The Summer Based Book Sale (2024)

Time for the Summer Based Book Sale!

Bypass the cultural gatekeeping, support non-woke authors, and get yourself some great books from both established and emerging talent for only $0.99 – many titles free – but only for one week! The sale starts today, Wednesday June 19, 2024, and it runs through Tuesday June 25, 2024.

Support non-woke authors and get yourself some great books from both established and emerging talent for only $0.99 – many titles free! It’s a limited time offer, available only for a week, featuring more than seventy different titles, including a dozen new to the sale.

Participating authors include Kyle Adams, Tony Andarian, M.D. Boncher, V.A. Boston, Leigh Brackett, Henry Brown, Timo Burnham, Jacob Calta, Blake Carpenter, Matthew J. Carran, Paul Clayton, J.D. Cowan, Travis J.I. Corcoran, Theodore D. C. Cox, Milo James Fowler, Karl Gallagher, Shinichi Haku, Eric M. Hamilton, Frederick Gero Heimbach, Robert E. Howard, Daniel Humphreys, The Brothers K, Michael R. Kayser, Joseph L. Kellogg, Fred Key, L.S. King, Black Knight, Michael Lacoy, L. Jagi Lamplighter, N.R. LaPoint, David Lindsay, Frank B. Luke, Michael P. Marpaung, T.J. Marquis, Jim Melvin, Yakov Merkin, Richard Nichols, Chance Paladin, Thomas Plutarch, Matthew Olney, John Reilly, Hans G. Schantz, Kris Schnee, Richard Sezov, R.H. Snow, Steve Stark, Kalkin Trivedi, S.C. Vincent, David Vining, Eric Waag, Allison Wade, Thomas J. Weiss, Fenton Wood, John C. Wright.

Authors, want to be added to the sale? Or did I miss your request? Comment here.

Many titles are full length novels. Others are novellas, short story collections, or individual short stories, and pricing is set by the authors. Read the descriptions carefully before buying.

Don’t forget to leave a comment to tell us which of these great deals you particularly recommend and why. And subscribe to stay in the loop on future sales and based book news.

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Read on for some great values on based books, all $0.99 or free!

A Voyage to Arcturus
by David Lindsay

A Voyage to Arcturus is a remarkable work of science fiction that has inspired, mesmerised, and unnerved readers for decades. It is an epic voyage over one of the strangest and most beautifully imagined alien planets ever imagined, a profoundly affecting exploration of the philosophical centre of the cosmos, and a startlingly personal adventure into what makes us human and special.

A guy from Earth named Maskull wakes up alone and burned by the suns of the double star Arcturus on the planet Tormance after an odd intergalactic adventure. As he travels north, led by a drumbeat, he encounters a world and its people unlike any other, where gender is a victory won at great cost, where landscape and emotion are drawn into a cursed dance, where heroes are killed, reborn, and renamed, and where the cosmological lures of Shaping, who may be God, torment Maskull in his incredible journey. A terrible secret and an astonishing surprise are waiting for him at the end of his difficult and more mysterious quest.

David Lindsay (1878–1945) published his first book, A Voyage to Arcturus, which is now regarded as a masterpiece of science fiction.

“It is with no fear of serious contradiction that I call A Voyage to Arcturus the most imaginative in literature. No mainstream book can compare for sheer, headlong imagination with a science fiction book, because imagination is the stock-in-trade of science fiction. Mainstream books may be more realistic, possess a more tightly woven plot, or enjoy characters more true to life, but no one will seriously maintain the sensation of sheer awe and wonder which springs out of science fiction to have any superior in the mainstream.”
Comments and review by John C. Wright

Starshatter
by Black Knight

Space can be very intimidating, especially if you are three feet tall and weigh at best forty pounds. He chuckled at his own facial expression reflecting on the inside of his helmet, and corrected his escape pod’s trajectory with the last drops of fuel. Were they drops? Most probably not. It was outer space, and the pod’s gravity plating was long drained out of power. So, blobs? Perhaps, or maybe the fuel tank had some device that enabled it to utilize even the last bits of fuel remaining. He just had to check that. His tiny frame would allow him to do so. The hamster began imagining how exactly he would crawl through the engine exhaust chamber and disassemble the fuel injector to reach the fuel tank, if he were to follow his curiosity...

Starshatter is the first book of a new, vibrant and exciting space opera series inspired by 80's Sci-fi.

It is the year 2018 by Earth's calendar. The Terran Imperial Minarchy faces enemies on all sides and has but a few precious allies. Its small, decimated by a previous pirate invasion population, is now strengthened by a multitude of uplifted animal species. The humans and their newly created brothers in sentience chose to colonize Fringe Space - a large expanse rife with piracy, slavery and a multitude of other dangers. Ruled by arrogant Pirate Lords and drug running Cartels, its current masters are poised to permanently deal with the uppity, freedom-loving Terrans. Especially those in the employ of the mighty Taz'aran Empire.

The Waking Nightmares (Tales From the Dream Nebula Book 3)
by M. D. Boncher

Welcome back to The Dream Nebula. A place with no stars… no sun… no moon… no Earth. Only the shattered wreckage of the solar system floating in an endless technicolor sky.

After convalescing for a month, Winston and Billy Joe are eager to begin their new job protecting Baron Quentin Junker in his quest to find the lost true history of Earth. They didn’t expect to be thrown into the middle of an ecological catastrophe.

An unknown enemy has unleashed an alien attack upon the moon Puala’Lolo, intent on transforming everything into a new biosphere devoid of all carbon-based life.

Now Winston must lead a confederacy of the Baron’s guardsmen and treacherous skypirates to stop the monsters before they annihilate his new home. Will he come to terms with the discovery that his worst nightmare has come true: someone has tampered with his mind…

…Is it still paranoia if someone is out to get you?

Freelance Minion (Thousand Tales Book 10)
by Kris Schnee (Author)

A Hobby, a Social Network, a Machine's Hidden Agenda

Ramon is a young shopkeeper, a patriot of the Free State of Cuba. When he encounters a video game called Thousand Tales, run by a canny AI, he decides not just to play it but to use it for business and networking. He's an errand-running minion in and out of the game. Sometimes that means serving his character's imaginary dragon master, or solving a real crime, or even a job that crosses over between real Cuba and the virtual world. When he starts to need victory in the AI's contests for desperate personal reasons, can he make his loyal service pay off?

"Freelance Minion" is a stand-alone story in the setting of "Thousand Tales", an optimistic future frontier that combines hard science with the world of gaming. It doesn't require knowledge of the setting. It starts before book 1, "Virtual Horizon", and even intersects with it.

Anomie (Phoenix Rising Online Book 1)
by Shinichi Haku

Come for the triggered NPCs; stay for the interesting in-game world characters!

Earth is on the brink of destruction and will go out with a whimper and not a bang. Intelligent and self-respecting men want out, but when they are given a way out, what will they do with it? When offered a chance in a new world, what will they do with it? How much of the dysfunction is nature, and how much is nurture? Earth cannot be saved, but can this new world be preserved? Or will it suffer the same fate?

Jeffery Anderson has had enough. While life on Earth offers copious amounts of bread and circuses, it does not provide anything more than that. On top of the general feeling of malaise and lack of any real purpose, the entire world is on a snowball's trajectory of self-destruction. All this changed with the announcement of Phoenix Rising Online. While another game would hardly help matters, a conversation with a suspiciously well-informed individual makes him believe the world is far more than just a game. Finally given a worthy goal, he sacrifices everything but himself for it and makes the swap over, choosing to live within this new world instead of Earth permanently. But the world of PRO, while lacking the dishonest problems of Earth, has plenty of honest problems instead and is far from a safe or friendly place despite being generally healthy. Can he answer both the offers and demands it makes of him? Now that he has something worth fighting for and protecting, will he, and how will he? What can change the nature of a man? And will these changes be for the better or for the worse?

Phoenix Rising Online is rated 18+ because it is written for mature audiences. Immature audiences will be triggered by Kitsune waifus, touching fluffy tails, and thot patrolling as well as facts not caring about your feelings.

Trouble In My Day (Fall of the Censor Book 6)
by Karl K. Gallagher

After leading the resistance against the Censorate occupation of his adopted homeworld, Marcus Landry is the natural choice to lead Corwynt’s new ships against the enemy. He’s never commanded a warship before. But his crews are as new on the job, and someone has to be in charge. Cut off by an enemy offensive, Marcus must take his ships behind Censorate lines, fighting to find a way home and find new support for the rebellion.

Read book six in the nine book Fall of the Censor series. The first four books were finalists for the Prometheus Award for Best Libertarian Science Fiction Novel.

Glomar Extractor
by Travis J.I. Corcoran

It was weird how the apocalypse snuck up on you. In the movies, there was always the one big event - the nuclear war, the virus infected monkey that bites the animal rights protester, whatever - and then everything goes to sh*t in the next 15 minutes.

After Moses
by Michael F. Kane

His gruff exterior hides a man who wants to do the right thing. But running from trouble won’t work when the planets need a hero.

Arizona Colony, Mars. Matthew Cole doesn’t want anyone else aboard his ship. But the notorious solo freelancer is persuaded against his better judgment to guard a dangerous prison transport along with an exo-suit-clad former rival. Outmaneuvered when the crook’s cronies spring the inmate with heavy firepower, the poncho-wearing captain vows to scour the solar system to restore his rep and claim his paycheck

Reluctantly banding together with his seven-foot partner in her powered armor, Matthew has his hands full leading an unwanted ragtag crew. But the headache of dealing with people again is nothing next to the prickling between his shoulders as he continues to run afoul of greedy politicians and criminal syndicates.

New Arrivals in Fantasy

Swan Knight's Son (Moth and Cobweb Book 1)
by John C. Wright

Heir to the Sundered Crown
(The Sundered Crown Saga Book 1)
by Matthew Olney

First in a series: The Kingdom of Delfinnia is plunged into darkness after its royal family is assassinated. When Luxon emerges as the first wizard in a century, he’ll have to join a band of noble allies and fulfill his destiny as the prophesied hero. Perfect for fans of Raymond E. Feist!

In the kingdom of Delfinnia, civil war rages as rival barons battle for the crown. But unknown to them, the rightful heir yet lives, hidden away from the conflict. As the war worsens, ancient horrors rise from the Eclin mountains, led by a dark lord intent on destruction.

Enter Luxon, a young man with magical powers and the potential to become a legendary hero. He joins forces with a monster slayer, a witch hunter, and a noble knight to search for the hidden heir and protect the realm from the dark forces threatening to engulf it.

The Heir to the Sundered Crown is a thrilling fantasy adventure filled with action, magic, and unforgettable characters. Join Luxon on his quest to save the kingdom and become the hero the realm needs.

The First Fear (The Empowered Ones Book 1)
by M.S. Olney

Praise for M.S. Olney’s ‘The Empowered Ones Series’
‘A thrilling, action packed Fantasy adventure’ – Damien Larkin
‘Fans of Sanderson will love this one’ – The Bookwrym speaks

In this world Emotions grant incredible powers.

Under the tyrannical grip of the Supreme, the vast Imperium cowers, its citizens shackled by fear and repression. Dreams of liberty have withered for most, buried under the weight of despotism, while potential dissenters lurk silently in the shadows. On the fringes of this oppressive domain, Elian, a young man of unassuming origins, stumbles upon a power within himself that could shift the balance of control.

A dangerous revelation thrusts Elian into the path of the Supreme's most lethal enforcer, compelling him to flee for his life. During his desperate escape, he encounters a band of rebels led by a magnetic leader convinced that the secrets entombed in the ruins of the once-glorious Kingdom of Aeranyth hold the key to their salvation. As Elian joins their perilous quest to unearth these mysteries, he must navigate a maze of challenges. Will he live to ignite the spark of revolution, or will his flame be extinguished in the struggle?

--- Praise for The First Fear---
“This was such a great book! LOVED it!!! Highly recommend!” - Amazon reviewer
"Really good ideas and a fun read!" - Amazon reviewer "Amazing world building" - Amazon reviewer
"Wow I wasn't expecting this book to be so good!" - Good Reads reviewer
"The First Fear is a gripping, action packed tale" - Good Reads reviewer
"Loved how thre magic worked, loved our hero, Elian, can't wait to read more!" - Good Reads reviewer

Answering The Human Question: A Gnome's Essays On Mankind
by The Brothers K

As the Elder Races debate upon humanity's place in the world, a Gnome takes up the pen to tell Mankind's story. His essays abridge a span of ten thousand years, observing Man's rise from their stone age to the brilliant, terrifying present. This is a tale of strife, featuring the rise and fall of empires, ages of dark lords and heroes, and the birth of ingenuity amid bondage—and its consequences.

Weird of the Skull Totem (Skarde: The Wandering Sword Book 2)
by Erik Waag (Author), Krzysztof Jr. Porchowski (Illustrator), Daniel P. Riley (Editor)

Crystal Embers
by David Vining

A civil war ends, and a knight returns home to a land and wife he no longer knows. A wife mourns over her lost child as her husband returns from years of civil strife. Alone, they have nothing, but together perhaps they could rebuild.

Before they can try on their own, though, they encounter a dragon on their land. Swept up in the flying monster's beauty and power, they pack up and leave the home that holds nothing for them anymore.

The pair travel through the war torn countryside, seeing the remnants of violence that plague the land while chasing a dragon that flies above it all.

In a land of dying magic and open wounds, follow the knight and his lady as they search for meaning in a new world for both of them.

365 Infantry: The 2023 Collection
by Jacob Calta (Author, Editor), Kevin Jacob (Illustrator)

"This is a man who has a vision...to bring fun back into your life by any means. Trust me, this is someone you'll be seeing a lot of in the years to come!" - J.D. Cowan, author of The Last Fanatics and The Pulp Mindset

Back behind the wheel are the 25th century's most daring and courageous hounds! With the looming threat of the mad electric machine A.C.E.S., the scum and villainy of the Wastelands, and a mysterious new faction in the ongoing fight for freedom, the 365th Infantry and their many friends and allies are in it up to their necks. But all is not lost, not when these wolves are on the scene!

Writer Jacob Calta returns with another white-knuckled trip through a metalhead power fantasy future, armed with brisk storytelling, stylish prose, an enveloping world, the dynamic art of Kevin John Jacob, and a breathtaking cover illustration by the talented Temiree. Join the daring soldier Gibson, the sage General Knox, the tormented huntress Valentina, the mad-cap vigilante Lita, the wild-eyed lawman Nic, and the scores of colorful canine characters that populate the world of Haven and the Wastelands in 22 electrifying new stories of action, suspense, crime, romance and more.

365 Infantry: The Electric Anthology Volume I
by Jacob Calta

Looking to get lost in the age of sprawling dystopias and wild wolven frontiers? Then this is the book for YOU!

The Short Circuit Revolution (The Roger Steele Adventures Book 1)
by Jacob Calta

Do You Believe in Magic? (Dark Circles Trilogy Book 1)
by Jim Melvin

Dark Circles is the winner of seven prestigious international awards.

Heir to Song and Sword: Breath Singer Saga Book One
by Matthew J. Carran

Striking Chains
by Kris Schnee

Magic isn't for peasants like Dominic. But when his owner throws him into battle against bandits, he learns just enough to save his own life. Unfortunately for him, he loses the privilege of being safe and secure with a master who protects him. Instead, he's taken away from home to join the caste of frightening masked Servants who rule the Holy State.

Soon he understands more of the State's efficient, ruthless ways and visits a neighboring land -- a kingdom with an empty throne. He's tempted to tear off his mask and start a revolution. But will he free his people, or is he just a pawn?

A novel of high magic, war, griffins, clashing religions, and deadly bureaucracy.

A Presidents Day Carol (Presidents of the Uncanny States of America)
by Eric M. Hamilton

Colonial Nightmare
by David Vining

New Arrivals in Action & Adventure

Provoking Fate (Paradox Book 4)
by Henry Brown

Resisting Fate (Paradox Book 5)
by Henry Brown

PNW Affliction 5: Preheated Mountain
by Chance Paladin (Author), Gem Gem (Illustrator)

See Also

Los Defensores Reviews: Exploring a Captivating Superhero SagaJournal articles: 'Indian Point Presbyterian Church' – Grafiati

It's several weeks into the collapse. Defenses in the sub-divisions have held up so far, but a substantial threat looms on the horizon. Is the team ready for its first real test? Pacific Northwest Affliction 5: Preheated Mountain PNW Affliction book #5: Preheated Mountain

Best: Baneberry Hall Book 1
by Frederick Gero Heimbach

As he would be first to admit, Mason Best is a genius. He lied—oops, charmed—his way into Baneberry Hall, the nation’s top prep school, didn’t he? Angel Ferguson, the intimidating student body president, wants him at her side. The headmaster, the trustees, the top jocks: everyone wants a piece of him.

Mason wins at every game he tries—but being best is exhausting. Fortunately, Mason has a tower hideout he shares only with his friends:

Miles Coffin: eccentric boy billionaire, addicted to candy cigarettes

Sapphire Moon: glamour girl, born performer

Eve Shepherd: matriarch of the hideout, with whom Mason is definitely not falling in love

Mason Best: political player – loyal friend. Can Mason be both kinds of person? Can he stay loyal when his political patrons demand he betray the people he loves, one by one?

Mason’s a smart kid. He’ll find a way to make it work. Of course he will. He’s sure of it.

McMann and Wife: A Mystery
by Fred Key

It’s April 1959, and McMann has landed in Southern California, in the bustling town of Dovlin. With his wife, his apartment, and his steady job as a night watchman, it seems like he’s left behind his former life. But he still works as a private investigator on the side, and that’s how the trouble starts.

A family is looking for its missing teenage daughter, and the mother calls McMann for help. The girl does not seem to fit the picture of a runaway—she has a quiet home life and does well in school. As he investigates further, more questions arise. These questions begin to point to a conspiracy within the town—one in which his missing person doesn’t even rate as a pawn.

Or is McMann just becoming paranoid?

In a world of high hopes but atomic fears, a land of dreams and nightmares, McMann will have to think fast to find his missing person—or he might just go missing as well.

What You Meant For Evil
by Theodore D. C. Cox

A sister sold, a father betrayed and a son who can never forgive

No betrayal cuts deeper than family. The favored daughter of wealthy silk-magnate, Yacoob Masoud, Samira lives a life of privilege and dreams of taking over her father’s business. Elder brother, Mahmoud, struggles to earn their father’s love while living under the shadow of a hidden family shame. As they stab and wrestle with one another for Yacoob’s favor, will they go too far and do the unforgivable?

The popular uprising against Syrian dictator Bashir Assad becomes a civil war. Samira and Mahmoud find themselves casualties of their own pride. Is there anyway to recover for their family? And who is the strange prophet haunting Samira's dreams?

"[Mahmoud's] heartbreaking story is gripping, like a train wreck I can't stop reading about."
-- Jesse Simmons

"What You Meant for Evil is a riveting story. It is especially powerful as it illustrates so many of the struggles that Syrians have gone through over the last 10 years."
-- Jeffrey Hayes, author of Back to the Books! How much do the Bible and the Qur'an actually agree?

Stay Safe
by Michael Lacoy

STAY SAFE is Michael Lacoy’s best work yet, a scathing dark comedy about two very different Americas.

Cole Perrot—a frustrated college administrator who spends most of his time on social media—ferociously loathes his next-door neighbor, Tyce Creamer, an internet celebrity and the very embodiment of “toxic masculinity.” Unfortunately for Cole, his wife Oona feels differently about Tyce, as do Cole’s teenage son and young daughter. Sensing a threat to his progressive values, not to mention his hold over his family, Cole secretly declares war on his “redneck” neighbor. What follows is a series of events that are by turns shocking, hilarious, absurd, and perfectly of our present moment.

Set amid a global flu pandemic, the novel chronicles the unraveling of both a man and a country in a time of heightened fear and deep social division. Mixing comedy, tragedy, and blistering satire, Stay Safe amuses and terrifies in equal measure.

The Mystical Adventures of Stavros Papadakis
by Michael Lacoy

"Dying was the best thing that ever happened to him."

An exciting literary debut, The Mystical Adventures of Stavros Papadakis is the story of one man’s quest for meaning and redemption following a near-death experience. Stavros Papadakis, a successful yet epically dysfunctional Boston defense attorney, returns to his former home on Christmas day to visit his son. There, the unimaginable happens: heart attack, coma, and a trip to heaven and hell—or so Stavros claims. Back on earth, as he comes to understand that he was a terrible husband and an even worse father, Stavros determines to change his life and make amends. But there’s a problem: neither his ex-wife nor his son want anything to do with him. Meanwhile, Stavros’s charismatic law partner, the country’s most celebrated trial lawyer, demands that Stavros tell no one about his afterlife journey—it would be bad for business.

Set during the run-up to the 2016 election, and loosely structured around a sensational date-rape trial, the novel explores the contentiousness of contemporary life and the persistence of age-old themes: love, family, friendship, and the mystery of existential truth. By turns funny and poignant, quirky and hard-hitting, The Mystical Adventures of Stavros Papadakis is a powerful, provocative tale for our times.

Fan Favorites in Science Fiction

Pirates of the Electromagnetic Waves (Yankee Republic Book 1)
by Fenton Wood

A young radio engineer travels across an alt-history America, encountering primeval gods, mythical beasts, and tall tales come to life, in a quest to build a radio transmitter that can reach the stars.

It all starts in the mountain town of Porterville.

Twelve-year-old Philo starts a pirate radio station with his friends, and learns that the world is a stranger place than he ever imagined.

The Ancient Marauder, the Bright and Terrible Birds, the Mishipeshu, and other creatures of myth and legend populate this enchanting mixture of science and fantasy.

YANKEE REPUBLIC is an old-school adventure series with traditional values and down-to-earth heroes. Escape from the pessimism and propaganda of modern fiction, and take a journey through a mythic America that might have been.

Grimly Eric John Stark slogged toward that ancient Martian city—with every step he cursed the talisman of Ban Cruach that flamed in his blood-stained belt.

Behind him screamed the hordes of Ciaran, hungering for that magic jewel—ahead lay the dread abode of the Ice Creatures—at his side stalked the whispering spectre of Ban Cruach, urging him on to a battle Stark knew he must lose!

Classic sci-fi from the writer of The Empire Strikes Back.

Review:I picked this up because Gary Gygax recommends Leigh Brackett in his Appendx N to the 1st edition AD&D Dungeon Master’s Guide Unfortunately, it is not the beginning of her Mars series, as I discovered, but nearer the end. Even without knowing the protagonist’s backstory, however, it’s a great pulp space opera story in what some authors call Old Mars – the Mars of the pulps, full of ancient cities consumed by endless deserts, canals bearing life-giving water, frozen cities under the polar ice caps, etc. I really liked this one – I’m going to read more! But this is the easiest Brackett book to find on Amazon, so it is where I started!

The Hidden Truth
by Hans G. Schantz

Change the past. Control the present. Rule the future.

They’ll do anything to hide the truth.
When high school student Peter Burdell uncovers a subtle clue in a dusty book buried deep in a forgotten Appalachian library, he realizes someone altered history. Who’s been lying, and why?

His discovery lands Peter in the cross hairs of the deadly Cabal whose Deep State agents changed the past to control the present, so they can rule the future. Aided by family and friends, Peter races against the odds to expose the conspiracy and uncover the answer to the most important question of his life:

What isThe Hidden Truth?

Reviews:“Umberto Ecowishesthat he had written these books.”

Hans G. Schantz’ THE HIDDEN TRUTH is most highly recommended.
It is a gem of a book, a rare find, combining a charming coming of age story, diamond-hard science fiction speculation, a conspiracy thriller, a touch of trenchant political commentary, and, uniquely, a challenge written into a science fiction book of the reigning scientific orthodoxy of the day….

This trilogy works on several levels. In style, theme, in social commentary, in genre, in plot-weaving and world-building, the craftsmanship is top-notch.

Stylistically, it is written in the same journalistic prose as a Heinlein juvenile, but, frankly, is better. Not only are some of Heinlein’s more dubious moral lessons absent, the work attempts something more ambitious: introducing a real theory of physics in the midst of a fictional adventure yarn.

Thematically, it is a bracing and inspiring coming-of-age story telling young readers and reminding older readers what it means to be a man, a man of integrity, in a world where no one is there to dig you out of a mess.

It works as social commentary. As in a Heinlein juvenile, there are memorable quips and trenchant observations about political realities peppered throughout the dialog, which have as much application in our world as theirs.
Review by John C. Wright

Come behold Aeons Near and Far

“I have traveled in vision from futures near at hand to those immeasurably remote and returned with tales of mystery and wonder, sorrow and hope, humanity and what comes after, and further yet, to the time beyond the end of time, and perhaps glimpsed eternity.

I convoke the witness of my dreams of things to come, and reveal them as curios and treasures. Behold future wars and children’s power armor, see the planetkiller seeking immortal vengeance against planetkillers, learn whom the choosers of the slain will choose for love, or when the dolphins will inherit the earth, or why all men dream of earthwomen.”

Enjoy these haunting tales of futures near and far by Science Fiction master John C. Wright.

Life Support: Secret Operations
by Joseph L. Kellogg

Father Tanner treats the sick and injured on a dusty backwater planet.

Desperate for supplies, he takes a job to treat a visiting alien official, teaming up with Damien Rogers, an out-of-work smuggler, to get him there.

The problem?

They’re on the wrong side of enemy lines in the middle of a cold war.

Forced to hide their identities, Father Tanner and his team are stumped by the bizarre patient, whose condition steadily worsens.

To make matters worse, the alien crew catches onto the ruse, and the missionary is forced to turn to kidnapping.

Can they find the diagnosis before their only bargaining chip dies on the operating table?

PROMETHEUS AWARD WINNER “BEST NOVEL” 2018

Earth in 2064 is politically corrupt and in economic decline. The Long Depression has dragged on for 56 years, and the Bureau of Sustainable Research is hard at work making sure that no new technologies disrupt the planned economy. Ten years ago a band of malcontents, dreamers, and libertarian radicals bolted privately-developed anti-gravity drives onto rusty sea-going cargo ships, loaded them to the gills with 20th-century tunnel-boring machines and earthmoving equipment, and set sail – for the Moon.

There, they built their retreat. A lunar underground border-town, fit to rival Ayn Rand’s ‘Galt’s Gulch’, with American capitalists, Mexican hydroponic farmers, and Vietnamese space-suit mechanics – this is the city of Aristillus.

There’s a problem, though: the economic decline of Earth under a command-and-control economy is causing trouble for the political powers-that-be in Washington DC and elsewhere. To shore up their positions they need slap down the lunar expats and seize the gold they’ve been mining. The conflicts start small, but rapidly escalate.

There are zero-gravity gun fights in rusted ocean going ships flying through space, containers full of bulldozers hurtling through the vacuum, nuclear explosions, armies of tele-operated combat UAVs, guerrilla fighting in urban environments, and an astoundingly visual climax.

The Powers of the Earth is the first book in The Aristillus series – a pair of science fiction novels about anarchocapitalism, economics, open source software, corporate finance, social media, antigravity, lunar colonization, genetically modified dogs, strong AI…and really, really big guns.

The Team (Aristillus)
by Travis J I Corcoran (Author)

In 2055, nine years before the events of The Powers of the Earth, US Special Forces soldier John Hayes discovers a secret research project that’s being shut down by the Bureau of Sustainable Research. Are the reports of uplifted dogs – creatures genetically engineered to have human intelligence – true? Can John sit by while bureaucrats end the project – and incinerate all the inconvenient evidence?

In the early days of the Aristillus moon colony a lone geologist uses a small inheritance to do what the universities and government won’t – fund basic research. Alone on the north face of the central peak in the Aristillus crater, equipped with just a small rover, a Quonset hut, and a small research lab, he finds pyrite – fool’s gold. Except – perhaps it’s not what he assumes after all. Of what use money to someone who cares about science, not lucre? In an anarcho-capitalist border town on the moon with no police and no courts, who enforces property rights? Will Mike ever stop Darcy from whimsical purchases? From the two time PROMETHEUS AWARD WINNER Travis Corcoran (Best Novel 2018, Best Novel 2019), a prequel story set in the Aristillus universe.

Caterpillar
by Travis J I Corcoran

A zombie apocalypse is bad enough if you’re far out in the country – but what happens when you’re trapped in a two story brick building in the dense suburbs of Boston, and the streets around you are a sea of biters?

Most people would give up and accept their fate…but Chris, Todd, Stacy and David aren’t most people. They’ve got unique skills … but also unique handicaps.

Todd is the building’s maintenance guy who can weld, cut, and build … but he’s also fighting a losing battle with the bottle.

Chris is a hacker, who can scrape data from the web before the internet crashes for the last time … but he’s also a lot heavier than he should be, and he knows more about cosplay than the real world.

Stacy is a secretary who can run fast, but she’s finding it hard to accept the new reality.

David, the CPA, is fit enough to fight zombies, but he’s a coward.

Given their flaws, it’s doubtful they can survive.

…but there’s one more part to the puzzle. In the first floor garage, there’s a 30 year old, rusted, poorly maintained bulldozer.

The brick walls may keep the zombies out – for now – but the sky overhead is turning orange, and there’s smoke in the air. Watertown is burning, and the wind is blowing this way.

Can Todd, Chris, Stacy, and come together to MacGyver a solution, even though they’re got no armor plate, are short on fuel, and are almost out of MIG welding wire?

They’d better hope so, because they’re about to be forced to leave their cocoon.

Note: This story was originally published in the collection ‘Places Beyond the Wild: A Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Anthology’, and was set in the world created by Daniel Humphreys. It is republished here outside of that world, in a distinct setting.

“It’s almost too funny!”

On January 20, 2001, Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. became the 43rd President of the United States for the second time…

Newly elected President Al Gore is given a mysterious device that allows his mind to travel back in time and relive his presidency. He needs it, too! There is always some disaster forcing him to start over. Soon, the time-traveling President begins to suspect there’s more going on with this device than he first suspected.

Read the hilarious story of the President that never was, and discover why history turned out different.

“I started reading and couldn’t stop! What a clever story!”

A Greater Duty (Galaxy Ascendant Book 1)
by Yakov Merkin

The Galactic Alliance was not ready for war. When it is suddenly invaded by the cold and relentless Tyrannodon Armada, under the command of emotionless, amoral Executor Darkclaw, it is immediately sent reeling.

The invasion was a godsend for some, however, such as Grand Admiral Nayasar Khariah, who had wanted nothing more than revenge on the Alliance following an attack on her homeworld. The arrival of the Tyrannodons presents her with an opportunity, one that she seizes gleefully.

However, Executor Darkclaw, who has been prosecuting the invasion on orders of his master, the all-powerful energy being known only as the High Lord, has started having second thoughts once he unexpectedly starts feeling emotions he does not understand. Suddenly, he finds himself heretically questioning the only purpose he has ever known—irrevocably altering his view of the ongoing war.

Meanwhile, within the Galactic Alliance, Second Scion Dalcon Oresh, member of an order dedicated to preserving the it, struggles to stop the Alliance’s bleeding, the source of which may not be entirely external.

Darkclaw’s newfound friendship with Nayasar will be pushed to its breaking point, Nayasar’s relationships with her closest friends and loved ones will be strained as her quest for vengeance becomes more and more a personal obsession, and Dalcon must determine who he can truly trust.

All the while, the imminent existential threat of the High Lord looms over everything, and the key to stopping him, and saving not just the Alliance, but the entire galaxy, may only be found in the remains of a ancient, powerful race, and the creations they left behind…

The Vidarian scourge has swept through many star systems,
killing and enslaving in an endless invasion.

When his home world is targeted, Ambrose Weaver flees with a crew of exiles.
Hunted down and forced to crash land on the mysterious planet Typhon,
they soon find their escape from sure death
has only led them to new troubles and prehistoric dangers.

The dinosaurs are only the beginning.

Can Ambrose and his crew brave primeval jungles
and survive a planet filled with horror?

The Space-Time Conundrum:
A Funny Sci-fi Space Adventure
(Captain Quasar Book 1)
by Milo James Fowler

Captain Quasar is out of time.

Pursued by vengeful Goobalob toll collectors, savage Arachnoid bounty hunters, and formidable Amazonians, Captain Bartholomew Quasar must do whatever he can to keep the crew of the Effervescent Magnitude out of harm’s way.

All in a day’s work—except time is not on his side.

Torn from the present to relive his past, he vows to keep mistakes from occurring the second time around. But is he doomed to repeat history? Or can he erase his regrets?

Villains will be vanquished. Lives will be lost. Bonds will be betrayed. Heroes will be heroic. Join the crew of the Effervescent Magnitude for a hilarious time-travel space adventure the likes of which you’ve never seen!

The Hitchhiker’s Guide meets Star Trek in this series for fans of Galaxy Quest, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Star Wars Legends.

The meek have not inherited the earth.

The world isn’t how they left it.

When the bunker airlocks release them after twenty years in hibernation, the survivors find a silent, barren world outside.

But they are not alone.

There is a presence here, alive in the dust—spirits of the earth, benevolent and malicious as they interact with the human remnant.

BackTracker
by Milo James Fowler

Dust Freaks & Demigods (Dome City Investigations Book 1)
by Milo James Fowler

2021 !WINNER! in Science Fiction — Los Angeles Book Festival!Readers’ Favorite 5 Star review:Talk to a Real, Live Girl And Other Storiesby Paul Clayton is a short collection of light sci-fi tales. The flagship story is Talk to a Real, Live Girl. Disillusioned with the extreme societal and political changes on Earth and a ruined relationship, Alex leaves home to work at a mine on Kratos, a distant planet. Kratos also offers some free time diversions, one being particularly appealing to men far from home; robot females who are perfect and always willing. Alex has no real interest in them, despite his loneliness. Then, one day he meets Traci, a “real, live” girl. Do Alex and Traci have any real hope of a future together? In the next story, The Lawn, Bob Hanlon struggles mightily to come to terms with his forced retirement and the strange presence that seems to have taken up residence in his overgrown yard. In the third story, Happy Acres, a couple finds their new life on Mars less perfect than what they had been promised. Finally, the first two chapters of a novel-in-progress about the fabled Lost Colony of Roanoke complete this collection of stories. InTalk to a Real, Live Girl And Other Storiesby Paul Clayton, readers find entertaining stories that almost read like episodes of beloved classic sci-fi TV series. The main story, a poignant tale of loss, new possibilities, and adventure, makes some subtle, near humorous observations about contemporary American society and what the future could hold. The other two stories, while lighter fare and shorter, are no less interesting. These stories are a quick, enjoyable read, and Paul Clayton has a talent for immersing readers almost immediately in their narrative, including the bonus chapters at the end. Any message the author is trying to convey does not get in the way of the basic flow of the stories, which is a desirable feature. He also draws attention to other stories he has written, and readers will find themselves willing to invest time in reading these. Alex has fled a broken marriage and a society on Earth grown hostile toward men. Landing on the mining planet, Kratos, known to its male work force as “Boyz Wurld,” he hopes to lose himself in hard work, drinking, and the illusion of female companionship provided by robots. Will that be enough? In time, Alex finds himself longing to Talk to a Real, Live Girl. Predictably, there aren’t many on Kratos. Then he finds Traci, as well as the dream of a new beginning back on Earth—a normal life—if only the forces controlling Kratos will permit it.A genuine love story, Talk to a Real, Live Girl explores consequences of a #MeToo movement run amok, and of adaptations brave individuals may be forced to make.

Crossing Over
by Paul Clayton

REVIEW by Donna Gielow McFarland for Readers’ Favorite.Crossing Overby Paul Clayton tells the story of an American family trying to survive the beginnings of the second civil war. Set some time in the not-too-distant future, the existence of two simultaneous presidents has split the country along ideological lines. The protests are becoming violent, sections of the country have formed their own militias, along with the militias of the two warring parties. In the midst of shortages of food and other necessities, gangs and thugs are terrorizing formerly safe neighborhoods. Realizing that it is no longer safe to remain in their home, Mike McNerney decides to pack the camper and flee to Canada with his wife, Marie, and disabled teenage daughter, Elly. Unfortunately, everyone else has the same idea.

Once I started reading, I could not put down this well-written and compelling short novel. Clayton’s premise is chillingly realistic. The book does not focus on the politics, but instead focuses on regular Americans who not long before led totally normal lives, and who are quickly turned into refugees as they try to escape the crime and violence taking over the country. The scene at the Canadian border was highly believable, as was the deterioration of Mike and Marie’s relationship as it crumbled under the stress of their ordeal. Complicating matters is the need to protect their beautiful daughter Elly, who is naïve enough to wander off with any stranger. Crossing Over should stand as a warning to anyone inclined to think that violence is the answer to political disagreement, as it paints a picture of how America could slide into chaos far too easily. There is some mature subject matter and language. Recommended for readers who are brave enough to read it.

The best laid plans of gods and men go awry on… the Blue World.

Loosely based on Zecharia Sitchin’s Earth Chronicles, The Blue World follows the efforts of the Sumerian gods, the Anunnaki, as they land on earth to mine the gold there in order to repair the damaged atmosphere of their home planet, Nibiru.

The Anunnaki miners find gold mining laborious and dangerous, so they genetically engineer a hybrid race to do it for them.

Mixing Anunnaki DNA with simian, they create The Human, “those who work.”

Paul Claytonis the author of a three-book historical series on the Spanish Conquest of the Floridas– Calling Crow, Flight of the Crow, and Calling Crow Nation (Putnam/Berkley), and a novel, Carl Melcher Goes to Vietnam (St. Martin’s Press), based on his own experiences in that war.

Carl Melcher Goes to Vietnam was a finalist at the 2001 Frankfurt eBook Awards, along with works by Joyce Carol Oates (Faithless), David McCullough (John Adams), and Alan Furst (The Kingdom of Shadows).

Clayton’s historical novel — White Seed: The Untold Story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke — explores the mystery of the vanished English colonists on Roanoke Island. His realistic contemporary novel, In the Shape of a Man, explores the dark side of the go-go lifestyle of turn-of-the-century Silicon Valley workers.

Clayton’s collection of traditional sci-fi and fantasy stories, Strange Worlds, pays homage to the sci-fi greats. Clayton’s novel, Van Ripplewink: You Can’t Go Home Again, is a modern twist on the classic Rip Van Winkle story, that wades into America’s current socio-racial dysfunction. Clayton’s novella, Crossing Over, tells the story of the 2nd American civil war. His latest sci-fi collection, Talk to a Real, Live Girl, tells of a future world where the MeToo movement and the sophistication of robotic companions… collide with unforeseen and astounding consequences.

Strange Worlds
by Paul Clayton

In the future, the love of a young man’s life is dying. He would do almost anything to keep her alive…except that! In Dog Man, it turns out that Oscar the tomcat was just misunderstood — with deadly consequences… A love sick young man attempts to tap the power of an ancient religion to secure the affections of a girl on their class trip to Christland… The dead come briefly back to life every year when the astral dimensions align in Day, or Two, of The Dead. A cynical young ‘player’, adrift in the modern, amoral age meets God on a mountain top and his life is changed forever — but not in the way he’d ever imagined. Traditional sci-fi/fantasy and satire from the author of Carl Melcher Goes to Vietnam. Clayton channels the spirits of Huxley, Orwell and Philip K. Dick in these and ten other intelligent, provocative and highly entertaining stories. WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING “Thank you for writing this. This is the sort of book I was hoping would begin to spring from the Indie world. No way would NYC Corporate Publishing ever allow something with this world view through.” “… I expected Strange Worlds to be about dystopias, supernatural monsters, zombies, and futuristic technologies, but now after reading this collection, I realize that the stories are about us.” “Clayton leads the modern reader through dark and dangerous territory, but the gems they will find there are worth the risk. Very few Indies would have had the courage to put their names to something like this.” “… while you are being taken away to a place and time which is… strange and… disturbing… the humanity of (most of) his characters will make you feel right at home; of course, you’ll want to leave a light on.”

Deuces Wild: Beginners’ Luck
by L.S. King

All Slap ever wanted was his ranch and family.
The gangster Lyssel destroyed all that, leaving only charred remains.

Tristan wanted nothing—
He had no expectations from life and trusted no one, surviving by his wits, his sole amusem*nt taunting his enemies—like Lyssel.

When the bereaved cowboy and space rogue meet, they discover they are hunted by this common enemy. Forced to work with each other against the gangster and his mob, the duo must try to escape the planet.

But can two total opposites put their differences aside long enough to stay alive?

Get it now!

Murmurations
by Thomas J. Weiss

They wanted him to start a war.Instead, he became a God.

Daniel Lyon loves living his life in virtual reality. His days are filled with games and friends and a family that loves and cares for him. Until one day, when terrorists –religiousterrorists – rip it all away.

Motivated by an unrelenting desire to even the score, Daniel leaves home and enlists in the Defense Force. There, he learns how to control some of the military’s most secure intelligence collection assets: robotic Starlings that look and sound like the real thing.

Two years later, after discovering the DF isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, Daniel meets a rich, eccentric man with plans of his own for dealing with the terrorists. The payoff is great but so is the price. Daniel must leave behind everyone and everything he knows to journey to Geb, the terrorists’ home planet.

On the way there, Daniel loses his partner and discovers that the plan requires him to do things – kill innocent civilians – that he will never do.

So he changes the plan.

He teams up with a striking young woman who has first-hand knowledge of the terrorists and together, they embark upon the most audacious mission in the history of warfare, one that will end the conflict once and for all, if everything goes according to plan.

It doesn’t.

What happens instead is far more outrageous and terrifying and Daniel Lyon has no idea how he’ll live through it.

Advance praise forMurmurations:

“The story hooks you, right away, and doesn’t let you go. You will not want to put it down.”

“Classic sci-si in the grand tradition of Heinlein, Asimov, and Crichton.”

“This isn’t popcorn fiction you’ll forget about tomorrow or the next day. This one will stay with you long after you finish it.”

The Sakura Element
by S.C. Vincent

When tradition means damnation, and the future is the past…

Alia Academia - school for the elite. Genetically modified Oka Latellay faces discrimination orchestrated by fellow student Allen Debois. Allen enforces a caste system by the Purveyors of Tradition, keeping modified people in the bottom rung of society. But Oka’s gumption inspires him to start a fencing tourney where everything is at stake. If she loses, her life in high society is over. But if she wins, so ends the bullying of all mods in the school.

Oka struggles with her fencing bouts and growing feelings for Allen as he reveals there is more to him than the cold cruelty he portrays. Simultaneously, Allen is torn between adoration for Oka and the Purveyors of Tradition influence. Choosing the former could risk his family’s wealth and good name.

Little do the two know how much their struggles intertwine when Allen’s friend begins to vie for Oka’s affections, and Allen finds himself blackmailed about his family’s past.

In a post-World War world where society functions on sleight of hand and discrimination, Oka and Allen must find the one thing that will save them. Love.

Conan: The Barbarian complete collection
byRobert E. Howard

Originally appearing in the pulp fiction publication “Weird Tales” throughout the 1930’s, Conan: The Barbarian complete collection is the complete collected stories of Conan the Cimmerian as written by Robert E. Howard. This eBook, which is optimized for Kindle, re-tells all 18 stories of Conan.

Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films
The various stories of Conan the Barbarian occur in the pseudo-historical “Hyborian Age”, set after the destruction of Atlantis and before the rise of any known ancient civilization.

Stories included:
Cimmeria — A Poem
The Phoenix on the Sword
The Scarlet Citadel
The Tower of the Elephant
The Slithering Shadow/ Xuthal of the Dusk
The Pool of the Black One
Rogues in the House
Gods of the North/The Frost Giant’s Daughter/The Frost King’s Daughter
Shadows in the Moonlight
Queen of the Black Coast
The Devil in Iron
The People of the Black Circle
A Witch Shall Be Born
Jewels of Gwahlur
Beyond the Black River
Red Nails
The Hour of the Dragon
The Hyborian Age
Robert E. Howard- Biografy and more!

Fairy Door
by V. A. Boston

It only took one word: Deal.

After years of neglect from her father, Eibhlin has had enough.

But when a purse of infinite gold, a fairy, and a trade shatter what little relationship she has with her father, she resolves to set things right.

Aided by a magic compass and a talking instrument, she now seeks three magic keys and their magic doors to find the fairy once again and recover what was lost.

She broke their relationship.

Now, she’ll brave the Fae to fix it. If she can get there.

From the fantasy tradition of The Chronicles of Prydain and The Hobbit comes a tale of love and redemption perfect for fans of all ages.

Rebirths: A Tale of Azuran
by Frank B. Luke

Enraged at the Almighty after losing everything, Derke turns to black magic in hopes of restoring his old life. But the evil one demands a terrible price. Derke, once blessed, stands at the edge of a cliff, ready to lose himself to darkness.

Amazon Customer Review:

I really liked this story. Derke is a priest (miracle-man) whose faith is crushed when he loses his family to a plague. A hope of regaining them is extended by a woman who tempts him to abandon his faith and follow her. Derke does. He leaves all of his former life behind and delves deep into the dark magical arts of necromancy to try and recover his wife and children.

But his faith calls him back. He struggles and fights against what he knows is right in his heart.

The matters of faith in this story are derived straight from the Christian viewpoint. There is more than simple allusion to the Christian faith, it is a Fantasy story steeped in a Christian world.

Flower of Light: The Eternal Stones 1
by Allison Wade

“At the dawn of the tenth spring,
what was shattered will return whole.”

For centuries, the Flower of Light has kept the balance of the Bluand Empire. Each generation, new Wardens are chosen to protect the sacred stones and master their incredible powers.

But not everyone can bear the weight of destiny in the same way, and it’s easy to stray from the path of Light.

Ten years ago, the circle was broken and the true power remained hidden. But now, the time has come for a new balance. The time has come for the fated Wardens to awaken and set things right.

Fire and Water, Earth and Sky. Equals and opposites.

Eight are chosen by the Constellations, from all corners of the Empire. Destined to cross their paths and rediscover what was lost, facing the darkness that looms over the World of Light.

“Flower of Light” is the first book inthe Eternal Stonesseries, a story of magic and adventure, ominous prophecies and unwavering hope.

Dawn of the Black Sun (The Silver Empire series Book 1)
by Timo Burnham (Author)

A fisherman’s son who has lost everything.

A wandering master haunted by regret.

An exile wielding a sword that speaks.

Ryushu lives the quiet and boring life of a fisherman’s son until a single day rips his world apart.

Now he must make the journey to the top of the titanic Mount Gharun to learn from the hyo masters–martial artists with the powers of demigods. Can he survive the brutal climb? Does he have the strength, not just of body, but of mind and spirit?

Meanwhile an exile wonders the barrenlands, holding a sword that speaks. He slowly gathers a following as he prepares to take the emperors throne for himself.

Dawn approaches. A Dawn of death and destruction.

The Dawn of the Black Sun.

Sanctum of the Archmage: Dawn of Chaos
by Tony Andarian

Full Trilogy Edition

(Includes Prologue to Chaos, Hell Gate, and Aftermath) Now Also Available in Print!

A new constitution prepares Carlissa for an era of enlightenment. The old order fades, and a promise of freedom stirs the air.

In the space of one terrifying day, that promise is shattered in a bloodbath of fire and magic.

Thousands of years ago, an epic battle was fought between good and evil. The demon lords had opened a door to the realms of hell itself, and their horde threatened to overrun the earth. But the Kalarans, led by the hero Calindra, destroyed their hellgate and drove them from the world.

The Great War has long since been lost to myth and legend. The Church struggles for relevance as the people forget their covenant with the gods. A renaissance of freedom and learning stirs the air in the modern age of Carlissa, led by the royal family, and the wisdom of the Archmage.

All of that comes to an end when a dome of shimmering magic appears in the capital city.The people fight desperately to survive in the chaos that follows, and wonder bitterly why the gods seem to have abandoned them. Their only hope lies with the magic of the Archmage — and his, with a free-spirited princess who never wanted to rule. She must find the strength to set aside her bard’s calling and take up a battle against impossible odds, or surrender her land and people to the Black Magus and his demons.

Dawn of Chaos brings the award-winning Sanctum of the Archmage role-playing games to the world of fantasy fiction. Don't miss this exciting first volume in the saga!

Note to Readers. Dawn of Chaosis a “compilation volume” that includes previously published titles. It was re-released in 2022, and is also available as a trilogy of e-books: Prologue to Chaos, Hell Gate, and Aftermath.

Click here to see all Books by Tony Andarian

Transmutation Texas (Watcher of the Damned Book 1) *FREE*
by R.H. Snow

In a World gone Viral, a Hero shall Arise – join the Revolution with WATCHER of the DAMNED!

The Happening wreaked havoc as Humanity got a hard resetfrom a deadly gender-cidal Virus – and for TransMutatedSurvivors like The Watcher, life in Post-Apocalyptic Texas just got a whole lotbloodier and a whole lot lonelier. In a cyberpunk Wild Westgone awry, The Watcher was a Rebel without a clue underthe System: a brutal, high-tech Social Construct engineeredto serve the Enlightened and oppress the Damned. But that’sall about to change, thanks to a cheeky chaos agent namedRose…

Now The Watcher must lead a Revolution to saveRose from the System He helped create, or Rose will die –and Humanity will die with her.

Fight the System – Join the Revolution –with WATCHER of the DAMNED!

Trail of Travail (Watcher of the Damned: Wanderer Book 1)
by R.H. Snow (Author)

The Way of Mortals: The Four Sisters: Book One
by Blake Carpenter

Deathbringer: The Spellswords Saga: Book One (The Spellsword Saga 1)
by Blake Carpenter (Author), Michael Gallagher (Editor)

Winner of Upstream Reviews' Best of 2023 Golden Raygun Award!

How Black the Sky

Axebourne– the fatherly berserker with infectiouslaughter.

Scythia– calm and motherly, her Circlet of Knowing revealssecrets.

Agrathor– a mighty spearman with anelectricpersonality and a terrible skin condition.

Ess– Second only to the First Great Master of Convergent Reality Theory. Mysterious andalluring.The Hero’s Metal universe:

The world of Chasmgard is a place with endless secrets and a strange cosmology. A deep red sun crawls across a canvas of black, and nobody remembers why. Landlocked by a depthless Chasm, Overland and the Underlands have always vied for power and land. In How Black the Sky, we join a band of legendary warriors who may just be at the end of an age.

Out of the Deep: A Heavy Metal Pulp Adventure (Hero’s Metal – Heavy Metal Pulp Adventures Book 2)
by T.J. Marquis

Pierce and the heroes of Gorgonbanedefeated the subterranean conqueror Kash one year ago. Since then,monster infestationshave increased a hundredfold.

Can Gorgonbane save the continent from destruction?

The Four Towers called, and Gorgonbane has answered.

With the murderous falselight repelled for now, and the devastating ultra-buipolad reduced to cinders by the Sun, it falls to our mighty heroes to brave the ancient accursed Towers.

What are they for? Who, or what, built them? Can whatever magics they hold contain the seemingly endless flood of corruption that is the falselight mass?

Agrathor, Pierce, Scythia, and their teams must find a way into the Towers, and beat the ever-ambitious Ess, and the coldly calculating Asel, to the invaluable secrets within, all while Axebourne pledges to hold the line.

But all is not as it seems within the Towers, as space, time, and even the purpose of the world are ripped away from apparent realities…

Through the Lichgate
by Kyle Adams

Thana Ayers is a part-time necromancer, the undefeated defender of Green Grove Cemetery.

She commands small armies of the dead to repel worse abominations, and still manages club meetings, homework assignments, and church services.

It’s a balancing act, but hey, the dead don’t raise themselves. Right?

Thana’s act is turned on its head when a new breed of monster shows up.

He’s got necromantic powers and secrets she’s never seen before, but he’s not after the power of the gate.

He knows Thana’s name, and he’s coming for her.

High-schooler Pierre Chastain, surly hobbyist and shady dealer, secretly holds the power of illusions. With it, he controls perception and bends reality to his will. He is a god among men, or at least he was until he discovered he was not alone.

The girl who can animate the dead was only the first to appear. Many more magic-users of all types reveal themselves–illusionists, summoners, kids who can see the future, and entire agencies with nefarious goals. They all seek to exploit Pierre’s talents in their schemes. Little do they know he has schemes of his own.

Pierre only has one chance to break free from these meddlesome jerks, a dangerous magic heist that could help him ascend to godhood– but it requires betraying everyone who cares about him.

A Place Outside the Wild
by Daniel Humphreys

Eight years after Z-Day, the surviving remnants of mankind face the unknown.

The fences and walls kept the ravenous undead at bay until they wasted away.

A once overwhelming foe has turned feeble and weak, and a world gone wild seems ripe for reclamation.

The scars of the long war run deep.

And hope is a dangerous thing when the real enemy might just be the survivors themselves.

The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin
(The Books of Unexpected Enlightenment) (Volume 1)
by L. Jagi Lamplighter*FREE*

Roanoke Academy for the Sorcerous Arts – A magic school like no other!

Nestled amidst the beauty of New York’s Hudson Highlands and hidden from the eyes of the Unwary, Roanoke Academy is a place of magic and wonder. It offers everything a young sorceress could desire—enchantments, flying brooms, and the promise of new friendships.

On her first day of school, Rachel Griffin discovers her perfect memory gives her an unexpected advantage. With it, she can see through the spell sorcerers use to hide their secrets. Very soon, she discovers that there is a far-vaster secret world hiding from the Wise, precisely the same way that the magical folk hide from the mundane folk.

When someone tries to kill a fellow student, she investigates. Rushing forward where others fear to tread, Rachel bravely faces wraiths, embarrassing magical pranks, mysterious older boys, a Raven that brings the doom of worlds, and at least one fire-breathing teacher.

Described by fans as: “Supernatural meets Narnia at Hogwarts”,The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffinis a tale of wonder and danger, romance and heartbreak, and, most of all, of magic and of a girl who refuses to be daunted.

Curiosity may kill a cat, but nothing stops Rachel Griffin!

As a soldier, Uriel Makkis was prepared for many things. Being pulled through a portal into another world was not one of them.

He soon learns that he was brought to this world for a reason, as the heralded Sword of Light. However, something is amiss, as he first appeared in the middle of nowhere, rather than the capital as intended.

While he is meant to travel there straightaway to learn more, Uriel has no intention of doing as he’s told, not when there are people he can help right where he is.

Back home, he was just an average soldier; here, he can truly make a difference, and Uriel will not let the opportunity pass by.

But it won’t be easy. Uriel will have to rely on his faith, his newfound friends, and the skills and knowledge he brings from back home, as he throws himself headlong into a new conflict, becoming a beacon of light on this new world!

In this new isekai adventure, you can’t just leave the old world behind.

Chalk (Raven Mistcreek Book 1)
by N.R. LaPoint

Catholic schoolgirl Raven Mistcreek has no memory.

Her family is missing, her home is gone, and she is being hunted by monsters.

Why do demonic forces want her dead?

Is her family still alive?

And why do her chalk drawings become real?

Across the Qualitative Continuum, levels of reality are sinking lower.

A colossal terror lies sleeping. Waiting.

TWO MEN; ONE POWER

Matthew and Jason are just two nobodies in a city of heroes and villains. But when they are given bracelets that endow them with powers, and then get thrown into a whole new world beyond all reason, they are soon in over their heads!

Now they must team up with aliens, battle magical creatures, and get back home before the bombs inside them go off! All that, and they still have to defeat the magical being who sent them there in the first place!

Two heads are better than one, but will they be enough to save two whole worlds? Find out in the first book of the Gemini Man trilogy, Gemini Warrior!

Someone is Aiming for You & Other Adventures
by J.D. Cowan

SEVEN TALES OF MAYHEM IN THE MAGIC CITY!

Vigilantes fight from the shadows. In Summerside, Dark Magic poisons the dying city of cultists and gangsters. This is where heroes are made.

A man with a deadly touch, an ex-hitman, a concrete teenager, an invisible myth, and an indestructible knight, are but a few of those who stalk the midnight hour.

In these seven stories you will meet those fighting for the soul of the city, and those hoping to bring it to a brighter future. But is there anything left worth saving in a world of death?

Powers or Magic. Only one will win this war.

Inquisitor's Promise
by Michael P. Marpaung

Young Inquisitor Aeneas Aquilanus made two promises: one to his dying father, the other to his beloved Galatea.

To his father, Aeneas promised to finish his last mission to unify the Holy League and rally them against the apocalyptic threat of the Grey Globe. To Galatea, he promised the aspiring lady knight to become her lord and Inquisitor.

But politics in the 74th century can be violent and complicated. The Five Factions of the Holy League had long seen each other with suspicion. Can they put aside their differences to save Earth?

Even his promise to Galatea is not without problems for Aeneas as he has four additional girls who are in love with him. Each of these five girls are faction princesses, women who have close connections to each of the Five Faction’s leaders.

Love and politics are an explosive combination, but the Inquisitor shall remain true to his pledged word.

“I will bring your demise!”

Long ago, before the days of recorded history, during the Hyperbolean Age of a much younger Earth, AGROTHARN the Interstellar Semi-Barbarian roamed the ancient volcanic lands in search of fame and fortune. These are his somewhat heroic tales, sure to enthrall the most adventurous of readers!

When AGROTHARN learns that his long-lost witch-mother is still alive, he sets off on a perilous journey with his loyal triceratops to find her. Along the way, they meet a conniving trickster, a vengeful T-Rex, and a bunch of bloodthirsty aliens from a distant planet. Nonstop adventures take AGROTHARN deep into space and back through time as he unravels new truths about the reality he’s always taken for granted. What he discovers will forever change his life, setting him on a new path to rewrite the past and forge a glorious future for one and all!

Sword’s Edge (Sword’s Edge Chronicles Book 1)
by L.S. King (Author)

Ripped from her home—
—thrust into danger.

Fifteen year old Tam finds herself in the midst of conspiracies to murder her family.
Can she uncover the treason before it’s too late?

Tragedy strikes—
Tam’s world crumbles.

Amidst grief, she must undertake a dangerous rescue mission, aided by a mysterious alien relic. Can this young lass succeed or will the assassins at her heels cost her all?

You’ll love this Epic Fantasy, because it’s science fiction with a twist.

Get it now.

“This is a man who has a vision…to bring fun back into your life by any means. Trust me, this is someone you’ll be seeing a lot of in the years to come!” –J.D. Cowan, author ofThe Last FanaticsandThe Pulp Mindset

For the brave wolven warriors of the 365th Infantry, the fight against the strange creations of the sentient computer A.C.E.S. is a nonstop war for the freedom of the Wastelands and those in the heart of the distorted metropolis Haven. A war of nerves, a war of force, and a war waged in denim, leather, & chrome.

Creator Jacob Calta takes readers on a fantastic journey into a savage world, a post-apocalyptic circus that is as much a celebration of classic science fiction as it is a salute to hot rods, chopped hogs, and heavy metal, all with a unique and stylish vision from the multi-talented author, composer, and filmmaker. Enjoy 25 exciting tales across multiple series within the setting, including a brand-new spy thriller NEVER BEFORE RELEASED! Hop in and hang on for the most savage hounds this side of the Bomb.

Fan Favorites in Action & Adventure

Lost Causes
by Richard Nichols

IF YOU LIKE JAMES BOND, JASON BOURNE OR JACK BAUER, THEN YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE JOHN BUCHAN!

John Buchan is a relic from a bygone age, a man constantly at odds with the modern world; a man who finds sanctuary in the only role that brings him peace of mind – as an assassin for a top-secret British government agency called the Mill. Specializing in what they call ‘ungentlemanly warfare’, its operatives are instructed to kill their targets wherever they find them, irrespective of boundaries, laws, jurisdictions or circ*mstances. Day-to-day, Buchan lives a simple, anonymous life in the Belgian countryside, restlessly roaming the battlefields of the Western Front in an attempt to kill time. All the while he waits patiently for the message that will signal the start of his next mission. It’s a message that will arrive, the way it always does, hidden within the solutions of the Daily Telegraph’s cryptic crossword puzzle. And when it does arrive, it’s like he’s been reborn, because in Buchan’s world being on a mission is the only time when things really make sense; the only time he feels truly alive. He barely remembers the time before he was recruited by the Mill.

His name wasn’t John Buchan then. In those days he was known as Charlie Hook, a happy-go-lucky, rugby-playing, ex-Rhodesian Light Infantry trooper turned Gurkha officer with an eye for the girls. But Charlie Hook is long dead, and so too are his memories of the events that led to him becoming a professional killing machine. Buchan is getting older now. Retirement beckons, but the man he calls Control has one last mission for him. It involves a ruthless army of some of the world’s worst terrorists, an equally ruthless drug lord, an enormous hurricane and seemingly unsurmountable odds. But it also offers Buchan a last, desperate chance to take revenge on those that took his young life – and love – away from him all those years ago, and he plans to go out with a bang.

Set against a backdrop of unprecedented worldwide socio-political upheaval, Lost Causes is an old-style thriller that moves from the modern-day Ypres Salient and London to the badlands of Northern Ireland and the exotic but deadly jungles of southern Mexico. Mixing the kind of plot found in an Ian Fleming novel with the unashamed masculinity of an Alistair Maclean or Wilbur Smith hero and the tough, muscular prose of Mickey Spillane, Lost Causes is a startlingly intelligent and original work that interweaves dramatic action, sudden violence, stunning plot twists and subtle humour to entertain and inform in equal measure. It will especially appeal to anyone bored by the stale unambitious writing, and inane, politically-correct sensitivities of so many modern novels; as well as anyone looking to understand the sinister and dangerous forces that have plagued our lives for decades and which now threaten to destroy our civilization altogether.

Richard Nichols studied philosophy and psychology at Edinburgh University. He was a businessman for several years before turning his hand to writing. He enjoys watching rugby and visiting battlefields. He hates crossword puzzles.

Hell and Gone (The Retreads Book 1)
by Henry Brown

An Amazon Bestseller!

This rag-tag gang of has-beens has never worked together before, but Dwight “Rocco” Cavarra has less than a week to train them and lead them on the hairiest operation of their lives.

It’s not bad enough that they have to plow through an African civil war, infiltrate a fortified terrorist encampment and steal a black market tactical nuke from a mob of fanatic sociopaths – there are Israeli wild cards in play: two death-dealing Mossad agents who don’t necessarily share Cavarra’s agenda.

When the mission is compromised before it has even started, Rocco and his Retreads are caught between bloodthirsty local warlords and the genocidal government in a fight to the death. And this battle might be just the first in the next world war.

Hell and Gone is a character-driven pulp action thriller that will take you on a wild ride.

Tier Zero (The Retreads Book 2)
by Henry Brown

When a party of American college girls are sold into slavery by human traffickers, a rescue mission is too dirty, too dangerous, and too difficult for any government to touch. That’s where The Retreads come in.

The pirates thought they found the perfect target: a private yacht foolishly sailing through the Malacca Straits, which could discretely and easily be sold on the black market.

The human traffickers thought the boat was hauling the perfect cargo: young, attractive women who would generate income in brothels around the region.

What made the caper not so perfect was that one of the girls had an uncle who took it personally.

Another Amazon Bestseller from Henry Brown…”One helluva adventure writer.” – Jim Morris (author ofWar Story, The Devil’s Secret Name)

You can take a man out of Special Operations, but you can’t take SpecOps out of the man. Tommy Scarred Wolf calls on his old friend Rocco Cavarra, who still has contacts in the intelligence business. Other survivors of the Sudan mission also rally behind Tommy, signing on for the kind of favor that can never be repaid.

Armed with all the firepower and force multipliers they can scrounge, shadowed by a team of secret assassins, the Retreads ride again, bringing smoke and taking names.Tier Zerois old-school military adventure you haven’t enjoyed since the full-auto glory days of Able Team and Phoenix Force.

False Flag (The Retreads Book 3)
by Henry Brown

“Thanks, Hank, for the authenticity. Semper Fi!”

A perfect storm is bearing down on the United States of America, combining nationwide financial devastation, conventional and nuclear terror, and Civil War II. High-placed traitors in the Deep State want to make it worse–not better. The Retreads have overcome some long odds in the Sudan and Indonesia, but nothing like this end game on the home front.

“If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin.” – Samuel Adams

Diverse Americans are living their lives the best they can during twilight’s last gleaming–most of them never suspecting the turmoil about to come crashing down all around them. Others see the storm approaching, but don’t know what, if anything, can be done to avoid it.

Joshua Rennenkampf loves his country, but prepares for an economic collapse he believes inevitable. Dwight Cavarra is horrified by what looks like an impending race war, but speaking reason into the pressure cooker of irrational hatred might as well be punching at the wind. Tommy Scarred Wolf pushes back against the fundamental transformation from Rule of Law to a Strong Man police state, but can only accomplish so much by himself.

Rennenkampf discovers evidence of what might be a false flag attack in the making. Cavarra is tipped off about a secret hit list of “potential domestic terrorists,” through which he and his friends are targeted. Scarred Wolf has already lost his brother for the sin of poking his nose into government Black Ops; and now must decide whether a little more temporary tranquility for his family is worth the shock and awe to be wrought on the entire country if he fails to take action.

With harbingers of national cataclysm all around, there will be no averting disaster if the false flag conspiracy turns out to be true. These men, who have put their lives on the line for their country so many times already, now have little choice but to treat the threat as real. And in the tumultuous political climate, their lives, fortunes and sacred honor will all be at risk. Where they go one, they go all.

The bestselling Retreads Series turns the corner from military thriller to apocalyptic fiction.False Flagblazes a fiery trail where other political books fear to tread.

Escaping Fate (Paradox Book 1)
by Henry Brown

Pete Bedauern began his life as a latchkey kid in a run-down trailer park with a single mom, living on stale hot dog buns and bleak prospects. Those were the cards Fate had dealt him, and Pete was on his way to becoming an angry young man. Then Pete’s estranged uncle burst on the scene to punch Fate in the mouth.

Uncle Si is scarred inside and out; he’s a hard drinker; painfully blunt; a little mysterious and maybe even scary, but takes an interest in his nephew that Pete’s father never took. Most of Uncle Si’s life is a secret, but through the part of it he shares, Pete undergoes a master course on life, love, and full-contact sports.

As it turns out, Uncle Si not only has tons of money, multiple businesses, and a fleet of fast cars, he also owns a time machine.

Paradoxis one good-hearted-but-alienated boy’s odyssey into manhood, andEscaping Fateis the opening leg of that journey. Before it’s complete, Pete will learn the guarded secrets of history, take on a pan-continuum conspiracy, contend for a world championship, crack the code for success with women…and even save the world.

Well, one world, maybe…

Rebooting Fate (Paradox Book 2)
by Henry Brown

Defying Fate (Paradox Book 3)
by Henry Brown

A Hot Dose Of Hell
by Steve Stark

A deadly new drug has hit the streets of Scarmouth, one which turns users into bloodthirsty maniacs with superhuman tolerance for pain. Through insidious design a large quantity has fallen into the hands of squatters occupying the derelict Victoria hotel.

It’s a bad place for a group of woke, virtue-signalling social media influencers to promote their new homeless charity, but they’ve got a PR story in the making. One of their party is searching for a long-lost sister and if they can find her they believe the stunt could bring them international attention.

They’re not the only ones looking for something. Hired muscle, Fred and Pinkie have been tasked to recover that lost drug shipment. These men know what it’s doing to people. What they don’t know is just how many have been affected already, but within the bowels of that derelict hotel breeds a mindless, homicidal legion.

Scarmouth is known as the coastal town they forgot to burn down. It’ll only take a few hot doses to finally set it alight.

WHEN THE GODS GO TO WAR, YOU HAD BETTER BE SURE THE ONE YOU SERVE WILL PREVAIL…

The invisible god, El Elyon, has promised the young nation of Yacov their own homeland. Trouble is, the land is full of giants, backed up by a pantheon of gods who would rather see Yacov slaughtered to a man.

And they are justmen. The Yacovites are desert nomads without even enough swords for all their militia.

Salmon and Othniel are two of the young soldiers who must face the gigantic warriors in battle, starting at the fortress city of Bet-Yariq, with formidable walls that only giants empowered by gods could build.

Brave men’s hearts melt with fear. The very planet reels to and fro as if ready to tear itself apart. But though El Elyon is outnumbered by the enemy gods, and his warriors are far outclassed, he has assured them that he himself will lead them into war, and together they will beat all the odds.

Fan Favorites in Mystery

The Unusual Clients (Suprahuman Secret)
by Milo James Fowler

Collects the novellasDoppelgänger’s Curse,Up in Smoke, andDeath Duel:

A woman stalked by her double. A detective in over his head.

In a city where the cops are on a mobster’s payroll, private investigator Charlie Madison stands in the gap. When a wealthy young socialite asks him to help her catch a threatening stalker, he takes the case. But things aren’t what they seem, and Madison has to act fast before he’s framed for murder.

A life ended in flames. A detective sorting through the ashes.

Private eye Charlie Madison saw plenty of bloodshed during the war, but he’s never seen a billionaire burst into flames in his office. Until now. Searching for answers, Madison uncovers more than he bargained for: a bizarre mystery of human combustion that’s smoking with jealousy, revenge, and murder. Add a pair of cops on his tail who are more interested in putting him out of business than seeking justice. It’s just another action-packed day for the Charlie Madison Detective Agency. Now accepting…unusual clients.

An honest cop impaled through the chest. A detective fighting his way to the truth.

Private eye Charlie Madison saw his share of murder and mayhem during the war. But he’s never seen anything like this on home soil. The culprit can’t be human. A mandroid, then? Cyborg? Madison’s investigation takes him deep into the underground world of extreme fighting—duels to the death, showcased beneath the city’s biggest casino. Along the way, he discovers a new steroid quietly coming out of Little Tokyo. If rumors are true, it can turn a man into a killing machine.

Before vengeful police can find and execute the murderer, another officer is found slain. With rogue yakuza, the Russian mob, and Federal agents in the mix, Madison must put the pieces of this violent mystery together before the city loses another good cop. Problem is, the killer may be one of his own clients.

Providence
by Richard Sezov

Two coasts, two tragedies.

A car accident in the east sends the lives of multiple unrelated people in different directions, some of them on collision courses.

A school shooting in the west takes some lives and saves others.

What are we to make of all this?

Is life just a series of meaningless, unrelated events, or is reality following a plan?

A teacher, plumber, librarian, student, deadbeat, and others learn the answer to this and more during the course of a single, roller coaster of a day.

James R. Hannibal, award-winning and bestselling author of The Paris Betrayalsays “Richard Sezov holds nothing back in this thoughtful and intense look at God’s sovereignty. He paints an intricate portrait of a dozen lives, steadily blending each stroke to show the Master Painter at work bringing good out of their suffering and sin.”

Man of the House
by Kalkin Trivedi

By his mid-teens, Jason Olson expected to go to college, find a good job, start a family, and enjoy with them the kind of lifestyle he grew up with as the son of a successful Oncologist. Then one evening, a casual announcement after dinner abruptly changed his prospects.

Now some years later, he still managed to start a family, but he’s a lot less confident in himself now than he would have been if life had gone according to plan. He feels like he’s lost his bearings by which to navigate life. Then a family crisis requires that Jason help out with his spit-fire of a niece. Can a man with so little control over his own life handle the extra responsibility without it messing up his life any more than it already is?

Learn along with Jason how to…

• be a hands-on dad instead of a passive dad

• handle disciplinary matters yourself, without any yelling, nagging, hitting, or passing the buck to mom

• talk to kids (and adults too, actually) about problems in a calm, business-like manner, acting neither like a wimp nor a bully

• avoid doing what most parents unwittingly do that escalates conflict

• train kids to respond to just two words, to put an immediate halt to misbehavior

• avoid anger, frustration, and embarrassment at home or in public

• discourage bad habits and prevent the formation of new ones

• help kids learn how to manage impulses and resolve negative emotions

• respect your children and promote their good self-esteem

• watch out for bad influences and sinister characters

• cultivate good relationships with your kids, and avoid the mistakes that lead many well-intended dads to heartbreaks

• encourage performance and personal growth

• reclaim your place as an integral part of the family.

Buckingham Runner
by Frederick Gero Heimbach

I’m sixteen and I’m living in a prison. It’s called Buckingham Palace. I’m Alfred, Prince of Wales.

My parents are dead. My grandma–the Queen–has lost her mind. My only friend is an alcoholic corgi named Wormwood. I’m being raised by bureaucrats. Who hate me.

The tabloids call me ROYAL BRAT. That’s for getting kicked out of Eton. For setting fire to the chapel. And stabbing the headmaster in the foot with a syringe.

I’m doing a runner. Someone’s got to help me!

Maybe those kids can. Yeah, them. In the Westminster School uniforms. The clever clogs, raising their hands, answering the teacher’s questions. The athlete, the genius, the girlboss, the babe. Each with a brilliant future. At Oxford. Or Cambridge.

Would they throw that away for my sake? Would they risk getting sacked from London’s top school to help a poor tosser like me? When guards are watching my every move, listening in on every conversation? Me, with a bloody GPS tracker in my hip?

I’m a hot mess. They’ve got it all together. I’m a prisoner. They can go anywhere. I’ll never escape–unless they take pity on me.

They better. I’m this close to striking the match that burns Buckingham Palace to the ground.

Deke Jones finally has a car ready to compete in the Conquistador—a short but grueling campaign covering racetracks all over the Southwest United States. He can’t wait to challenge the rich boys with their expensive toys, but complications begin stacking up on him before the first flag drops.

First, he is invited to join Stormin’ Norman’s new rock band for a whirlwind tour. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play with a musical genius and he can’t let it pass…but it’s scheduled for the very week he needs for last minute wrenching so his car can make the Conquistador’s tech inspection.

Next, he gets tangled up with beautiful bad girl Lena Castillo, just when he was patching things up with a local débutante he lost touch with after high school. Lena has a deadly superpower: the ability to turn any man stupid—and Deke Jones is no exception.

Jones also crosses paths with five-time Conquistador champ Bob Tilford, and there’s bad blood between them from the starting gun. It was going to be challenging enough racing against Tilford with his big-time sponsors, high-dollar mechanic and world-class GT car, but Tilford also has tremendous influence over race officials he doesn’t hesitate to use in his grudge against Deke Jones. To keep it all interesting, Deke’s co-driver bails on him at the last minute, with no time to scrounge up a replacement.

Get your motor runnin’. Deke Jones is gonna close this summer out with a bang, one way or another.

Shadow Hand Blues: A Cold Case Murder Mystery (A Deke Jones Romp)
by Michael Kayser

In 1954 budding blues virtuoso Waymon “Tornado” Fuller is executed for the murder of a North Carolina woman. In 1994 nomadic hot-rodder, moonlighting private investigator and blues aficionado Deke Jones stumbles upon Fuller’s guitar, triggering a mudslide of buried truths. Fuller’s innocence is one revelation. Another is “Shadow Hand Blues”–the last song he recorded, which Jones has never heard of.

An impromptu search for the studio where the recording session took place leads Jones to a small hippie town seemingly still enjoying the Summer of Love, where the psychodelic atmosphere turns from surreal to hostile when he begins asking questions.

Vintage Fender Telecaster in one hand, steering wheel of his radical Cyclone Spoiler II in the other, Deke Jones launches a one-man crusade to exonerate the infamous musician and find the obscure recording. The blood trails are 40 years cold, but neither corrupt good ol’ boy cops, sex industry sad*sts, nor fanatical pyramid-schemers can throw Deacon Jones off this case.

This investigative pilgrimage propels Jones right into the bloodstained fingers of a clandestine power elite Tornado Fuller called the Shadow Hand.

The settlers in the Redbud Valley are peaceable, God-fearing folk who try to follow the golden rule, but they’ve been pushed too far by the mayor of Blue Stone, who wants their land and seemingly has the law on his side.

Just as the nesters are banding together to resist the land grab, Blue Stone’s newest deputy rides through their valley.

Before they realize the sleepy-eyed youngster called Arizona is a veteran gunfighter hired to bulldoze them off their claims, he has already broken bread with them, danced with their daughters…and stolen the heart of one.

Young Theresa Gutierrez believes Arizona is more than a curly wolf with quick trigger fingers and a stone-cold heart, but her parents and neighbors have good reason to believe otherwise.

What everyone agrees upon is that, in the brewing range war, the Arizona Kid is liable to be right smack in the midst of the killing.

Fan Favorites in Non-Fiction

Spengler's Future: An Outline of the Next Seven Centuries of Western History, as Suggested by Comparison with the Life Cycles of Four Other Civilizations
by John Reilly

This projection of the future into the 27th century uses a simple computer program and even simpler interpretations of the Oswald Spengler's Decline of the West and Arnold Toynbee's Study of History. No, this is not a serious exercise, but it does suggest what the future would look like if the modern age really is analogous to the Hellenistic Age. Important years include 2080, 2309, and 2603.