My Dad, Addy Buhlert (1938 – 2023)

This is not the post I wanted to write today or indeed ever. But on October 1, my Dad died. It was very unexpected, because in spite of some health issues in the past, he had always been very healthy and active. In spite of his age, he still worked part time as an engineer until about a month before the end. And initially, it seemed as if the health problem that put him in hospital was easily treatable. His condition deteriorated very rapidly, within the space of only a week.

What makes this even worse is that I was the one who found him when I went to visit him at the hospital. A physical therapist who treated him tested positive for covid, so they isolated all the patients who had contact with her, including my Dad. So he had a room of his own. I went in and said hello, but he didn’t react. I thought he was a asleep, so I touched and found that he was cold and a somewhat stiff, whereupon I ran screaming from the hospital room, much to the displeasure of the nurses.

The hospital (this one, which is hated by pretty much everybody for its confusing layout, unsuitable location and difficulties to access by car, yet the Bremen senate keeps pouring money into it instead of doing the smart thing and gradually relocating the specialty clinics to other, more modern and easily accessible hospitals) was seriously understaffed and on Sunday afternoon, there were only two nurses and one doctor on duty for a ward of at least twenty to twenty-five patients. A nurse claimed that she had been in my Dad’s room forty-five minutes before I found him and that he was still alive then. I definitely know that a neighbour visited him two hours earlier and said he’d been asleep but alive then.

This is all very difficult for me, not just because it happened so unexpected and so fast – and indeed, everybody I called was stunned at the news – but also because I have to deal with everything – funeral preparations, informing relatives and friends, dealing with legal and administrative issues – largely on my own, because I have no siblings and my Mom isn’t well enough to handle those things. A lot of neighbours, co-workers, friends, etc… offered me their help, but there are a lot of things only an immediate relative can do. The fact that Dad never really said how or where he wanted to be buried, what sort of music he wanted, etc… doesn’t help either. I have a decent idea of some things – that he wouldn’t want to spend too much money on a funeral and that he would prefer donations to his favourite charity to flowers – but for others, I have to guess or go with what works best for my Mom and me.

I posted about this on Twitter and BlueSky a few hours after it happened and the outpouring of condolences (in four different world religions), messages of sympathy, GIFs, personal stories, etc… as well e-mails and personal message and even the sympathy cards piling up on the kitchen counter was overwhelming and very comforting. Honestly, if you ever find yourself wondering whether “My sympathies for your loss” or something similar helps, believe me, it does.

There are not a lot of photos of my Dad, because neither I nor anybody else could get ever get him to look into the camera, but here are a few:

Dad at Christmas last year.

Here is Dad at Christmas last year, opening up a present.

Dad with co-workers and SEPCON

Dad in his element, posing with several co-workers in front of a SEPCON unit, which cleans oil-contaminated water. Dad helped to design and build these systems, which are used by the German Federal disaster relief organisation THW and other agencies worldwide.

Dad at approx. age 10

Because my Dad was a kid during WWII, there are not a lot of childhood photos of him. This is one of the very few that I have and shows him at approx. age ten.

1965 wedding portrait

Here are my parents at their wedding in 1965. My Mom has a marvelous beehive and my Dad looks somewhat silly and a lot younger than he was. The bouquet is quite interesting as well. According to my Mom, the dangling eight-shapes were two small myrtle wreaths, myrtle being the traditional choice for wedding wreaths and bouquets in Germany.

Regular blogging will resume eventually. The review of the Foundation season 2 finale is definitely coming and was about three quarters finished, when life got in the way. I also have two con reports planned as well as more Masters of the Universe toy photo stories, because they give me joy. Not sure if I’ll do episode by episode reviews of season 2 of Loki.

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Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month for September 2023

Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month
It’s that time of the month again, time for “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”.

So what is “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”? It’s a round-up of speculative fiction by indie and small press authors newly published this month, though some August books I missed the last time around snuck in as well. The books are arranged in alphabetical order by author. So far, most links only go to Amazon.com, though I may add other retailers for future editions.

Once again, we have new releases covering the whole broad spectrum of speculative fiction. This month, we have urban fantasy, epic fantasy, cozy fantasy, sword and sorcery, paranormal romance, paranormal mystery, space opera, military science fiction, post-apoalyptic fiction, science fantasy, horror, dragons, werecats, fox shifters, bigfoot, starships, space pirates, mage queens, deadly dreams, reality bending dance clubs, crime-busting witches and much more.

Don’t forget that Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month is also crossposted to the Speculative Fiction Showcase, a group blog run by Jessica Rydill and myself, which features new release spotlights, guest posts, interviews and link round-ups regarding all things speculative fiction several times per week.

As always, I know the authors at least vaguely, but I haven’t read all of the books, so Caveat emptor.

And now on to the books without further ado:

Never Wake: An Anthology of Dream HorrorNever Wake: An Anthology of Dream Horror, edited by Kenneth W. Cain and Tim Meyer:

Have you ever wondered where we go when we dream? Why not let this breath-taking dream horror anthology guide you to worlds beyond the norm.

Since the beginning of time, people have argued the meaning of dreams. Are they symbolic visions that hold great meaning and personal significance? Are they portals into other worlds? Or are they just a series of random events our mind shows us when we fall asleep? Whatever the case, this much is true—the mind can be a scary place to venture, even for a few hours.

NEVER WAKE is an anthology of dream horror, bringing you several mind-bending tales of nightmares, hallucinations, and phantasmagoria from some of the hottest talent in horror fiction. But don’t worry—when you (wake up screaming) flip the last page, just remember to tell yourself, “It was only just a story…”

Unless it wasn’t.

Featuring an introduction from Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann and stories from: Cynthia Pelayo, Philip Fracassi, Gwendolyn Kiste, Eric LaRocca, Lee Murray, Todd Keisling, Laurel Hightower, and many more!

Where do we go when we dream?

Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths

The Denverines: Ashes to Ashes by Declan ConnerThe Denverines: Ashes to Ashes by Declan Conner:

When everything climate survivalist Joe Cole holds dear in life is ripped from him, he will have to reclaim what he loves or die trying.

In a period of severe drought and near extinction of humanity, survivalist Jack Cole returns from scavenging to find his parents slaughtered, and Denverines soldiers have abducted his pregnant wife and child as birther stock for the citadel of Denver.

He vows to enter the citadel fortress of Denver to rescue them. But first he will have to overcome his own psychological demons, his lack of trust, and the bleak environment, in a journey filled with danger at every turn and to defeat the Denverines who have new orders. New communities are to be formed outside the citadels. To protect them, the president commands the Denverines to slaughter those on the outside with knowledge of the old ways of society.

When Jack teams up with and leads a group of exiles in his quest to rescue his family, if they fail, Jack’s failure will be a death sentence, not just for himself, but for all survivors in the wastelands.

Werecats Convergent by Mark J. EngelsWerecats Convergent by Mark J. Engels:

Defeated, conflicted, and on the run…

Born in an ethnic Chicago neighborhood following her family’s escape from Cold War-era Poland, were-lynx Pawly flees underground to protect her loved ones after genetically enhanced soldiers led by rogue scientist and rival werecat Mawro overrun her Navy unit in the Gulf of Oman. Pawly’s family seeks her out in a desperate gambit to return to their ancestral homeland and reconcile with their estranged kinsmen. But when her human lover arrives to thwart Mawro’s plan to weaponize their feral bloodlust, Pawly must face a daunting choice: preserve her family secrets and risk her lover’s life or chance her true nature driving him away forever.

Werecats Convergent is the second installment of the Forest Exiles Saga featuring the modern-day remnant of an ancient clan of werecats, torn apart as militaries on three continents vie to exploit their deadly talents. Stories which fans of Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson franchise and Brad Magnarella’s Blue Wolf series can sink their teeth into!

Galaxy Unstable by M.R. ForbesGalaxy Unstable by M.R. Forbes:

Left stranded, his starship’s life support failing, Caleb initiates a distress signal, hoping that help will arrive before his time is up. Only the response to his plea isn’t what he had in mind…

Assuming command of an infamous pirate vessel, Caleb sets his sights on shaping the unruly and unpredictable crew into a skilled fighting force. It won’t be easy, but if Caleb wants to prevent the Legion from cementing their tyrannical grip on the galaxy, he’ll need to knuckle up, double down, and risk everything to make it happen.

Poet's Bane by Rachel FordPoet’s Bane by Rachel Ford:

An ancient legend. A mysterious evil. And – the mead of poetry?

Liss Forlatt and Idun Wintermoon are on vacation at a beautiful villa retreat, a place as famous for its legendary beginnings as its year-round sunshine.

Technically, they’re the protection detail for the newly married jarl of Little Eerie and his wife. But in a place where rainclouds are the biggest threat on any given day, it might as well be a vacation.

Until a man winds up dead in connection with an ancient fable – the mead of poetry, the supposed font of divine inspiration that guides all poets and writers.

The pair must unravel fact from fiction, myth from history – and avoid the blade of a particularly nasty killer in the process.

The Earthfather by Chris FoxThe Earthfather by Chris Fox:

Our Sector is Gone

We’ve discovered Terra, but the cost is bitter. All that remains is the Vagrant Fleet, carrying the refugees from every world.

Earth is our only hope, but their leaders don’t even believe in magic. We also have to convince the earth flight protecting them that we’re not hostiles. Did I mention the dread fleet is right behind us led by a dark god who seems to have a real hate-boner for Xal’Aran?

If we’re going to win, then we must harness the most powerful Catalyst in existence, the Eye of Om. We must fulfill a prophecy millions of years in the making, and find a way to elevate Aran and Nara to the Aranara, guardian of the Eye.

Anything less means complete annihilation, and if we fail here then we lost not just our own universe, but every reality as the dark titan breaks free and shatters the Great Cycle.

I cannot let that happen. I will not. Prophecy can be solved like a riddle, and somehow, I am going to find a way to outsmart them all.

Simultaneous Times Volume 3, edited by Jean Paul GarnierSimultaneous Times Volume 3, edited by Jean-Paul Garnier:

Space Cowboy Books Presents: Simultaneous Times Vol.3 Science Fiction Anthology. 16 wonderous stories of science fiction by authors from all over the world! From alien invasions to sentient planets to intergalactic species, this book has it all. Featuring stories from the two-time Hugo Award longlisted podcast Simultaneous Times, as well as stories appearing for the first time, this collection spans multiple generations of science fiction authors and covers a wide variety of SF styles and themes.

With stories by Jonathan Nevair, F. J. Bergmann, Brent A. Harris, Gideon Marcus, A. C. Wise, Tara Campbell, David Brin, Robin Rose Graves, Renan Bernardo, Christopher Ruocchio, Toshiya Kamei, Todd Sullivan, Susan Rukeyser, Ai Jiang, Cora Buhlert, Michael Butterworth. Cover art by Austin Hart. Edited by Jean-Paul L. Garnier

Of Moms and Monsters by Lily Harper HartOf Moms and Monsters by Lily Harper Hart:

Maddie Graves-Winters is looking forward to a week of relaxation with her best friends. She had no idea a camping trip would be so stressful, however. She might have been picturing s’mores and ghost stories around the campfire, but the world has other plans.

Having her best friends Ivy Morgan-Harker, Harper Harlow-Monroe, and Rowan Gray-Davenport—as well as their husbands and children—around for a full week is her idea of bliss. There’s just one little problem.

Maddie doesn’t consider herself a suspicious person by nature, but when one of the college-aged girls at a nearby campsite goes missing—and nobody seems to care—she’s intrigued. Then, when a mother at a different campsite also appears to have disappeared in the middle of the night, she’s officially on the case.

Maddie and her friends can’t seem to help themselves from investigating. Their husbands are another story. They’re convinced the women are making things up in their heads.

Who will turn out to be right? And if it’s the women, what happens when they draw a potential killer’s attention to their campsite?
The group is strongest when they’re together. But this trip might be the death of one of them.

Dragon Soup by Patty JansenDragon Soup by Patty Jansen:

Plain version; for the illustrated version, see the author’s website.

When Perrin was so desperate that he applied for a job with the Bureau of Magic Abuse, there were two things he didn’t realise. One, that he might actually get the job and two, that it would involve working with magic sniffers.

And what an annoyance the creatures are. They keep him up at night, need to feed on expensive fresh fruit and cause him embarrassment.

A new inn opens in town and patrons flock to it. Perrin checks it out for forbidden magic, finds none but something doesn’t add up. Is it the stranger, clearly a wizard, who makes little effort to cover up his illegal activities? Is it the owner of the new inn, who can’t possibly have accumulated enough money to buy the place? Or is it the unfailingly raving reviews?

Something fishy is going on, and his boss at the Bureau doesn’t even want him to investigate. But Perrin has never let that stop him.

Dark Park by Kathe KojaDark Park by Kathe Koja:

DARK FACTORY opened the doors to a reality-bending dance club, an online immersive portal, and the feeling that the whole world is on the brink of something new. DARK PARK takes you there.

DARK PARK follows visionary filmmaker Sergey Kendricks as he tracks Ari Regon and Felix the DJ through the fever and chaos of stardom and celebrity culture, while Max Caspar quests deeper into the unstable gaming landscape of Birds of Paradise: pursued and idolized by fans, acolytes, haters, and schemers, all dazed by beauty and searching for the end of the world.

DARK PARK is the encore to DARK FACTORY, Kathe Koja’s wholly original novel from Meerkat Press, that combines her award-winning writing and her skill directing immersive events, to create a story that unfolds on the page, online, and in the reader’s creative mind. www.Darkfactory.club

Crone Cold Dead by Amanda M. LeeCrone Cold Dead by Amanda M. Lee:

Scout Randall’s life has taken more turns than she was ready for, and it’s a new dawn in Hawthorne Hollow.

Her parents have arrived on the scene, and it turns out, they’ve been hiding in the shadows for years waiting for her.

The prophecy that foretold her winning what should be an unwinnable war, has enemies crawling out of the woodwork.

And, worst of all, she’s grappling with the realization that one of her own has betrayed her.

It’s too much for Scout to deal with, which means that the snowmen popping up around town and acting like sentries are barely a blip. When Bigfoot joins the fray, however, Scout realizes trouble is afoot.

All Scout wants is a few weeks to catch her breath. That’s not in the cards. Her life is starting to spiral, and now that she knows who the enemy is, the only thing she’s certain of is that she doesn’t have the strength to fight him.

Hawthorne Hollow is a magical nexus, and all the players are lining up. The ultimate fight isn’t far away, so when new faces appear, it’s easy to question if they’re friend or foe.

Who will come out victorious?

Imperial Hijacker by Andrew MoriartyImperial Hijacker by Andrew Moriarty:

Fleeing a smashed rebellion and near execution by their supposed allies, Dirk, Gavin, Dena and Ana abandon Scruggs and Lee during battle. When local medical treatment isn’t enough, Lee surrenders to the Imperials and arranges to surrender to Devin’s ship to save Scruggs’s life. When a botched meet-up leaves them all in Devin’s custody and surrounded by his Marines, it looks like time’s up for our heroes. But Devin gets startling news, and it’s not what it says, but what it doesn’t that worries him. He has a proposal of his own for Dirk and company. They’ll get Scruggs and what they want, but they might have to change sides!

If you like Galactic Empires, honorable enemies, and snappy dialog, this one’s for you!

Bad Habits by Hollis ShilohBad Habits by Hollis Shiloh:

Jack and Cameron have a good thing going. Jack is a burned out reporter and Cam is a fox shifter who gives him tips. They also meet up to play pinball…and to have sex. It’s a nice arrangement, no messy feelings involved, no pressure that neither one of them needs.

Cam is frightened by the idea of falling in love—been there, done that, got the scars to show for it—and Jack’s last relationship ended in a painful breakup. But things have been changing lately.

When there’s only one guy in the world you really want, is it going to work to keep pretending it’s just casual?

Mage-Queen's Thief by Glynn StewartMage-Queen’s Thief by Glynn Stewart:

She’s supposed to find a husband.
He’s supposed to steal a shuttle.
They’re each other’s only hope.

Kiera Alexander is the Mage-Queen of Mars, ruler of a hundred worlds and the protector of humanity. She is also unmarried and in desperate need of an heir—a duty that has left her traveling the Core Worlds of the Martian Protectorate aboard the luxury liner Extravagant Voyage.

Her mission? Meeting every eligible bachelor Mage that can be found.

Barry Carpentier’s only interest in the Queen’s traveling show is the strange shuttle hidden aboard Extravagant Voyage. The unique spacecraft, the smallest jump-capable ship he’s ever heard of, is worth a small fortune to the right buyer.
Like the one sending him aboard Extravagant Voyage.

A thief doesn’t want to meet the Mage-Queen of Mars—but when a thief accidentally inserts himself into galactic politics, neither of their lives will continue unchanged…

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Indie Crime Fiction of the Month for September 2023


Welcome to the latest edition of “Indie Crime Fiction of the Month”.

So what is “Indie Crime Fiction of the Month”? It’s a round-up of crime fiction by indie authors newly published this month, though some August books I missed the last time around snuck in as well. The books are arranged in alphabetical order by author. So far, most links only go to Amazon.com, though I may add other retailers for future editions.

Our new releases cover the broad spectrum of crime fiction. We have cozy mysteries, small town mysteries, historical mysteries, Jazz Age mysteries, paranormal mysteries, crime thrillers, legal thrillers, conspiracy thrillers, adventure thrillers, romantic suspense, police officers, FBI agents, amateur sleuths, assassins, serial killers, missing persons, murdered tea shop owners, bigfoot crime-busting witches, crime-busting socialites, crime-busting journalists, murder and mayhem in London, Florida, California, Arizona, the Midwest and much more.

Don’t forget that Indie Crime Fiction of the Month is also crossposted to the Indie Crime Scene, a group blog which features new release spotlights, guest posts, interviews and link round-ups regarding all things crime fiction several times per week.

As always, I know the authors at least vaguely, but I haven’t read all of the books, so Caveat emptor.

And now on to the books without further ado:

Murder With Money by Blythe BakerMurder With Money by Blythe Baker:

When Sylvia’s sister disappears unexpectedly, Sylvia doubts the official story. Joan wouldn’t run off to California to become a film star without first saying goodbye to her family. Clearly, she’s in some sort of danger and it’s up to Sylvia to find out what.

But can Sylvia set aside her doubts about her mysterious butler in order to enlist help from Miles when she needs it most?

 

Chocolate Dipped Intrigue by Beth ByersChocolate Dipped Intrigue by Beth Byers:

Long time friend of Violet Carlyle, that rogue Smith, and Jack Wakefield, Denny Lancaster is a devoted husband, a father to two, and an avid lover of crime. He’s also a little addicted to chocolate.

So he notices when things change at his favorite chocolate shop. Convinced something is amiss, Denny delves right in. This time on his own. And discovers that maybe the time has come for him to be the hero.

 

Josephine West and the Unexpected Corpse by Beth Byers and Anne WarrenJosephine West and the Unexpected Corpse by Beth Byers and Ann Warren:

Josephine West is broken after losing her husband during the Great War. She spends her days writing nonsense articles for the local newspaper and evenings avoiding the suitors her mother pushes her way.

Then, Josephine discovers a dead body in beautiful Carmel-By-the-Sea, California. She’s determined to both be the one who solves the murder and the one who publishes the story. Can she do it when everyone would try to stop her? She thinks she can, and she’s sure no one else will beat her to the truth. The only question is whether the chase will put her at risk?

The Hunt for Thaddeus Murfee by John EllsworthThe Hunt for Thaddeus Murfee by John Ellsworth:

In the heart-pounding legal thriller “The Hunt for Thaddeus Murfee,” acclaimed author John Ellsworth introduces readers to the brilliant and resourceful attorney, Thaddeus Murfee, whose life takes an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with the cunning and dangerous criminal, Johnny Seventeen.

The story begins with a shocking incident—a bar room shouting match turns fatal when Johnny Seventeen pulls out a gun and shoots a man in cold blood. Arrested and charged with murder, Johnny hires Thaddeus Murfee, known for his unparalleled courtroom skills, to defend him against the charges. As the trial unfolds, tensions rise, and the truth becomes increasingly elusive. The first trial ends with a hung jury, leaving the case open for a second trial.

With the weight of Johnny Seventeen’s conviction hanging over him, Thaddeus discovers that the stakes are higher than he ever imagined. Johnny, consumed by a thirst for revenge, breaks out of jail and becomes a relentless predator, determined to track down and eliminate the one man standing between him and freedom: Thaddeus Murfee.

Forced to abandon his comfortable life and go on the run, Thaddeus finds himself in a race against time. As Johnny’s pursuit grows more relentless, Thaddeus must rely on his wit, legal acumen, and survival instincts to outmaneuver the relentless villain. With each passing moment, the line between justice and survival blurs, forcing Thaddeus to confront his own limits.

In “The Hunt for Thaddeus Murfee,” readers will be captivated by the intricate twists and turns of the legal world as they follow Thaddeus Murfee’s desperate struggle for survival. Packed with suspense, courtroom drama, and a gripping cat-and-mouse chase, this gripping legal thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

Twisted by Maggie GilesTwisted by Maggie Giles:

Detective Ryan Boone thought the simple jewelry heist was an open-and-shut case. That is until he discovers an unknown drug, and this minor crime he was investigating may be tied to a string of seemingly unconnected murders.

Meanwhile, Mel Parker, unscrupulous leader of a less-than-legal high-end escort service, stumbles across the same pills. On top of protecting her “investment,” she has her own reasons for attempting to unravel the mystery behind the medication.

Ryan knows someone has the answers he seeks, and Mel can’t come forward. To complicate things further, five other women are implicated in the murders despite most having never met.

As the trail turns up as many mysteries as resolutions, Ryan and Mel must discover the twisted connection before someone else ends up dead.

Memories of the Falls by Elle GrayMemories of the Falls by Elle Gray:

It’s summertime at the Falls, and this season revenge tastes even sweeter…

Sheriff Spenser Song thought she would get a much-needed break after aiding FBI agent Blake Wilder on an international trafficking ring.
Shortly upon her return to the Falls and to Ryker, the place is once again in an uproar.

When the town’s star athletes are found dead due to a drug overdose.
Once again, it’s up to Spenser with a bit of aid from Ryker to get to the bottom of the string of drug related deaths.

Mean girls, star athletes, and class clowns.
Leaving high school is easy, but the memories you make there will always stay with you.

Of Moms and Monsters by Lily Harper HartOf Moms and Monsters by Lily Harper Hart:

Maddie Graves-Winters is looking forward to a week of relaxation with her best friends. She had no idea a camping trip would be so stressful, however. She might have been picturing s’mores and ghost stories around the campfire, but the world has other plans.

Having her best friends Ivy Morgan-Harker, Harper Harlow-Monroe, and Rowan Gray-Davenport—as well as their husbands and children—around for a full week is her idea of bliss. There’s just one little problem.

Maddie doesn’t consider herself a suspicious person by nature, but when one of the college-aged girls at a nearby campsite goes missing—and nobody seems to care—she’s intrigued. Then, when a mother at a different campsite also appears to have disappeared in the middle of the night, she’s officially on the case.

Maddie and her friends can’t seem to help themselves from investigating. Their husbands are another story. They’re convinced the women are making things up in their heads.

Who will turn out to be right? And if it’s the women, what happens when they draw a potential killer’s attention to their campsite?

The group is strongest when they’re together. But this trip might be the death of one of them.

Crone Cold Dead by Amanda M. LeeCrone Cold Dead by Amanda M. Lee:

Scout Randall’s life has taken more turns than she was ready for, and it’s a new dawn in Hawthorne Hollow.

Her parents have arrived on the scene, and it turns out, they’ve been hiding in the shadows for years waiting for her.

The prophecy that foretold her winning what should be an unwinnable war, has enemies crawling out of the woodwork.

And, worst of all, she’s grappling with the realization that one of her own has betrayed her.

It’s too much for Scout to deal with, which means that the snowmen popping up around town and acting like sentries are barely a blip. When Bigfoot joins the fray, however, Scout realizes trouble is afoot.

All Scout wants is a few weeks to catch her breath. That’s not in the cards. Her life is starting to spiral, and now that she knows who the enemy is, the only thing she’s certain of is that she doesn’t have the strength to fight him.

Hawthorne Hollow is a magical nexus, and all the players are lining up. The ultimate fight isn’t far away, so when new faces appear, it’s easy to question if they’re friend or foe.

Who will come out victorious?

Press Releases and Puff Pieces by Amanda M. LeePress Releases & Puff Pieces by Amanda M. Lee:

Avery Shaw is looking forward to a quiet—but entertaining—day in court when a furious plaintiff takes off after losing what Avery believes to be one of the funniest cases she’s ever covered. Avery gives chase because she wants an interview, and her life is thrown into turmoil during the melee that follows.

Alice Wendell likes to sue people. She’s made a name for herself suing neighbors, police officers, dogs, and even dates. That’s why, when a car is aimed at her in downtown Mount Clemens, it’s not exactly a surprise. The ensuing explosion is, however, and Avery is there for the unfortunate aftermath.

When she wakes in the hospital following a serious head injury, she finds Alice is dead…and maybe not from the blast that took out the clocktower downtown.

Once back on her feet, Avery is determined to chase the case. Her boss, husband, and the very annoyed sheriff in charge of the death investigation have other plans…and they involve Avery being pushed to the puff piece beat until she’s no longer shaky from the explosion.

Avery Shaw is not going down without a fight, however. She’s determined to get to the bottom of things, even if she dies in the process.

There’s something hinky going on at the biggest hospital in the county, and Avery won’t stop until she knows exactly what that something is. That puts a target on her back, and the individual aiming at that target just might have the upper hand.

It’s a fight to the finish for Macomb County’s favorite reporter. Will she survive to claim yet another win, or is this finally the end for Avery Shaw?

The Deadly Deal by J. LeeThe Deadly Deal by J. Lee:

David Centrelli is a junior business development executive at a pharmaceutical company in Richmond with no military training or criminal record whatsoever…but an innocent knock on the door one typical Monday morning changes his life forever.

Thrust into a world of unbelievable accusations, outrageous claims and danger he’s only seen in the movies, he’s told that his best friend’s death two weeks earlier was no accident, and that his buddy has a message for him from the grave. As skeptical as he is, clues far too specific to be coincidental keep coming, and soon his own home is engulfed in flames. When the perpetrator contacts him, he learns that not only are the accusations legitimate, but that people trained to eliminate problems have labeled him one.

Blackmailed by decisions he made years ago, informed that his brother has been kidnapped, and threatened with a future not even his worst nightmare could imagine, the temptation to give up what he knows and disappear into affluent anonymity grows stronger by the second…until he learns that millions of lives depend on him trying to do the right thing. But can this ordinary businessman really escape death from experts trained to administer it and prevent a colossal calamity already set in motion by the highest levels of government.

Behind the Mask by A.J. RiversBehind the Mask by A.J. Rivers:

Every small town has its secrets.
This secret is worth taking lives for…

After saving Molly from a trafficking ring and reuniting with her mother, FBI agent Ava James feels as though she has found true happiness.
While having a family dinner Ava receives a call from an old friend, with some bad news.

Every Halloween, teen girls from the rural Vermont town are going missing.
Each year more than the last.
Did the teens simply run away from home? Or is something far more sinister at play?

With no bodies to be found, it seems as though the teens simply just vanished.
At her friends urging and with only 11 days until Hollow’s Eve, Ava goes to Pine Bend, Vermont to investigate the disappearances.

Phantom serial killer, smugglers, weird Wicca club, and annoying youth groups.
Pine Bend is a town full of weirdos.
And behind a mask, anyone can hide in plain sight.

A Seller's Market by Wayne StinnettA Seller’s Market by Wayne Stinnett:

Six months out of high school and just days after finishing Marine boot camp, Jesse McDermitt is finally ready to unwind and have a little fun when he goes home on leave.

But everything Jesse remembers—his friends, his family, the sparkling beaches and familiar waters of the Caloosahatchee River and Pine Island Sound, even his faithful Lab, Molly, have all changed.

Only when he reunites with a boot camp buddy to explore the reefs of the Florida Keys and the oddly relaxing shallows of the backcountry does Jesse finally understand that it was he, himself, who had changed.

The two young men, enjoying life in paradise while on boot camp leave, soon find out that there are still pirates in those tropical waters. Only their galleons and corsairs have been replaced with offshore racing boats and motorcycles.

Arrest the Alibi by Anne R. TanArrest the Alibi by Anne R. Tan:

My name is Cedar Woods, and I am a recovering ostrich. I have the unfortunate habit of burying my head in the sand. Newly divorced and penniless, I am cleaning my friends’ fancy McMansions to make ends meet while lawyering up for a financial audit on my ex-husband’s tech company.

When my Aunt Coco fell and broke her hip, I hightailed back to Mirror Falls. But things took a bizarre turn when I found out my Chinese aunt thought her new corgi was her husband’s reincarnated spirit, and she took the dog’s financial advice to invest her retirement money into a tea shop. Is she losing her mind, or am I being punished by my ancestors?

To make matters worse, a rival shop owner turns up dead, and Aunt Coco becomes the prime suspect. With the help of newfound friends, I must shift through the town’s secrets to exonerate my aunt and prepare the tea shop for its grand opening. But with a vicious murderer on the loose, I might be in over my head. Can I catch the killer before someone else gets hurt? Will I find the home I spent my entire life searching for?

This humorous cozy mystery will charm readers with its endearing characters, heartwarming family relationships, and an intriguing whodunit that will keep readers guessing until the end. Don’t miss out on the fun. Grab your copy now.

The Girl Who Found Joy by Amy VasantThe Girl Who Found Joy by Amy Vasant:

Mason and Shee travel to Palm Beach to hunt a killer the FBI has nicknamed “Portia”—a type of spider more clever than a black widow. Portia finds a victim and someone to frame for his murder before disappearing with the money—the perfect crime.

Shee befriends their target but plans quickly unravel. A man stabbed to death, mysterious messages, a body washed ashore—all of it a little crazy to fit Portia’s style…

Do they have the wrong killer, or is this another of Portia’s tricks?

Shee and Mason must tap the Loggerhead crew to unravel the crime, but Portia’s web only grows more twisted…and deadly.

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Foundation travels “Long Ago, Not Far Away” and blows up its own premise

Season 2 of Foundation is currently streaming, so I’m doing episode by episode reviews again. For my takes on previous episodes, go here.

Warning! There will be spoilers under the cut! Continue reading

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Foundation Discovers “The Last Empress”

Season 2 of Foundation is currently streaming, so I’m doing episode by episode reviews again. For my takes on previous episodes, go here.

Warning! There will be spoilers under the cut! Continue reading

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Commercial Break

Before we return to our regularly scheduled Foundation reviews, I have a few things to announce.

For starters, I was over at Galactic Journey yesterday, talking about the heyday of science fiction dime novels and the first stirrings of the horror dime novel boom in West Germany in 1968.

I also have a couple of new and not so new stories out:

One story that’s brand new is “Rest My Weary Bones”, a dark fantasy tale told from the POV of a skeleton warrior forced to serve in the undead army of an evil necromancer, which appeared in the July 2023 issue of Swords and Sorcery Magazine.

For something a little more wholesome (even though it does start on a blood-soaked battlefield), my flash story “A Cry on the Battlefield” has been reprinted in the anthology The Little Cozy Book, edited by Nathaniel Webb of Wyngraf Magazine.

The Little Cozy BookThe anthology also includes cozy fantasy fiction by Gideon Marcus, L. Chan, Amanda Cook, Ian Martinez Cassmeyer, L.D. Whitney, George Jacobs, J. Thomas Howard, Jonathan Olfert, Frederick Sheilira, Neil Willcox, Jo Miles, Sam Lesek, Jenna Hanchey, Miranda Ray, Coby Anthony Rosser, Sheila Massie, Jess Hyslop, Stew Shearer, Ziggy Schutz, Simon Kevin, Jennifer Hudak,Dawn Vogel, Jamey Toner, Gregory Kilcoyne, Nathaniel Webb and Patricia Miller.

You can buy The Little Cozy Book here. There’s also a lovely review by German writer, translator and fan Maike Claußnitzer here.

Finally, here are some cozy photos of my personal copy of the anthology, because books and toys are a great match:

Three friendly Matryoshka dolls cluster around The Little Cozy Book

These friendly Matryoshka dolls are big fans of The Little Cozy Book.

The Little Cozy Book with hedgehog and badger

Cuddly woodland animals sniff out The Little Cozy Book.

Stuffed pig with The Little Cozy Book

This little piggy reads “The Little Cozy Book”

Duncan and Evil-Lyn with The Little Cozy Book

Duncan and Evil-Lyn are about to get cozy.

Finally, I also have a story out in the anthology Simultaneous Times Volume 3, edited by Jean-Paul Garnier and presented by Space Cowboy Books. My story is called “We need to talk…” and deals with the relationship problems faced by bug-eyed monsters and the human women they tend to embrace on the covers of old science fiction pulps.

Simultaneous Times Volume 3

The anthology also includes stories by Jonathan Nevair, F.J. Bergmann, Brent A. Harris, Gideon Marcus, A.C. Wise, Tara Campbell, David Brin, Robin Rose Graves, Renan Bernardo, Christopher Ruocchio, Toshiya Kamei, Todd Sullivan, Susan Rukeyser, Ai Jiang and Michael Butterworth, so check it out.

You can buy your copy here. There’s also a book trailer on YouTube.

Finally, because it’s fun, here is Skeletor posing with my contributor copies:

Skeletor poses with contributor copies of Simultaneous Times Volume 3.

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Some Comments on the 2023 Dragon Award Winners

The winners of the 2023 Dragons Awards were announced today at Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia. The full list of winners may be found here.

Since it seems I’m committed/cursed to cover the Dragon Awards – coverage of previous years may be found here – let’s delve right into the categories.

The 2023 Dragon Award for Best Science Fiction Novel goes to The Icarus Plot by Timothy Zahn. This win was a bit of a surprise, because it was easily the most obscure novel in this category (and File 770 notes that it has the lowest number of Goodreads ratings in the category). And while Timothy Zahn is certainly a popular author, he is best known for his Star Wars work these days, including creating Grand Admiral Thrawn who is about to make his debut in live action. However, Dragon Con is mainly a media con, so Timothy Zahn’s Star Wars work may have given him more name recognition among casual voters. And The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, easily the most popular novel in this category, does lean more towards horror than science fiction. Plus, Baen Books, which published The Icarus Plot, traditionally has a strong presence at Dragon Con and Zahn was there in person to accept his award.

The winner of the 2023 Dragon Award for Best Fantasy Novel is Witch King by Martha Wells.  This is an excellent winner and was also my personal choice. I’m a bit surprised that the much lauded Babel by R.F. Kuang didn’t win, but then Witch King came out in May 2023 and may simply have been clearer in people’s memories than Babel, which came out more than a year ago.

The 2023 Dragon Award for Best Young Adult and Middle Grade Novel goes to The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik. This wasn’t my choice, since I don’t particularly care for the Scholomance series. However, the series is very popular and both The Golden Enclaves and the entire series are Hugo/Lodestar finalists this year. The fact that The Golden Enclaves won in the Young Adult category also reinforces that a lot of readers consider the Scholomance series YA, even though others vehemently disagree.

The winner of the 2023 Dragon Award for Best Alternate History Novel is Lost In Time by A.G. Riddle. This wasn’t my choice, but the win isn’t very surprising, since A.G. Riddle is very popular and easily the best known author in this most obscure of Dragon Award categories.

The 2023 Dragon Award for Best Horror Novel goes to A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher. This was also my choice and is a very worthy winner IMO.

The winner of the 2023 Dragon Award for Best Illustrative Cover is Kurt Miller’s cover for Tower of Silence by Larry Correia, which can be seen here sans typography. Now I wasn’t wowed by any of the finalists in this category and IMO the Tower of Silence cover is one of the weakest in this category. I guess it won more because Larry Correia is a popular author with the Dragon Awards crowd than on its own merits.

The 2023 Dragon Award for Best Comic Book or Graphic Novel goes to Dune: House Harkonnen by Brian Herbert, Kevin J Anderson and Michael Shelfer. The popularity of the Dune graphic novels continues to surprise me, considering that another Dune graphic novel also won in this category last year and that yet another Dune graphic novel is also on the Hugo ballot this year. Of course, it’s possible that the Dune graphic novels are actually good – I haven’t read any of them.

The winner of the 2023 Dragon Award for Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series is The Sandman. I have to admit that this surprised me a little, for while The Sandman comic was extremely popular in its day, the TV series seemed to get less attention than most of the other finalists in this category. But then, the Star Wars and Star Trek fan votes were split between Andor and The Mandalorian and Strange New Worlds and Picard respectively, which may well be why The Sandman was able to triumph.

The 2023 Dragon Award for Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie goes to Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. This is one win that makes me very happy, because Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a fun movie and finally a good Dungeons & Dragons movie. It’s also a movie almost everybody who actually watched it seemed to like, though it’s apparently considered a box office failure, because it was flattened by the Super Mario Bros Movie, which came out only a week later. Something similar happened to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, another movie almost everybody who actually watched it seemed to like, but which was squashed at the box office by the juggernaut that is Barbie. Plus, it’s great that something with “dragon” in the title has finally won a Dragon Award. It’s notable that after winning every award in the multiverse, Everything Everywhere All At Once failed to take home a Dragon Award, though I’m sure the Daniels will comfort themselves by looking at their Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and every other award Everything Everywhere All At Once won.

The winner of the 2023 Dragon Award for Best Digital Game is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This isn’t a huge surprise, because Tears of the Kingdom got a huge amount of buzz and also generally good reviews. I’m also happy that that Harry Potter game did not win.

The 2023 Dragon Award for Best Tabletop Game goes to Magic the Gathering: The Lord of the Rings. Again, this isn’t a very surprising win, because Magic the Gathering has won in the Best Miniature/Collectible Card/Roleplaying Game category of the Dragons five times in eight years now. Maybe they should just rename the category “Best Magic the Gathering Set”.

A couple of other awards were handed out at Dragon Con as well, so here is a brief rundown: The 2023 Hank Reinhart Fandom Award goes to Amanda Makepeace. The 2023 Julie Award, named in honour of Julius Schwartz, goes to Marty Krofft, one half of the Krofft Brothers TV producer duo behind many popular children’s shows. The 2023 Eugie Foster Memorial Award goes to “Quandary Aminu vs The Butterfly Man” by Rich Larson, which can be read here, and the 2023 Mike Resnick Memorial Award goes to the “For the Great and Immortal” by South African writer Daniel Burnbridge. As far as I can tell, all of these seem to be good and solid choices.

In general, the Dragon Awards are continuing on their way towards becoming what they were initially conceived to be, an award for broadly popular SFF works with big fanbases. Also, this is the first year as far as I remember that women outnumber the male winners in the five novel categories with three women and two men winning. Considering that the Dragon Awards have skewed heavily white and male since their inception, this is progress, though the list of winners is still very white.

Camestros Felapton also weighs in on the 2023 Dragon Award winners here.

ETA: Doris V. Sutherland weighs in on the 2023 Dragon Award winners at Women Write About Comics.

Still, eight years into the award, the Dragons have largely consolidated themselves and become what they were intended to be.

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First Monday Free Fiction: “The Mermaid of Foghorn Point”

The Mermaid of Foghorn PointWelcome to the September 2023 edition of First Monday Free Fiction. There was no August edition, because I forgot.

To recap, inspired by Kristine Kathryn Rusch who posts a free short story every week on her blog, I’ll post a free story on the first Monday of every month. At the end of the month, I’ll take the story down and post another.

This month’s free story is The Mermaid of Foghorn Point, a story in my Hallowind Cove series. I found myself in Bremerhaven this week and so I felt like posting a maritime story this month.

So follow Paul MacQuarie and Rachel Hammersmith, as they meet…

The Mermaid of Foghorn Point

It was what passed for a pleasant winter evening in the little seaside town of Hallowind Cove, known far and wide as the Harbour of the Weird. The fog that enveloped the town eleven months a year was light tonight, the banks looking more like a bridal veil than a thick woollen blanket.

Paul MacQuarie and Rachel Hammersmith, both relative newcomers to the town, strolled along the little harbour hand in hand. Last year, Paul had inherited a house he didn’t particularly want from a deceased uncle he’d barely known. As for Rachel, she’d first visited Hallowind Cove on one of the rare clear and sunny days and promptly fell in love with a little bakery on Gloomland Street. So she’d bought the bakery, only to find out what the other eleven months in Hallowind Cove were like. In spite of the fog and the general weirdness, both Rachel and Paul had stayed and even bonded over their shared experiences.

Tonight, they were headed for The Croaking Foghorn, a harbourside pub that always offered fresh seafood and good conversation. Okay, so the conversation at The Croaking Foghorn was mostly limited to Ian Rayburn, the talkative barkeeper, and Old Hank, a drunkard who had permanently installed himself on the second barstool from the left. But the seafood — well, that truly was exceptional.

A flicker of movement on the otherwise deserted street attracted Paul’s attention. A shiver ran down his spine, for on particularly foggy nights, a vengeful zombie — pardon, revenant — who wanted Paul dead for a crime committed by one of his ancestors, prowled the docks. Paul’s first encounter with the revenant had been a close shave and the last thing he needed was a repeat of that particular incident.

About the second last thing Paul needed was for Rachel to find out that one of his ancestors had been a ruthless killer and that his name was at the top of the most wanted list of a vengeful zombie as a result. Cause there were some things you really didn’t want to reveal on the first date.

The flicker of movement turned into a flutter of wings. A second later, a raven settled down on one of the bollards that lined the harbour.

Paul relaxed. “Oh, it’s you, Hugo. You just about scared me to death.”

Rachel turned to the raven and smiled. “How is it going, Hugo?”

Although he was a bird, Hugo was one of Hallowind Cove’s most famous or rather infamous residents. For unlike other ravens, Hugo could talk — well, sort of. At any rate, his croaking sounded very much like talking. He was also a veritable Cassandra and inevitably uttered dark warnings. Much of the time, they were even true.

“Tu-urn a-round,” Hugo croaked, “Go home.”

“Oh please, Hugo,” Paul said, “We’re just having dinner at The Croaking Foghorn. And besides, the fog isn’t very thick tonight. No danger that he’ll be there.”

“No danger that who’ll be there?” Rachel wanted to know.

Paul felt the blood rush to his cheeks and wondered if he could blame it on the cold wind that blew along the quay. “Just a re… resident of sorts who doesn’t like me. He’s sometimes on the docks, when the fog is particularly thick. But tonight he is at home or should be.”

If vengeful zombies actually had a home, that was.

“Tu-urn a-round,” Hugo repeated, “Go home.”

He fixed Paul and Rachel with eerily glittering eyes.

“No fish to-day,” he croaked.

Rachel shook her head. “Now that makes hardly any sense at all. As usual.”

“Wa-arned you,” Hugo croaked. He took off and fluttered ahead, only to settle on another bollard further down the street.

“Te-ell her,” he croaked and nodded at Paul.

Paul sighed. “Just shut up, Hugo,” he said good-naturedly.

After all, he had a date tonight, the first since coming to Hallowind Cove, and he wasn’t going to let anyone ruin it, least of all a raven with delusions of clairvoyance.

Hugo did indeed shut up. And up ahead, the lights of The Croaking Foghorn were coalescing from the mist, a beacon in the gloomy night.

***

This story was available for free on this blog for one month only, but you can still read it in The Mermaid of Foghorn Point. And if you click on the First Monday Free Fiction tag, you can read this month’s free story.

 

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Foundation Experiences “A Necessary Death”

Season 2 of Foundation is currently streaming, so I’m doing episode by episode reviews again. For my takes on previous episodes, go here.

Warning! There will be spoilers under the cut! Continue reading

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Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month for August 2023

Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month
It’s that time of the month again, time for “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”.

So what is “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”? It’s a round-up of speculative fiction by indie and small press authors newly published this month, though some July books I missed the last time around snuck in as well. The books are arranged in alphabetical order by author. So far, most links only go to Amazon.com, though I may add other retailers for future editions.

Once again, we have new releases covering the whole broad spectrum of speculative fiction. This month, we have urban fantasy, sword and sorcery, paranormal mystery, space opera, military science fiction, YA science fiction, Steampunk, Dieselpunk, folk horror, regular horror, vampires, zombies, aliens, starships, magical swords, feminist monsters, puppets living in appartment walls, crime-busting witches and much more.

Don’t forget that Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month is also crossposted to the Speculative Fiction Showcase, a group blog run by Jessica Rydill and myself, which features new release spotlights, guest posts, interviews and link round-ups regarding all things speculative fiction several times per week.

As always, I know the authors at least vaguely, but I haven’t read all of the books, so Caveat emptor.

And now on to the books without further ado:

Servant of a Pale Sword by Tim AkersServant of a Pale Sword by Tim Akers:

A lone pilgrim travels to the Temple of Absolution to free himself from a great sin. But when the priests of the temple cut too deep, Lohit Maast is left with no memory of who is or what burden he sought to escape. Among his things is a strange and powerful sword, its blade forge from materea, the very bones of the world. Is he a thief? An assassin? The hero of some great campaign? Or is he something far more dangerous…

 

 

Constant Sorrow by J.N. Chaney and Terry MaggertConstant Sorrow by J.N. Chaney and Terry Maggert

Humans have been in the stars far longer than Van originally thought, and they’ve been busy.

But not every visitor to or from Earth has good intentions, and the Peacemakers are faced with an uncomfortable reality. The Earth is about to meet aliens. Some of the aliens are bringing goods to trade. And among those items—are weapons.

When a secret cabal of humans who want to exploit the Earth is revealed, Van has to decide how and where to fight this threat. Along the way, he reveals a secret history that began in the Great War—and ends with mass chaos on his home planet.

Van won’t let that happen—at least not without a fight, and to hold back the gears of war, he’s going to need a lot of help. With Torina at his side, the crew faces a decision that will change the future of the stars themselves, and challenge the Guild, the Earth, and the Equal Grasp as the universe gets smaller with each contact between humans and aliens.

How can Van manage the clash, save earth, and deliver peace?

If he can, what will it cost him?

I Found Puppets Living In My Apartment Walls by Ben FarthingI Found Puppets Living In My Apartment Walls by Ben Farthing:

Can you tell me how to get… out alive?

Johnny awakes. A puppet looms over his bed.

He recognizes the furry monster: Grandpa was its puppeteer on the children’s television show R-City Street. But Grandpa went missing a year ago. He disappeared from this very apartment building, which was converted from the old R-City Street studio.

Desperate to see Grandpa again, Johnny follows the puppet inside the building’s walls, ever deeper into a puppet-infested labyrinth…

I Found Puppets Living In My Apartment Walls is a horror tale from the “darkly inventive” purveyor of uncanny places and wondrous evils, Ben Farthing.

Galaxy Unknown by M.R, ForbesGalaxy Unknown by M.R. Forbes:

Two hundred years ago, the generation starship Pathfinder fled a war-torn Earth, never to be heard from again. Until now…

Captain Caleb Card and his crew are on a mission to investigate a transmission believed to be from the lost ship. Ambushed upon arrival, they immediately fear the worst. But the beacon isn’t only active, it’s on the move, and where it leads will change everything they thought they knew about the universe. Cast into a distant galaxy brimming with unknown dangers, they’ll need to adapt quickly if they want to survive long enough to help the missing colonists.

Hextraordinary Circumstances by Lily Harper HartHextraordinary Circumstances by Lily Harper Hart:

Vampires are taking over the French Quarter.

Ofelia Archer was hoping for a break, a stretch of quiet time to enjoy the opening of her brother’s new bar, but the sight of vampires walking the rooftops one evening, tracking her, makes her wary. Then, the next morning, when a body is dropped in front of a famous vampire house, things in the Quarter take a turn.

Ofelia’s dealt with vampires before, but there’s something different about this fang gang. She’s confused enough to wonder: Are they really dealing with vampires, or something else entirely?

Zach Sully, Ofelia’s fiancé and a local police detective, starts digging. It seems there’s more than one dead body afoot…and possibly a conspiracy to hide multiple deaths.

Ofelia’s team is prepared to figure out the truth, even if it means putting themselves in danger to do it. When the new enemy focuses on her father Oscar, however, Ofelia goes on the offensive.

The French Quarter is a place where things frequently go bump in the night. This fight is about to get bloody, however.

In more ways than one.

Beast Mom by Kim ImasBeast Mom by Kim Imas:

An Oregon mom is about to lose her $#!t.
It might be what the government’s been waiting for.

On the outside, Harriet “Harry” Lime is a typical American mom. But after years of packing all the lunches and picking up all the socks, she’s become a bit…off on the inside. And after stumbling upon the offensive new statue at her daughter’s school, she gets unusually angry and turns into a gigantic monster.

Now she’ll have to figure out why that keeps happening-and why some mysterious uniformed men have begun lurking around town-all while keeping up with the grocery shopping, the carpool, and all those mother@#!&ing socks.

As soon as Harriet discovers that other local women are undergoing their own amazing transformations, she faces the sudden danger of being ripped away from everyone and everything she loves. Still, she’s begun to wonder: How much of her old life-with its surplus of cleaning, cooking, and monthly cramping-does she want to hold on to, anyway?

Medusa Falling by G.S. JennsenMedusa Falling by G.S. Jennsen:

*A stand-alone adventure set in the Amaranthe universe*

“Can I ask where we’re going?”
“Someplace safe…as safe as anywhere on this broken, fallen world can be.”
A first contact encounter isn’t supposed to kick off with a dead body.
Ambassador Marlee Marano has been dispatched to Belarria as part of a Concord initiative to meet new species and build alliances. But when an assassin murders her counterpart in front of her eyes and takes her hostage, she is plunged into an alien world on the brink of collapse.

With no way to contact Concord or get offworld, Marlee’s only allies may be a shadowy band of rebels with a questionable agenda steeped in government conspiracies, mysterious genetic experiments and bloody historical grievances that threaten to boil over. The rightness of their cause is the least of her concerns, though, for she finds herself wanted for murder and hunted by all sides.

Medusa Falling is a heart-pumping sci-fi adventure that will take you on a roller-coaster ride of twists and turns as Marlee races to uncover the secrets and lies of a captivating but deadly alien culture and find a way home.

Freaky West by Amanda M. LeeFreaky West by Amanda M. Lee:

Mystic Caravan has hit Texas, and things are supposed to be quiet in Austin. The only thing of note in a city that praises itself for being weird is the nest of vampires that rules the town.

They’re not the ones wreaking havoc this time, however.

Poet Parker knows something is up when a walk near the river results in an attack from a manic man with an ax. When he disappears just as quickly as he appeared, however, she knows something magical is afoot.

It seems Austin is trapped in the clutches of a bored being, and her way of entertaining herself includes bringing urban legends to life…and unleashing them on the city.

Poet has fought every type of magic imaginable, but this one leaves her flummoxed. It’s almost as if she’s dealing with a child mentally. Magically, however, she’s dealing with a monster.

Urban legends aren’t the only thing putting Austin in an uproar. The visiting loas—both of whom are there for Poet—are also drawing attention…and from all the wrong people.

Some magics are too strong to fight. Poet is not the sort of hero who can turn her back on people in need, however. Even if it means putting herself at risk to save them.

Poet has new magic at her disposal. Now she has to learn how to use it…or they will all perish.

It’s a fight to the finish, and who will come out on the other side is anybody’s guess.

The Lioness and the Rat Queen by Noah LemelsonThe Lioness and the Rat Queen by Noah Lemelson:

A city burning…
A murderous tycoon on the run…
And three vigilantes out for revenge…

Marcel never thought his investigations would lead to this; his once-friend Lazarus Roache turned slaver and cruel puppet master. For the good of Huile, and to salve his conscience, Marcel must take Roache down, even if that means following him into the desolate and savage reaches of the Wastes.

Yet the tycoon is not the only Wastefolk with a past with Marcel. To find the tycoon Marcel must break hardtack with an old enemy, a disgraced imperial general who he had once tried to kill, and is more than eager to return the favor. Yet she is not the greatest threat in the Wastes, for there is also a bounty hunter on his trail, the mysterious Queen of Rats, who somehow seems to know Marcel’s every dark secret.

Hyvilma by Gideon MarcusHyvilma by Gideon Marcus:

A damaged ship, a dying shipmate–can she save them both?

Under attack! The flight back to Hyvilma should have been the easy part for the crew of the Majera–until a deadly ambush by pirates sends them reeling through hyperspace. Now getting to the planet in time is the only way Captain Kitra Yilmaz can save her dying friend.

But landing at Hyvilma may be impossible: war has broken out on the Frontier.

An Unholy Triquetra: Celtic Fairy Tales</em> by Jason Parent, William Meikle and Curtis M. LawsonAn Unholy Triquetra: Celtic Fairy Tales by Jason Parent, William Meikle and Curtis M. Lawson:

Three unique voices in today’s horror bring you new takes on an old power that threatens to reshape our world. Celtic legends are reborn within these pages, with fresh stories guaranteed to spark nightmares in the vein of Grimm’s pre-Disneyfied fairy tales.

A Knot Within A Knot by Jason Parent: A man survives a plane crash only to find himself in darker circumstances, with a winter storm on the horizon and an orphaned child in tow. An elderly woman faces off against a god of night and his steed from the confines of her airplane seat, while another hides from night and storm in the hope of a new dawn. Unbeknownst to them, their fates are linked and dependent upon the next two tales.

Bound in the Valley of Balor by Curtis M. Lawson: After surviving a plane crash, a corrupt federal agent and a mob informant find themselves stranded in a remote valley. Blood spilled during a conflict between the two awakens an ancient evil bound beneath the valley. Can either of them escape from The Valley of Balor?

Summons by William Meikle (part of hisMythos of Sigils & Totems): Would you fall slave to the rhythm?
He came to Scotland after the death of his wife in search of peace. But the old house is restless. Something is waking, something noisy, something that will not be denied.
His search for meaning in the face of ever increasing activity in the house leads him down strange occult pathways, into deep history and a story that is racing to a finish.
The rhythm calls to him. Will he fall slave to it? Or is there a path to be the drum master before it subsumes him utterly?

This Celtic horror anthology is perfect for fans of folk horror, myths and legends, supernatural horror fiction, Grimm fairy tales, and Scottish survival horror, or fans of Ritual by Adam Nevill, Bag of Bones by Stephen King, or the legendary Ramsey Cambell.

Fire, Steel and Petroleum by Glynn StewartFire, Steel and Petroleum by Glynn Stewart:

From the author of Starship’s Mage, this short, magazine-style dieselpunk story delivers on action and an Arthurian hopepunk style.

Raiders have burned the village. With innocents in danger, a Knight must stand.

 

 

The Dead Shall Rise (Dark Tide, Book 10) by Jay Wilburn, Armand Rosamilia and Erin LouisThe Dead Shall Rise by Jay Wilburn, Armand Rosamilia and Erin Louis:

They’re coming to get you, Brave Reader.

“Prepare Because Death is Coming” by Jay Wilburn: “Take this and bear the warning.” When a messenger arrives at Dry Stretch, warning that a horde of zombies is heading their way forty years after the fall, Bay scoffs at the news. But a ‘full body’ meeting is called. Ethic is sent north to scout, but in Dry Stretch, no one is preparing. No one is repairing the walls. A William Faulkneresque story of the dead set in a dystopic dust-bowl town.

“Zombie Diner” by Armand Rosamilia: A family finds themselves on the wrong side of the zombie apocalypse while on vacation in Florida…

“Dance with the Dead” by Erin Louis: Tiffney is expecting just another night at the strip club. But when a customer goes berserk in the VIP room, things take an unexpectedly bloody turn. Stuck with a cocaine raddled manager and a shady club owner. Tiffney faces the unimaginable and is forced to turn her coworkers into allies to fight the evil that has taken over the club. Together they have to fight to stay alive.

This Zombie horror anthology is perfect for fans of post apocalyptic survival, The Walking Dead series, zombie apocalypse, and World War Z.

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