atmospheric, emotionally charged, and filled with escalating suspense, *The Visitor at Midnight* is a gripping psychological mystery about guilt, justice, redemption, and the devastating cost of buried secrets. In Blackridge, every knock has a reason, every secret has a witness, and some truths refuse to stay buried forever.

by Mike Cohee

NINE STRANGERS\ ONE ABANDONED MALL\ IT’S 1985…AGAIN\ For years, an abandoned shopping mall has sat empty on the edge of town, sealed behind chained doors and fading memories. Former employees begin returning, each drawn back by something they can’t quite explain. At first, everything feels wrong in the right way. Stores appear exactly as they remember them. Neon signs. Synth Music. Styles frozen in another era. Even the food court feels untouched by time. And scattered throughout the corridors are shoppers who shouldn’t be there. As the night unfolds, they realize the abandoned mall has been waiting decades for its shoppers to return. As the night unfolds, they realize the mall was never truly abandoned. It feels like nostalgia. A second chance. A return to the past…or so they thought. ` For some, the past haunts them.
 For others, it calls them back.`

by Christina Hull

In a world where a myth becomes reality, maybe too real. A legendary beast terrorizes a backwoods town. Sheriff Brody investigates a mysterious disappearance that happened during a 9-1-1 call about an alleged sighting of the rare BigFoot. Join Jake and Maria, Park Rangers of Blackwood Forest, as they aid Sheriff Brody in the missing person's case. Will they succeed in their mission? Or become victims of the elusive beast themselves?

by Marik Blackridge Grey

by Oscar J.

**Synopsis** For twenty-five years, the Carter family has told the same story whenever anyone mentions Tanya Carter. *“She ran away.”* No one knows where she went. No one claims to have heard from her. Most unsettling of all, no one seems interested in finding her. When thirty-two-year-old investigative journalist **Nia Carter** returns to her hometown to investigate a political corruption case, she unexpectedly uncovers an old family photograph labeled, *“Tanya – Summer 1998.”* Curious about the young woman she has never met, Nia begins asking questions, only to discover that every relative repeats the same rehearsed explanation before quickly changing the subject. As her investigation deepens, Nia uncovers a chilling absence of evidence. There is no missing person’s report, no police investigation, no goodbye letter, and no official record proving Tanya ever left town. Anonymous threats warn Nia to stop searching, while family members, church leaders, and lifelong neighbors close ranks to protect a secret that has remained buried for decades. Hidden journals, forgotten recordings, and long-lost family documents reveal that Tanya had been investigating a devastating truth before she vanished—one capable of destroying the Carter family’s carefully protected reputation. With every revelation, Nia realizes the greatest mystery is not whether Tanya disappeared, but how an entire family convinced themselves to forget her. As decades of silence begin to unravel, Nia uncovers a heartbreaking chain of events fueled by fear, loyalty, and the desperate need to preserve appearances at any cost. The truth forces the Carter family to confront the consequences of collective guilt and challenges an entire community to reckon with the price of protecting its image over one of its own. Blending psychological suspense with emotional family drama, **What Happened to Cousin Tanya?** is a gripping mystery thriller that explores generational trauma, respectability, and the dangerous power of silence. It asks a haunting question: *If everyone knows the truth, who is truly responsible for keeping the lie alive?*

by Nikki Rollingwood

**Her life was off-script. The screen gave her a killer rewrite.** Quiet, timid, and virtually invisible in her own home, a suburban housewife turns to *The Elite Inner Circle* for an escape from the suffocating silence of her daily routine. But this isn't just another trashy reality show. When the show's ruthless, ice-blonde star breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to her, she is offered a seductive deal: a customized script to take control of her life and a permanent solution to anyone who stands in her way. Guided by real-time directions from her screen, her petty suburban rivalries quickly escalate into calculated, deadly "accidents." As her home transforms into a sterile, hyper-curated studio set, she gets hooked on the intoxicating rush of soaring ratings. But staying on prime time requires bigger drama—and a growing body count. *Canceled* is a darkly satirical psychological thriller about the price of fame, the terror of visibility, and how far one woman will go to keep from being written off.

by Oscar J.

**The Island of No Return** **Synopsis** **By Oscar J. Starr III** When six accomplished strangers receive exclusive invitations to spend a week at the luxurious and secluded Eden Cay, the opportunity seems too extraordinary to refuse. Promised unparalleled luxury, personalized experiences, and complete privacy, each guest believes they have been selected for reasons tied to their remarkable achievements. What begins as paradise quickly becomes a waking nightmare. Shortly after their arrival, every route off the island disappears. Communication with the outside world is mysteriously severed, personal belongings begin vanishing, and unsettling messages reveal intimate secrets that no stranger should know. As suspicion spreads through the group, trust evaporates and every conversation becomes a calculated game of survival. The island itself seems to possess an impossible knowledge of its guests’ pasts. Hidden beneath Eden Cay’s breathtaking beauty lies a carefully orchestrated experiment built upon guilt, deception, and judgment. A series of psychological trials forces each guest to confront the darkest decisions they believed had remained buried forever. Every confession uncovers another layer of the island’s sinister purpose, while every discovery raises an even more terrifying question: Were they invited…or chosen? As tensions escalate and one guest mysteriously disappears, the survivors uncover evidence that Eden Cay has hosted similar gatherings for decades. The island has become the stage for a chilling ritual where redemption carries an unimaginable cost, and justice is determined by an unseen architect whose identity has remained hidden from every previous visitor. With no rescue coming and nowhere left to run, the guests must decide how much of the truth they are willing to reveal—not only to one another, but to themselves. In the final confrontation, the true mastermind behind Eden Cay is exposed, forcing each survivor to face a choice that will determine whether they earn freedom or become another permanent part of the island’s haunting legacy. Blending psychological suspense, mystery, and high-stakes survival, **The Island of No Return** explores guilt, accountability, redemption, and the dangerous illusion that the past can ever remain buried. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of a tropical paradise hiding unimaginable darkness, the novel delivers relentless twists, emotional intensity, and a shocking conclusion that leaves readers questioning whether true justice can ever exist without mercy.

by Oscar J.

Ashwood Hollow is a picturesque historic town known for its Victorian homes, annual Harvest Festival, and carefully preserved traditions. Founded in 1887, it has built its reputation on honoring the past. But beneath its charm lies a history someone has spent generations trying to erase. When historian **Dr. Abigail Mercer** arrives to document the town’s heritage, she discovers unsettling inconsistencies in public records. Newspaper archives contain missing pages, cemetery records have vanished, and family photographs have been altered to remove certain faces. The deeper she investigates, the more she realizes Ashwood Hollow’s history has been deliberately rewritten. Hidden beneath the Ashwood Hollow Historical Society, Abigail uncovers a sealed archive filled with journals, court documents, land deeds, and handwritten confessions. Together they reveal the truth about a tragic event in October 1903, when six of the town’s most influential families orchestrated a cover-up to protect their wealth, power, and reputation. Their descendants have safeguarded that secret for more than a century. As Abigail’s investigation gains momentum, anonymous warnings begin appearing at her hotel, evidence disappears, and those connected to the town’s past become increasingly determined to stop her. With the Harvest Festival approaching, she races to expose the truth before history is rewritten once again. Forced to confront generations of deception, Abigail uncovers a conspiracy that has shaped every corner of Ashwood Hollow. In a dramatic final revelation, the town must decide whether to continue protecting its carefully crafted image or finally acknowledge the truth that has haunted it for over one hundred years. **Secrets of Ashwood Hollow** is a Gothic mystery and psychological crime thriller about buried secrets, inherited guilt, and the courage required to confront the past. Rich with atmospheric suspense and unexpected twists, it reminds readers that while history can be rewritten, the truth is never buried forever.

by Sean Runyon

**Synopsis: *The Last Witness*** *"This war did not begin with a nuclear flash swallowing billions into the footnotes of history. History rarely grants us that kind of honesty. It began with secrets stamped NATIONAL SECURITY, with lies folded into origami excuses, and with men who had already sold your future branding the transaction as stability. It began with a population drowning in noise until it mistook confusion for intelligence. And the greatest lesson Liam Roberts would learn was this: people do not fear tyranny for what it is. They fear uncertainty. Tyranny simply learns to disguise itself as relief."* These are the opening words of investigative journalist Liam Roberts' final broadcast As the last witness to civilization's collapse, Roberts explains that the world did not end in a blinding nuclear exchange or a single catastrophic event. Civilizations rarely collapse in fire first. They collapse in ink, paperwork, euphemisms, and administrative language polished clean enough to disguise the smell of decay. Before revealing how the world unraveled, Roberts takes his audience back to where it all began with a phone call from a man named Thomas Riker, a soldier whose existence has been systematically erased from history. Roberts has built his career exposing corruption and uncovering stories others wanted buried, but nothing prepares him for what lies beneath the surface of the modern world. What begins as an investigation into one impossible man quickly becomes a fight for humanity's survival. Riker reveals that behind every major conflict since the Second World War stands the Doctor, the hidden architect of the Syndicate, a clandestine organization that has transformed wars, governments, and human suffering into decades of experimentation in pursuit of a single objective: Project Helix. Following Riker through classified military operations, abandoned facilities, and forgotten programs, Roberts begins to see a pattern stretching across generations. Every trail leads back to Facility 47, where the Doctor's work has evolved beyond biology into something far more dangerous: understanding, predicting, and ultimately directing human behavior itself. With every discovery, Roberts realizes the Syndicate's greatest weapon was never military power. It was its ability to shape what people believed to be true. As the evidence grows, Roberts confronts the Doctor's most devastating discovery: people rarely surrender to force; they surrender to fear, convenience, and the promise of safety. By manipulating information instead of relying on violence, the Syndicate has quietly conditioned entire generations to mistake certainty for truth and security for freedom. By the time Roberts understands that humanity itself has become the experiment, the conditioning is already complete. Unable to remain an observer, Roberts joins a small band of resistance fighters determined to expose the Syndicate before its plan reaches its final stage. As they dismantle hidden facilities and uncover decades of deception, they make a devastating realization. They are no longer trying to stop the Doctor's plan; they are witnessing its completion. Their search ultimately leads them to Bastion Zero, where Roberts learns the Syndicate has already succeeded in ways the world has failed to recognize. The Doctor never intended to rule through armies alone. He intended to build a civilization that would willingly participate in its own conditioning, believing every decision was freely made while every outcome had already been engineered. Riker finally confronts the man who transformed his life into an experiment, while Roberts makes the only choice left to him. Rather than allowing the truth to die with him, he broadcasts it across every remaining frequency, preserving a final record of how humanity surrendered its future one compromise at a time. The novel ends where it began. Alone inside Bastion Zero, Liam Roberts delivers his final message  not in the hope of saving the world, but to ensure that someone, somewhere, might one day understand how it was lost. Whether anyone survives to hear his testimony remains uncertain. The truth, however, endures.

by C. Marie

In a world where survival demands sacrifice, love becomes the most dangerous risk of all.   Savage Salvation is a dark romance that plunges readers into a brutal landscape of trauma, desire, and redemption. When two broken souls collide, their bond is forged in violence, tested by betrayal, and ignited by a passion that refuses to die.   This is not a gentle love story—it's raw, atmospheric, and unapologetically intense.   Every page drips with tension, weaving together themes of survival, trauma, redemption, and forbidden desire. Fans of dark romance, psychological drama, and morally complex characters will find themselves captivated by the push and pull between tenderness and brutality.   For readers who crave stories that balance emotional vulnerability with physical intensity, Savage Salvation delivers a visceral journey where pain and passion intertwine, and hope flickers even in the darkest corners.   Perfect for fans of dark romance, survival fiction, and redemption arcs—this is a novel that will haunt you long after the last page.

by Lilly Mykals Kennedy

A mature lawyer, Tonya Russell, develops a hot fling with boy toy Dakota Barrings. The two share a hot summer, but things get out of hand when Dakota develops another love interest and tries to push Tonya to the side.

by Scott Zimmerman

Reviewers are raving about KOSTYA... \--A well-written, emotionally intense novel that I couldn’t put down. \--From the very first pages, the writing pulls you into Kostya’s world with vivid, unflinching detail. \--Relentless sense of movement. \--The vivid imagery captured the setting and mood with cinematic precision. \--The ending is extremely beautiful. \--The difference in speaking voices between characters was quite fun to read. \--KOSTYA is a must-read. \--You will instantly form a connection with the characters in this book. The tensions they feel pours off the pages and directly into your heart.  \--The story combines historical depth with the momentum of an adventure novel. Readers become invested not merely in what happens next, but in who Kostya becomes along the way.

by Randell J Rankin

A stubborn farmer fighting to hold his ground. A century-old ghost desperate for redemption. And an unearned miracle that threatens to steal a family’s soul. Tennessee, 1844. Tenant farmer Ezra Whitlock buries his five young children in cold red clay after eight brutal weeks of fever and hunger. When his wife dies of heartbreak soon after, Ezra sinks to his knees among the stones and makes an eternal vow: he will work forever in the dark if he can spare just one other family the same fate. Tennessee, 1973. Frank Jefferson is a proud, hard-working man with a failing tractor, a bank payment he can’t cover, and an iron rule he’s lived by for forty years: no problem will beat him. He believes a man’s worth is written in the dirt by his own two hands. Then the work starts getting done without him. Overnight, a weeping hydraulic leak is caught by neatly folded rags. A tangled wall of cane and briars is shaved down to bare dirt without a single tire track. Rusted farm equipment runs with the purr of showroom iron, and a weathered cedar shed is rebuilt between dusk and dawn. Frank doesn’t believe in haints, but he can’t explain the impossible perfection spreading across his farm. What looks like a blessing soon twists into a quiet nightmare. The entity in the timber doesn’t want payment—it wants to do all the labor. It erases every mark of honest human sweat, rewrites his wife’s kitchen, and crosses the threshold into his eight-year-old daughter’s bedroom, turning her worn rag dolls into stone-eyed monuments. When Frank tries to redirect this overwhelming “Kindness” across the hollow to help his struggling neighbors, the supernatural repairs ignite suspicion. Fence lines sing with unnatural tension, long-broken machinery springs to life in the dark, and an 1894 property line begins to bend the very air of the valley. But when an angry neighbor crosses the boundary with an iron blade, the ghost’s protective vow turns terrifying. Caught between suspicious neighbors and a spirit crushed by a century of sorrow, Frank and his wife, Martha, must face an agonizing truth: struggle isn’t a curse—it’s the glue that holds a family together. To reclaim their lives, they must confront the grieving dead, speak the names of the lost, and learn what a man truly owes to the ground beneath his boots. Praise for The Forgotten Debt: "A haunting, atmospheric Southern Gothic tale of pride, red clay, and the razor-thin line between mercy and violation.” \

by Stephen Sulkey

## The Bayou Girl: A Woman to Die For She lived in the bayou until she could no longer tolerate the evil that men do. For more than two centuries, Bedelia Marie Dubois has hidden from the world, living alone among the swamps and ancient oaks of coastal Louisiana. To those few who know the old legends, she is little more than a whispered ghost—a beautiful woman seen only at night, leaving behind unanswered questions and the bodies of those who deserved far worse. When a series of brutal crimes draws innocent people into her world, Bedelia can no longer remain an observer. Forced to choose between the secrecy that has protected her for generations and the justice that demands action, she begins a dangerous crusade against killers, predators, and those who believe the weak exist only to be exploited. As detectives, scholars, and powerful enemies close in, Bedelia discovers that the greatest threat is not her own immortal nature, but an ancient evil that has begun to stir in the shadows. To confront it, she must decide whether redemption is still possible for a creature long believed to be damned. Set against the haunting beauty of the Louisiana bayous, *The Bayou Girl: A Woman to Die For* is a Southern Gothic thriller that blends supernatural suspense, mystery, horror, and moral complexity into the story of a vampire who has chosen to become humanity's unlikely guardian. Sometimes the most dangerous monster... is the one trying to save you.

by Ernest Keith Adams

In December of 1811 and January of 1812, a massive quake known as the New Madrid Earthquake shook the Midwest.  The Quake was centered under the Missouri town of New Madrid, thus the name. It was so strong that it caused church bells to ring in Boston mass, over 1100 miles away. At that time the Mississippi river flowed backwards, and the earth split open swallowing many homes and pioneers. If it were to occur again today many cities would crumble. Very few buildings are built to withstand a quake of that magnitude, and millions of people now live on top of this earthquake zone. Scientists tell us it is not a matter of if, but when. It will happen again. Perhaps this story is an omen of what could happen, When It All Falls Down.

by Traci Lambert

The Mirror of Mild Inconvenience Arthur didn't mean to buy a haunted smart-mirror. He had simply wanted something to fill the blank space above his dresser, and the eccentric old man at the garage sale had a very reasonable twenty-dollar price tag on a sleek, brass-bordered glass panel. "It's adaptive," the old man had whispered, tossing in a microfiber cloth for free. "It reflects more than just your face." Arthur had assumed it was just a fancy way of saying it had a built-in ring light. He was wrong. Day 1: The Meet-Cute (With a Piece of Glass) On Tuesday morning, Arthur stood before the mirror, toothbrush in hand, wearing his favorite faded green t-shirt. He blinked. The mirror didn't just blink back; it displayed glowing, elegant text across his chest: &gt; CRITICAL ERROR: Shirt selection is approximately six years past its expiration date. Recommend immediate disposal or transition to "rag status." &gt; Arthur nearly swallowed his toothpaste. He tapped the glass. "Excuse me?" The text dissolved, replaced by a fresh, glowing line: &gt; Sigh. Yes, I can talk. Or write, technically. Also, your left eyebrow is doing something deeply ambitious today. Please tame it. &gt; Day 3: The Negotiation By Thursday, Arthur and the mirror had established a fragile truce. He learned its name was Speculum-9 (or "Specs" for short), a prototype home-assistant that had been discontinued for being "insufficiently sycophantic." "You could just tell me I look nice today," Arthur muttered, trying to tie a tie for a big meeting. &gt; I could also tell you that gravity is optional, but we would both be living a lie. That knot looks like a cry for help. Start over. &gt; "I'm going for 'effortlessly disheveled,'" Arthur argued. &gt; You have achieved "struggling to survive." Try a simple Windsor. And put down the hair gel. You are not a 90s boyband member. &gt; Day 10: The Big Pitch The real test came a week later. Arthur had a major presentation at work. He was pacing his bedroom floor, sweating through his collar, frantically reciting his opening lines. He stopped in front of Specs, his shoulders slumped. "I'm going to ruin this," Arthur said, the anxiety finally breaking through his usual sarcasm. "I'm not cut out for public speaking. I'm just a guy who writes spreadsheets." The glass remained dark for a long moment. Then, the text began to scroll, slower and softer than usual: &gt; Analyzing posture: Rigid. &gt; Heart rate: Elevated. &gt; Self-esteem: Unwarrantedly low. &gt; Correction: You spent three weeks analyzing the Q4 data. You know it better than anyone in that room. Your slides are clean, your logic is sound, and your suit—while slightly snug in the shoulders—makes you look like someone who actually owns a savings account. &gt; Now, go put on your shoes. You're going to crush them. &gt; Arthur stared at the glass. A tiny, glowing smiley face appeared in the bottom right corner. "Thanks, Specs," he murmured, actually smiling. &gt; Don't get mushy. It smudges the glass. And seriously, buy a lint roller on the way home. &gt;

by Nikki Rollingwood

**A luxury campus. Perfect smiles. And a lens that sees the monsters hiding behind them.** For seventeen-year-old Jazlynn, Horizon Academy isn’t a prestigious reform school—it’s a prison. Shipped off to the sun-drenched Florida coast by well-meaning relatives after her parents’ sudden, unexplained car crash, she is instantly suffocated by the school’s eerie perfection. The students are robotic. The rules are absolute. The smiles are empty. But on her birthday, Jazlynn receives a final, smuggled gift from her parents: a high-end digital camera. When she looks through the viewfinder, the perfect facade shatters. On the playback screen, her flawless roommate is missing her eyes—replaced by light-absorbing, hollow black voids. To the naked eye, she looks normal. But the camera reveals a terrifying truth: the student body, the local police, and the entire town have been hollowed out from the inside. Desperate to survive and find answers, Jazlynn joins the school yearbook committee to carry her camera in plain sight. But as she digs deeper into her parents' final, encrypted files, she uncovers a horrifying legacy. Her parents didn't die in an accident. They were murdered to drag her here, directly into the jaws of a parasitic cult led by the elegant, shadow-eyed Dean Lamia Maras. Scheduled as the next harvest, Jazlynn has only one play left. She must expose the horror to the entire school—or lose her soul to the dark.

by Nikki Rollingwood

**In the shadow of the Blackbear Ridge peaks, nothing is ever truly accidental—especially not the death that just made headlines.** Georgia, the voice behind the true-crime podcast *The Anatomy of Malice*, has spent years dissecting the dark underbelly of human nature. But when a "freak" avalanche at a luxury resort kills a high-profile guest, Georgia discovers a detail the authorities missed: a surgical, artificial incision along the mountain’s crest. She hasn’t found a tragic coincidence. She’s found a signature. As she digs deeper, Georgia realizes the avalanche wasn’t an act of nature—it was an act of design. The architect behind it is someone who doesn’t just plan the tragedy; she curates the audience, and Georgia has been cast in the starring role. When a rare, vintage brooch is left behind as a deliberate taunt, Georgia finds herself trapped in a high-stakes game where every move she makes—and every step she takes to uncover the truth—is exactly what the Architect anticipated. Forced to abandon her digital life and go into hiding, Georgia realizes that to stop the next "accident," she has to stop playing detective and start playing the Architect’s own game. Caught between the secrets of her own family’s business and a predator who is rewriting her life in real-time, Georgia must determine if she can break the pattern before the final act of the performance begins. **In this chilling psychological thriller, the lines between storyteller and victim blur. In the game of *The Anatomy of Malice*, the pen is sharper than any blade—and the Architect is always watching.**

by Nikki Rollingwood

*Myths, Magic, and Mayhem* is a series where beauty is dangerous, loyalty is binding, and magic grows like roots beneath the skin. Each story follows characters who stumble into ancient rituals, living folklore, and towns that remember more than people do. In these pages, myths breathe, magic bites, and mayhem blooms quietly, creating an atmosphere of suspense and peril that keeps readers on edge.

by Sax Rohmer

In Sax Rohmer’s 1930 sci-fi thriller, **journalist Brian Woodville investigates strange vampiric phenomena and giant bats in Germany's Black Forest**. He discovers these are illusions created by a mad scientist named Anubis—aided by the dapper detective Gaston Max—who threatens to use a devastating death ray to conquer the globe. The narrative centers on a dark conspiracy operating out of a hidden fortress called Felsenweir. Initially, the novel masquerades as a supernatural tale about vampires and armor-clad men roaming castle walls.

by Oriyomi Ismail

When Jason Carter arrives in Houston searching for a better future, the last thing he expects is to become entangled in the world of billionaire Richard Blackwood. After unknowingly saving Blackwood’s life, Jason is drawn into a dangerous web of wealth, corporate power, family betrayal, and long-buried secrets. As hidden truths begin to surface, Jason discovers that the greatest inheritance is not money, but the burden of a legacy built on sacrifice, deception, and blood. With powerful enemies closing in and every decision carrying life-or-death consequences, he must fight for his future while uncovering the truth about his past. **BLOOD MONEY** is a BOOKY Award-winning crime thriller filled with suspense, emotional twists, unforgettable characters, and shocking revelations that will keep readers turning pages until the very end. Its feature screenplay adaptation was officially selected by the ICJ International Film Awards.

by A.S Thomas

YellowJackets meets S.T.A.G.S. The Alpha Society has been an elite presence in YoungBlood, TX for over 100 years. There are two ways you live in this town either be at the top of the food chain and live a life of luxury as an Alpha. Or serve an Alpha at the bottom of the food chain as an Omega. One woman's ambition will leave a whole town on it's knees.

by Nikki Rollingwood

In the secluded, fog-drenched town of Oakhaven, Louisiana, a single ritual—and a single mistake—bound Elara, Maren, and Sloane together for life. But this wasn't just a bond of friendship; it was a pact signed in the shadows, fueled by a parasitic curse that feeds only on the secrets they keep. As the lines between sisterhood and survival blur, the truth begins to unravel. The elders are closely watching as the shadows tighten, and the discovery of a sleeper agent hidden within their inner circle threatens to fracture everything they’ve carefully built. *The Blood Sister Curse* is a journey into the dark heart of supernatural noir. It’s a story of loyalty, betrayal, and the terrifying realization that the monsters you fear most are the ones standing closest to you. How far will you go to survive when your own blood turns against you?

by Amber Faith Robbins

​This poem captures the brutal reality of loving someone through a timed jail call. It turns the phone itself into a cage, trapping the person on the outside in the exact same sentence. The narrative looks back at a chaotic street past, showing how their fierce loyalty was forged in the trenches. Everything builds to that ruthless 60-second countdown where love, regret, and survival are forced into a mad dash. When the line drops, it leaves a cold, heavy silence where the entire world is put on hold.

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 Ashti Buttafuco

Kelly and her tactical team are Briefed in Lies and are sent out to hunt and dangerous cryptid but soon discover the suits lied to them. Confused she soon discovers they are being hunted by a Skin Walker. Will Kelly be able to keep herself and her team alive? Find out by reading Briefed in Lies.

by Bryce Davidson

In 1976, 16 year old Melanie Taylor was brutally murdered and raped. In 2016 Detective Bill Jennings investigates this cold case-with help from the victim.

by Gina Murdock

Investigative journalist Mara Reynolds has built her career on uncovering the truth, but she's about to discover that her own life is built on lies. When Mara interviews billionaire tech entrepreneur Elijah Williams about his revolutionary energy project, the Prometheus Initiative, she's drawn to his charisma and vision. As their professional relationship evolves into something more intimate, Mara begins experiencing disturbing fragments of memories she can't explain—nightmares about guns, blood, and a murder she witnessed as a child. But every time Mara gets close to remembering the truth, something pulls her back. Therapy sessions with Dr. Catherine Reeves seem to help at first, but soon Mara realizes she's been manipulated in ways she never imagined. The "random" mugging that traumatized her wasn't random at all. Her mother's early-onset dementia may not be natural. And the gaps in her own memory aren't accidents—they're erasures. As Mara digs deeper, she uncovers a horrifying conspiracy: twelve years ago, she witnessed the murder of Elijah's parents by his younger brother David. To protect his family's reputation and his brother from prosecution, Elijah hired a pioneering neurologist to erase Mara's memories. But this wasn't a one-time intervention—Elijah has been manipulating her memories for over a decade, erasing and rewriting her reality every time she gets too close to the truth. The Prometheus Initiative isn't just about clean energy. It's a cover for something far more sinister: a facility where Elijah has perfected the technology to manipulate human memories on a massive scale. Mara is just one of seventeen victims whose lives have been systematically erased and rewritten. Now, as fragments of her true past surface, Mara must race against time to expose Elijah before he can erase her again—permanently. But with her best friend compromised, her mother's mind destroyed, and powerful forces aligned against her, Mara faces an impossible question: How do you fight someone who can rewrite your reality with the touch of a button?

by Sammie Settlemire

Sorenson: 9th & Ash follows a woman standing at the fault line between her past and the world she refuses to inherit. In a neighborhood where every street remembers what you survived, Sorenson becomes a mythic‑surreal portrait of resilience — a story where trauma has teeth, hope has a spine, and the ordinary corners of 9th & Ash crack open to reveal the strange magic of rebuilding a life from the ruins.

by M. leFevre

Twenty-five kids hold the genetic blueprint for immortality, and the government will do anything to get it. Trapped on an island in a neon cage on Sebaceous Island, they face deadly external threats and a vicious internal power struggle. Marco, the leader, fights desperately to lead them, but the greatest danger is Johar, jealous of power, a threat lurking from within. Yet, the ultimate prize is Hibis—the youngest, whose cells possess the most sought-after power of all. If the government captures even one of them, they will mass-produce a weapon capable of wiping out the rest of the underground.

by Nicole Price

by L.A. Peña

Kaelin was bred for control, a subject engineered with a fragile spine augmented by ruthless technology. When the Cradle burns and her world shatters, she escapes into the inhospitable wasteland of Ashkaru with a silent, feverish child whose eyes see too much. The Drifting Truth, an old patched ship, becomes her sanctuary - but the Core reclamation teams are relentless, their reach stretching into the broken edges of space. As alliances shift and secrets emerge, Kaelin must navigate a maze of trust, technology, and survival. Will she protect those she loves, or become the weapon they made her to be?

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 Sarah Bantu

Before the celebrations and legends, Patrick tells a story of captivity, escape, and faith.   Taken from his home and carried across the sea, a young Patricius must endure enslavement in Ireland and find a way to survive. As he journeys toward freedom and eventually returns to the land where he was held, hardship and faith shape the man he becomes.   Saint Patrick is a first-person creative historical narrative that draws on historical sources, including Patrick’s Confession, and imagines dialogue, emotions, and events to bring his story to life.

by Fergus Hume

Archie Hope is desperately trying to win the approval of the irascible Professor Braddock so he can marry the professor's ward, Lucy Kendal. To satisfy the professor's archaeological obsession, Archie procures a rare and valuable Incan mummy. When the packing crate containing the artifact finally arrives at the professor's estate, the mummy has mysteriously vanished and been replaced by the murdered body of the assistant sent to fetch it. Detective Inspector Heatherstone takes on the confounding case. With the assistant dead, Archie immediately becomes a prime suspect in the crime, throwing his engagement to Lucy into jeopardy. As the detective delves into the investigation, he discovers a bizarre cast of characters. The story becomes a thrilling cat-and-mouse game involving the cursed or uncanny reputation of the mummy, hidden motives within the household, and multiple twists before the real killer is finally exposed and justice is served.

by J. Magdaleno

*Dear Reader,* *As you turn these pages, step not forward—but back. This story does not continue from the world you last left behind in Shattered Myths – Broken Worlds. It returns to an earlier hour, to the quiet fractures and hidden moments that shaped the man known as Azure Creed.* *Here, you will meet him before the weight of destiny fully settles on his shoulders—formed by blood and loyalty, by secrets kept and choices made in shadow. This novel is not a sequel but a reckoning with beginnings. Within these pages lie the sparks of ambition, the first betrayals, and the truths that would one day ripple outward, altering lives, bloodlines, and the balance of power itself.* *What you discover here may unsettle what you believe you know—about Azure, the Elders, and the forces moving unseen behind the world you have already glimpsed.* *Tread carefully. The past shows no mercy and offers no forgiveness. It gives birth to every legend—and sets the end in motion long before anyone sees it coming.* *Welcome to the **beginning.***  ***The novel is complete with all 27 chapters available.***

by Bette Bollia Flesch

by Terrance Leon Austin

A family arrives in the town of Harmony, encountering ominous religious signs and an unwelcoming resident. While the parents remain oblivious to their daughter's worsening health, a distorted welcome sign hints at the town's underlying danger.

by D. K. Dowdy

Kade Rourke has a reputation across the Verse as the **worst smuggler alive**. When a job goes sideways, Kade bolts for the farthest place in civilization: **New Eden Station**, a rusted atmo‑outpost clinging to the edge of the Empty. From the moment his shuttle drops out of FTL in a shower of sparks and panic, nothing goes right. The station is a maze of broken systems, predatory officials, and species who’d sell their own lungs for a handful of credits. Worse, the Pinkertons are already hunting him. But trouble finds him first, and unfortunately, the universe hates him.

by Sarah Bantu

Forget the green beer. Forget the plastic shamrocks. Forget the myths of little green creatures and fairy tales.\ Long before he became a legend, he was just Patricius an arrogant, wealthy sixteen year old Roman British boy who cared about nothing but his own comfort. But when brutal Irish raiders tear through his home, his world is violently shattered. Dragged across the sea in chains, Patricius is sold into slavery, stripped of his name, and left to survive the freezing winters of a wild, pagan land.\ Forced to herd sheep on a desolate mountain, the terrified boy must either break under the cruelty of his captors or forge himself into something unbreakable.\ *The Confessio* is the raw, cinematic, untold true story of Saint Patrick. From a daring, near-impossible two hundred mile escape to a powerful, miraculous return to the very land that enslaved him, this is an epic tale of survival, grit, and a faith that would forever transform a nation.

by Terrance Leon Austin

THE STORY AT A GLANCE   Holder Williston is a young Black man freshly off probation — smart, guarded, carrying the weight of choices that cost him years and the absence of a mother who was never really there. The judge who released him calls in one favor: drive four terminally ill women on a road trip they have planned for themselves. Holder expects a simple job. What he gets are four women who see straight through every wall he has ever built.   The story is short. The impact is not.   Every mile of the road trip costs Holder something — his defenses, his cynicism, his conviction that he is not the kind of man people love. Every woman gives him something in return — honesty, warmth, correction, laughter, and the specific gift of being mothered by someone who chose to mother him even though they had every reason to spend their remaining time on something else.   When the last woman is gone and Holder is standing alone at the end of the road, he is a different man. Not because life got easier. Because four women showed him what it meant to live toward something, face death without flinching, and love without conditions — and he watched all of it up close from the driver's seat.   He never had a mother. He got four. And then he had to let all four go.   That grief, and the man it makes him, is the whole story

by Mikaela Love

Marian Michaels spends her nights singing in New Orleans jazz clubs and her days chasing the career she has always wanted. After witnessing a violent attack that appears to target Black residents, she finds herself frustrated by a lack of evidence and official inaction. Unwilling to let the incident go, Marian begins investigating on her own. As more attacks occur across the city, Marian adopts the masked identity of The Butterfly and follows a trail of intimidation, recruitment, and organized violence. What begins as a single assault soon points to a coordinated movement gaining influence in New Orleans. Balancing her growing music career, complicated relationships, and increasingly dangerous investigations, Marian must decide how far she is willing to go to stop it. Set in New Orleans, The Butterfly is a grounded crime drama that blends vigilante fiction, mystery, and noir with the city’s music scene and culture.

by Scott Zimmerman

This will surely be one of the greatest stories you will ever read. He endured years of genocide, brutal Nazi forced labor, Allied bombings, and Soviet enslavement. It's 1946. To escape the Soviet secret police, he must choose between the only thing he's ever wanted and a promise he cannot break. It will require incredible grit and wit.\ You've got to see what happens in the thrilling finish.\ **KOSTYA is an epic story about love, war, endurance, and integrity.** **5-STAR PRAISE for KOSTYA...**\ This powerful World War II novel delivers a deeply personal and harrowing account of survival, resilience, and the human spirit under unimaginable conditions. From the very first pages, the\ writing pulls you into Kostya’s world with vivid, unflinching detail. KOSTYA is a well-written, emotionally intense novel that I couldn’t put down. If you’re looking for a World War II\ survival story that is raw, realistic, and unforgettable, this book is absolutely worth your time.\ **Reviewed by Don Jung, Underrated Reads** \ If you are looking for a historical novel flavored with drama, thrills, gritty realism, and suspense, KOSTYA is a must-read. Here, Zimmerman weaves a compelling, visceral tale of survival, resilience, love, sheer luck, fate, and sacrifices. The raw, dynamic prose transported me back to the 1930s-40s Europe, giving me a glimpse of the harsh circumstances Ukrainians faced under Stalin’s rule and World War II.\ The vivid imagery captured the setting and mood with cinematic precision. As I followed the events from the famine to Mariupol’s invasion, and Kostya’s stints in the German and Russian labor camps, I got a clear image of the suffering that innocent casualties of the war were exposed to. I must applaud Zimmerman for delivering this heart-stopping and incredible\ story in such an intriguing way. It would make a great historical movie. I will definitely read this story again. I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment.\ **Reviewed by Keith Mbuya for Readers’ Favorite**   You will instantly form a connection with the characters in this book. The tensions they feel pours off the pages and directly into your heart. You will grieve with their losses, and feel their\ excitement when they evade the inquisitors.\ **5-Star Amazon Review**   The prose is strong. The descriptions in particular enchanted me. I felt like I was in each place Kostya visited. The author really did a good job presenting the world of the time periods. Dialogue is also quite good. Conversations flowed well, and the difference in speaking voices between characters was quite fun to read. … In summary, this is a fun and exciting read.\ **Reviewed by GrimDaniel Blog**   The final part of the book is the most gripping and exhibits a detailed knowledge and understanding of the way a regime driven by fear and corruption enables ruthless individuals to\ cover up the most heinous wrongdoing. Throughout the book Kostya's sense of integrity and his dedication to the values instilled in him by his parents and grandparents are foremost. Often tested to near destruction, his will to persevere in his quest to return to Mariupol and discover if his family have survived remains central to his every action. In the final stages it is strengthened, but not derailed, by the love of a young woman who assists his escape from the Russian authorities. She is just one of several well drawn characters who play key roles in Kostya's journey. Whether supportive or determined to out-manoeuvre him, they are all fully developed individuals. There are no obvious stereotypes.\ **Reviewed by Frank Parker, Rosie's Blog**   Kostya by Scott Zimmerman is a powerful historical fiction novel inspired by the true story of Konstantin “Kostya” Lysenko. The ending is extremely beautiful. It does not erase what has\ happened, but it gives the story a rare moment of balance, as if one tiny moral debt can still be corrected in a world that has stolen almost everything. Overall, Kostya is a gripping, humane, and emotionally resonant historical novel about endurance, moral courage, and the cost of\ surviving history’s most brutal machinery. It is painful, vivid, and often difficult to read, but also very worthwhile. Author Zimmerman honours Kostya by showing him as a boy and then a man who keeps choosing life, truth, and home even when every system around him tries to strip those things away.\ **Reviewed by The Reading Bud Blog**

by Ellie A Pinzon

Luna Alvarez and Oliver Cohen were inseparable as children—until their fathers' explosive partnership collapse tore them apart and turned their families into sworn enemies. Now, as rival CEOs of competing New York publishing houses, they've spent years avoiding each other, nursing old wounds, and protecting the legacies their fathers left behind. But when a series of cryptic threats escalates into full-scale corporate sabotage, Luna and Oliver are forced into an uneasy alliance. Someone is systematically destroying both their companies—leaking manuscripts, breaching servers, intercepting shipments—and the attacks are too coordinated, too personal to be coincidence. As danger closes in and attempts on their lives become terrifyingly real, they must confront an impossible truth: the person hunting them knows their families' darkest secrets. Secrets their fathers died protecting. Trapped together in safe houses and forced to trust the one person they swore never to forgive, Luna and Oliver rediscover the connection that once defined them. But their rekindled passion is threatened by devastating revelations about corruption, betrayal, and the sins their fathers committed to build their empires. When the mastermind behind the attacks is finally unmasked, Luna and Oliver face an agonizing choice: protect their fathers' legacies, or expose the truth and risk losing everything—including each other. As layers of deception peel away and new threats emerge from the shadows, they discover that some enemies are closer than they ever imagined, and some truths are more dangerous than any lie. **WHEN EMPIRES FALL** is a pulse-pounding romantic thriller that explores the collision of love and loyalty, ambition and integrity, vengeance and redemption. Set against the cutthroat backdrop of New York City's publishing industry, this enemies-to-lovers second chance romance delivers high-stakes suspense, emotional depth, and the kind of chemistry that burns through every page. Perfect for readers who crave corporate intrigue, family drama, and the question of whether love can survive when built on the ruins of betrayal. **Can two people haunted by their fathers' sins build something true? Or will the weight of legacy destroy their second chance at love?** *A standalone contemporary romance with mystery, suspense, and a guaranteed happily ever after.* **Content Warning:** Contains themes of grief, corporate corruption, violence (including kidnapping and physical threats), and adult romantic content.

by Gina Murdock

Investigative journalist Mara Reynolds has spent her career uncovering the truth. However, she never expected the biggest lie to be her own life. \ After interviewing billionaire tech entrepreneur Elijah Williams about his groundbreaking project, the Prometheus Initiative, Mara finds herself drawn to his intelligence, charm, and influence. At first, everything seems normal. But soon, disturbing fragments of memory begin to surface—visions of blood, fear, and a childhood event she cannot fully remember. \ As the nightmares grow stronger, Mara turns to therapy for answers. Instead, she uncovers something far more terrifying. The gaps in her memory are not accidents—they are erasures. \ Someone has been rewriting her past. \ As a result, Mara is forced to question everything: her childhood, her relationships, and even the man she is falling for. The deeper she digs, the more dangerous the truth becomes. Because someone has been controlling her memories for over a decade. \ And the man she trusts most may be the one behind it all. Perfect for readers who love: - Psychological thrillers with shocking twists - Stories about memory manipulation and identity - Suspenseful books like The Silent Patient and Gone Girl - Fast-paced thrillers with unreliable truths - Dark secrets, conspiracies, and emotional suspense

by LESLIE ANN HOWARD

Darcie Reynolds never wants to be picked on again. If she can just get into the Peaks—the most popular group at Silver Pines Middle—no one will dare make fun of her.  So when Amelia Davis, the girl everyone wants to impress, finally notices her, Darcie will do anything to prove she belongs—even follow a mysterious invitation into the woods.  At sundown, Darcie—her little brother Andrew in tow—hikes to an abandoned cabin in the Bitterroot forest, expecting a party. Instead, she walks into a prank that turns deadly when a man covered in animal hides bursts in and disappears with Andrew.  Darcie is convinced it’s the Shadow Man—an urban legend she’s been researching for her civics project, blamed for kidnapping local children. She’d always believed he was innocent.  Clearly, She was wrong.  Now, lost in a snowstorm, Darcie is forced to team up with Amelia to find Andrew. But the deeper they get into the mystery of the Shadow Man, the less the story adds up—and the harder it becomes for Darcie to decide what’s more dangerous: being wrong about the Shadow Man… or being right.

by Ashleigh Apple

Nora Bliss moves into a rental on a picture-perfect suburban street in **Harwick, Connecticut**. On her first night, she notices that the upstairs window of the house directly across the street (the **Hargrove residence)** glows at exactly 3am, every night, without fail. The neighbours say the Hargroves are lovely, their daughter Celeste moved to Portland months ago, and that light is just a timer lamp. Nora almost believes them. Then, one night, the silhouette in the window presses a hand against the glass. And waves back.

by Paul Blakemore

**In a society that has outlawed unsanctioned stories to prevent another Age of Division, a public Redaction is broadcast across every screen: a silent figure vanishes mid-song. Far from the city, an old man wakes a child and begins an unfinished tale about a girl living on a ledge at the bottom of a well and a bird that speaks one forbidden sentence. The child continues the story in secret, writing by night and hiding the pages beneath a loose floorboard. What begins as private wonder becomes inheritance, then risk, as friendship, family history, and the Order’s quiet machinery of “wellness” inquiries close in. When the only way to protect the tale is to let it travel, the child and those who love them must decide whether a story that exists in more than one place can survive the people who first told it. A taut, lyrical novel about the cost of silence and the stubborn persistence of the unfinished story.**

by J. J. Roig

The Knightmares were once hundreds strong: human vigilantes mutated by vampiric blood, forged to hunt the corrupt. Now only five remain, hunted by the Paladins, a holy order devoted to human supremacy. \ Knightmare Jevan lives by a code: Don’t care. Get paid. Heroics are how Knightmares become martyrs. When Jevan’s team takes a contract to rescue a nobleman’s sister, kidnapped by Paladins, a bloodbath ensues when the nobleman transforms into a wolfborn. Even so, the surviving Paladins escape with his sister. The mission has failed. No gold. Just carnage. Disappearing is the smart move, until Jevan faces the nobleman, on his knees, begging to save his sister. Jevan decides to rescue her, telling the Knightmares it’s just for gold, and trying to believe it himself.\ Paladin Eriken just watched Knightmares and a wolfborn butcher his comrades. His rage hardens into renewed devotion to his oath. Obedience is justice; doubt is heresy. But when the Paladins he idolizes pardon a confessed rapist, and torture an elf woman before a jeering crowd, that righteousness curdles into disillusionment. Defying the Order is apostasy, punishable by death, but remaining silent means he’s complicit. If he breaks his oath, his life is forfeit.\ As Jevan’s contract puts him directly in Eriken’s path, Knightmare and Paladin blades clash in a struggle that could doom the last Knightmares to martyrdom and brand Eriken an apostate. Survival demands a betrayal of creed and comrades neither is prepared to commit.

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 Erin Page

When open portals lead to new worlds, can one young woman find the way to truth?\ \ As a curator for the memorial site of the Novus Rimegate Disaster, Vinnia Hoff has heard all the stories of the people who died there decades ago. The Antonians were a sadistic cult of misfits, whose rash of terror only ended when they tried to destroy the newest portal in Cypria, and it collapsed around them. Many years later, the city mages have finally rebuilt the portal to great fanfare--but just as Cyprians gather to finally access the realm they never got to know, someone comes through from the other side. He comes with a new story to tell, and Vinnia may be the only one who can hear it.

by Ken Cressman

by J.A. St. Thomas

***Foray* into this *highly* entertaining and thrilling mystery series where Stephanie Beroe, risks everything to combat the dark side of the one percent.**

by J.A. St. Thomas

***Foray* into this *highly* entertaining and thrilling mystery series where Stephanie Beroe, risks everything to combat the dark side of the one percent.** After surviving an incident last year against the ultra-rich, Stephanie and Remy Beroe have relocated to a quiet town outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico with the hope of a simple life. But burgeoning anger consumes her husband. He becomes obsessed by the billionaires that literally got away with murder last year. His preoccupation grows as the same privileged men continue to profit from their greed in an off-kilter world. “Never plan a murder out loud,” he states while plying Stephanie with endless safety gadgets; tokens of his mania, and comparing regulations for legal cannabis to nuclear energy. When bodies start turning up, he’s questioned by the police, then nuclear transport trucks start blowing up, dismantling cities and killing thousands of people. Stephanie contemplates whether this is masked hysteria? A terrorist act? Or simply her man gone over the edge. While empowering a unique group of friends, she constructs the ultimate Dantean retribution for the men who have driven her husband mad, while attempting to save Remy from himself? *Fool Me Once* female grit meets *Ocean’s Thirteen* flare and ingenuity speckled with Amelia Peabody, and Agatha Christie back bone.  As usual, Stephanie surrounds herself with a unique friend group that includes a college bestie also from New Jersey, a media mogul, a billionaire’s discarded son, an Egyptian Empire’s, discarded lesbian daughter, an industry scion, and several survivors from the previous year’s incident who all have reasons to be angry. Hiding in Egypt, they all have reasons to seek revenge– but retribution, as Stephanie realizes is a double-edged sword as she weighs out everything they stand to lose, by delivering it.

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.

by Amelie Locke

The **Renfield Academy Series** is a gothic, dark academia paranormal romance that follows mind-reader Seraphina Gray as she is thrust into a world of vampires, witches, and shapeshifters. While she is initially horrified to learn she is a familiar destined to serve the very vampires who attacked her, she soon discovers she possesses unheard-of powers that make her unique in the supernatural realm. Caught between two worlds, Seraphina faces a devastating choice for her heart. She is inexplicably drawn to Henry, a darkly handsome vampire hell-bent on revenge, yet she remains tethered to Nicholas, her first love who it turns out, belongs to the legendary Van Helsing clan. As a century-old treaty between vampires and the Van Helsing hunter clan begins to fail, Seraphina Gray finds herself at the center of a brewing war. To stop it, she must navigate a dangerous world where no one is who they seem. Her journey will take her from Renfield Academy to the heart of Romania to uncover the truth behind her connection to the original Renfield, Dracula’s servant and the first vampire familiar. To survive, Seraphina must decide where she truly belongs and which of the two men she is destined to love will stand by her side when the final battle begins.

by Marcus Redfield

**Elena Vance** has worked at The Threshold for twelve years. Her job: monitoring for breaches and coordinating containment. She's good at it—clinical, efficient, detached. She's seen reality fold in on itself, watched people forget impossible things they witnessed, helped smooth over the seams. She believes in the mission: consensus must be maintained, or everything falls apart. Then her daughter starts drawing things that haven't happened yet. At first, Elena rationalizes. Children have active imaginations. The drawings are coincidences. But the details are too precise, the events too specific. Her daughter isn't predicting the future—she's *choosing* it. Believing it into existence with the unshakeable conviction only a child possesses. According to Threshold protocol, Elena knows exactly what must be done with individuals who can unilaterally reshape reality. She's ordered it herself, dozens of times. Now she has to decide: protect the consensus that keeps the world stable, or protect her daughter from the organization Elena has served her entire adult life. As Elena digs deeper, she discovers her daughter may not be an anomaly at all—but the result of deliberate manipulation. Someone is awakening Believers. And Elena's daughter might be the first success in a plan to unmake everything The Threshold has built.