Best of
Futuristic

2013

Cloak and Silence


Sherrilyn Kenyon - 2013
    And once his deadly secret was exposed, it cost him everything—his birthright, his family, and his stellar military career.Ture Xans spent his entire life hiding from everyone around him—his family, his friends, and anyone who wanted to get close to him—while trying desperately to fit in and keep his head low. Badly hurt by everyone he’s ever known, he trusts no one except his own best friend. But honestly, he can’t understand why he trusts her. Nor can he believe her when she describes a loyalty between the League allies the likes of which he’s never seen.Yet when Ture is captured by the League in a coup he wanted no part of, his life is saved by a hero he thought only existed in fables. A man who is every bit as scarred and mistrusting as he is. One who has no interest in being dragged into another war for any reason. Having spent his life as a living study of doomed relationships, Maris is well aware of the fiasco that invariably follows. Still, there is something about Ture he can’t resist. Something that won’t let him walk away when he knows he should. But when old enemies return to threaten them both, they either have to stand together or die alone.

Taken in Death


J.D. Robb - 2013
    As Lieutenant Eve Dallas begins to unravel the crime scene and search for the children, she's drawn into the twisted mind of a kidnapper who will stop at nothing to take revenge.

Cassandra's Challenge


M.K. Eidem - 2013
    It's hard not to at 6’1” and 165 pounds with jet black hair and sapphire blue eyes. And if that wasn’t enough she is also brilliant, graduating from Harvard at fifteen, teaching at MIT at nineteen and up for the prestigious Magellan Award at twenty five. But she’s never really fit in. Not with her peers, not with her contemporaries, only with her family. But everything changes when the Earth is attacked and Cassandra and her niece Victoria are the only survivors. Suddenly the smartest woman on the planet has to relearn everything. Everything she’s believed to be true is challenged and she has to learn to survive, not only for herself but for Victoria, because someone wants them dead.Admiral William Zafar is the youngest Admiral ever in the Coalition fleet, the hero of the Battle of Fayal. At 7’1” he’s 325 pounds of Carinian male in his prime who is feared and respected throughout the fleet. He is a royal from the House of Protection, carrying its birthmark and considers its King one of his oldest friends.But when the Regulians destroy a previously unknown planet leaving only two survivors he finds he's willing to risk it all to protect the woman he loves from the Regulians and the Carinian traitor that wants her dead.

Ritual in Death / Missing in Death


J.D. Robb - 2013
    Robb short stories.Ritual in DeathWhen a naked, knife-wielding man who thinks he has killed someone crashes a glamorous ball she's attending, Lieutenant Eve Dallas is almost relieved. The clues point towards ritual murder, but Eve knows there is nothing supernatural about a deadly lust for power...Missing in DeathAboard the Staten Island ferry, a tourist sees something she shouldn't have - and soon no one can find her. But if she didn't jump, and she's not on board, where is she? Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her team know that all the answers lie in what she saw on that ferry.Gritty, sexy and non-stop crime-fighting - enter the world of Eve Dallas.

Beyond Denial


Kit Rocha - 2013
    It features Ace and his friend Jared stealing a moment together on a rooftop for some very illicit stress-relief--a moment observed by a very flustered Rachel.

Making Dinner


Nalini Singh - 2013
    A short story involving Riley, Mercy, Bastien and Sage from the SnowDancer & DarkRiver packs. Timeline: Takes place around the same time as Heart of Obsidian.This story can be found on Nalini Singh's official website.

Ties That Bind (Ties That Bind, #1-14)


Keira Marcos - 2013
    Grief and anger pushed him and made him even more ambitious in his career. Taking Dr. Rodney McKay into his life and his bed was supposed to be a political maneuver– but then he met the man and everything he thought he wanted changed in an instant.Dr. Rodney McKay has spent a year alone after divorcing his Domme and cutting her collar off in public. He doesn’t know if he’s ready for a new Dom but he does know he wants Atlantis and Colonel John Sheppard’s collar is his path to the city of the Ancients. Then the Marine put his hands on him and Rodney realizes that he’s already half way to risking his heart again.Neither man was prepared for the explosive combination of their sexual dynamic and the intense emotional connection that would burn between them like an inferno.Warnings: Graphic sex, anal play, BDSM, violence, and exhibitionismSeries Word Count: 369,027 complete

Other Worldly Ways


Connie Suttle - 2013
    From Falchan to Earth to the heavens and places in between, join Devin, Dragon, Conner and others as they travel through this collection of short stories.

When You Were Pixels


Julio Alexi Genao - 2013
    Antho is no murderer, but in watching the killer stumble he recognizes something that links them together.When he rescues the assassin in secret, he finds the monster on his screen is only a young man, cursed with the effects of a trauma as outsized as his deadly skill—and somehow linked to the stirring of a terrifying power. Unable to walk away, Antho makes a choice that could cost them both their lives:He takes the assassin home.Revised Second Edition

Ad Astra


Kevin O. McLaughlin - 2013
    Second chances don’t come along every day, so when an old friend offered him one, he grabbed on with both hands. The next thing Dan knew, he was on the moon, piloting humanity's first starship while fighting his way through one peril after another. Little did Dan know that simple offer was anything but, and would lead him to the stars far beyond our own. The risks are great. But if life knocked you down, what would you gamble to have one more shot at your dreams? Excerpt: "Dan - ad astra!"

 Dan heard the order. Ad astra. To the stars. It was a toast the two of them had shared back in college, when they first stepped onto the roads which would lead them into space. It had been John's idea to use the toast as a code word now. 
Dan didn't even take a deep breath before executing the order. He'd practiced this with Majel enough times in the simulator - not the part about having a gunman in the bridge, but if that order was ever given, it would be a true crisis.
 He checked the screen again. Visual range in only fifteen seconds. No time for anything else. He rapidly initiated the program, said a quick prayer, and pressed the Enter button on his keyboard.
 Immediately, the ship began to shudder. This book is a heavily revised second edition of the original volume. The story length has been increased by about 60%, adding enormously more background to the characters and deepening of the personality of the world and crew. If you've already read the first edition, you won't need to read this version to catch up - but fans of the series are sure to enjoy this expanded and improved "Author's Preferred Edition"!

Transformers: The Covenant of Primus


Justina Robson - 2013
    Little is known about Alpha Trion, and the rest of the Thirteen Primes have been shrouded in mystery—until now. Transformers: The Covenant of Primus reveals the stories of these ancient heroes for the first time. It chronicles the saga of Optimus Prime and Megatron and covers the full history of the Transformers. Never-before-seen illustrations depict battles, portraits of the Thirteen Primes, and detailed scenes of the Transformers’ world. Offering insight into their origins, the Golden Age of exploration, the great civil war between the Autobots and Decepticons, and much more, this book is the definitive in-world history of the Transformers.Product Features:Autobot shield case with three-part interlocking manual opening system and three classic Transformers audio effectsHardcover book with newly commissioned cover art, 20 newly commissioned illustrations, and many never-before-seen images from the Hasbro archive

Mirror, Mirror


J.D. Robb - 2013
    You'll recognize Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and other enduring characters, but they'll exist in realms beyond your imagination, where the familiar is transformed into the extraordinary and otherworldly.Contents:Taken in Death / J.D. Robb --If Wishes Were Horses / Mary Blayney --Beauty, Sleeping / Elaine Fox --The Christmas Comet / Mary Kay McComas --Stroke of Midnight / R.C. Ryan.

Orochi no Kishi


Itoshi - 2013
    Chief among the lawless are roving clans of racers who travel as outlaws in this new Wild West. Funded by wealthy stakeholders, the racing clans set new rules of justice within the circle of the banners they fly. Mouse, a talented small town motorcycle mechanic, finds himself kidnapped by a gang of Japanese bikers led by a formidable clan boss, Sadao Koga. The two form an uneasy alliance in a country without borders under the shadow of the Orochi banner.

Rarely Pure and Never Simple


Angel Martinez - 2013
    It will take a uniquely mismatched pair of trackers to untangle a web of conspiracy and misdirection to find them.In his isolated cabin, variant Damien Hazelwood avoids human contact as much as possible to prevent attacks of blind berserker panic. But his rare talent as a locator makes him the go-to contractor for tricky missing person's cases and when agents bring him a troubling contract involving missing variant children, he finds it impossible to refuse.Licensed tracker Blaze Emerson can't help being irritated when he's expected to follow the strange, twitchy locator's lead on his latest case. He works alone, he's damn good, and as a variant sparker, he has both the fire and the firepower to take on anything out there. Though he has to admit there's something intriguing about a man who can find people with his brain.​With vastly different temperaments and backgrounds, Damien and Blaze need to negotiate quickly how to work together if they're going to crack this case. Add in the sudden appearance of Blaze's outlaw ex, the perils of tracking in the wilds, and a maddening lack of discernible motive or method, and they soon find themselves in as much danger as the kids they're trying to rescue.Variant Configurations takes place in a future Earth where humanity is reclaiming its spot in a gradually healing world. This book contains mentions of past abuse, action-adventure style mayhem, and the beginning sparks of a slow burn, series-spanning relationship.

Monster


Mirriam Neal - 2013
    Eva Stewart is a promising young WorldCure scientist assigned to a facility in Alaska where she is made a Handler and given her own human Subject for research and experimentation. What she believes to be a step up in her career becomes a nightmare when she discovers writing on her Subject’s cell wall. "I still have a soul." Soon Eva is drawn into a horrific plot kept quiet by WorldCure, and as everything she knew collapses around her, she must discover the truth behind her Subject, her beliefs, and herself.

The Straight Crimes


Matt Juhl - 2013
    As if emotional baggage from a troubled home life is not enough for the teenage girl, within her lies a deep secret.When Harper crosses paths with Nik Roberts, things begin to turn around. He is charismatic, attentive, and most importantly, protective. In fact, he is everything she ever wanted. Carrying a secret of his own, they may just be a perfect match.Then dark forces infiltrate their existence, setting off a dangerous chain of events. Facing uncertainty around every corner, Harper and Nik must fight for their needs, their desires, and most importantly…their lives.

Ender's Game: A Dramatization


Orson Scott Card - 2013
    70 years after a horrific alien war, an unusually gifted child is sent to an advanced military school in space to prepare for a future invasion.

The Shadow of the Gauntlet


Casey Caracciolo - 2013
    Before the boy can regain his composure and slack back into his familiar world of artifs and hologames, Thomas is torn away from his home and hastily ushered into a secret world of magic. He quickly begins to discover his magic potential and grasp his manifesting abilities, but he lacks perhaps the most important component: control. Yareli Chual, Spirit Summoner and member of The Council of Mages, has been dispatched to recover the boy and bring him to The Council. There he can find the discipline he needs and the answers he seeks, but getting him there alive will be anything but easy. Yareli is not the only one searching for the Scargen boy. Along his journey, Thomas will ride atop a teleport dragon, duel a High Demon of the Depths, run with the Lions of Sirati, outfox a spirit ghost, race a vampire, and quote Shakespeare with a whiskey-swilling werewolf—all the hope of discovering the truth about his father. This quest will be fraught with darkness and malevolence far more unyielding than anything Thomas has come across in his fantasy books. Armed with his newly realized powers and his unlikely companions, Thomas Scargen will have to face this pervasive evil without being entirely consumed by The Shadow of the Gauntlet. "The novel covers well worn, well loved territory, but puts a fresh spin on the magic, tech, and fantasy that we've all grown up loving." —Geekadelphia.com

Passing Time: Nine Short Tales of the Strange and Macabre


Ellie Garratt - 2013
    A father will do anything to save his son in Expiration Date. An author finds out her worst nightmare is back in The Devil’s Song. A woman gets more than the claim fee when she takes out vampire insurance in Luna Black.In Dining in Hell, the Death Valley Diner becomes the wrong place to stop.A serial killer wants to add another file to his collection in The Vegas Screamer. In Eating Mr. Bone, an undertaker could meet an unfortunate end. A con man meets his first ghost in Land of the Free. And will truth be set free in The Letter?

Persistence of Vision


Liesel K. Hill - 2013
    Until a disturbing time loss leaves her feeling violated. And inexplicably empty.When a creepy thug breaks into her house and nearly kills her, she’s saved by a man with strange eyes. One who knows more about her than she’s ever told anyone. Marcus’s explanation is ludicrous. The time loss incident and the thug can’t possibly be related. Can they?What follows is time travel, a post-apocalyptic world in which the human race is enslaved, and those who remain free have been hunted to the verge of extinction. Only Maggie holds the key to freeing the world, but it’s lost somewhere in those missing memories. If she wants to solve the mystery of those unaccounted for hours, and save humanity in the process, she's in for the fight of her life.If you enjoy dystopian worlds, epic romance and visceral fights for survival, the Interchron saga is for you. Pick up this award-winning page turner with One Click!Winner of the League of Utah Writers’ prestigious Silver Quill Award, 2013.“Helps us see what we might become…”“Simply. Stunning. I couldn’t put it down.”

Ratgirl: Song of the Viper


Gayle C. Krause - 2013
    Desperation demands she quickly master the role of courageous opponent. She uses her hypnotic singing voice to lead rats to their death, and all the children to safety, in a dying city cursed by the deadly sun.

A Royal Knight


Nicholas Sansbury Smith - 2013
    Surrounded by a fortress of steel walls, and protected by a fierce and loyal Council of Royal Knights, Tisaia seems relatively safe to the average State worker and citizen. A plentiful supply of Biomass powers the cities, and food is abundant, but security has come at a terrible cost. The State will do anything to protect its resources, even if it means suppressing the rights of its citizens and deporting immigrants into the Wasteland - a virtual death sentence.Captain McNeill is one of the most respected Royal Knights in Tisaia. Plagued with scars, a robotic arm and cancer, his men call him the Bionic soldier. For two decades he has hunted the rebels inside the great Tisaian steel walls and in the tunnels snaking deep beneath the cities. He has followed them into the Wastelands and the skeletons of cities from the old world. But the one rebel he can’t seem to kill is Obi Hepe, the leader of the infamous Squad 19. After the death of three of his men, McNeill receives a unique opportunity to capture Obi. As he leads his men into the tunnels beneath Tisaia, he finds there may be more to the mission than he was told. And quickly he finds himself fighting in the battle of his life.

Gravely Inanimated


Esther Wheelmaker - 2013
    Humans fear for their lives while the dead kill the living.By the cover of night, a man known only as Aeron hunts these creatures. On one foggy evening he finds Lucille Knight's life in jeopardy and Aeron's interest is instantly peaked when he saves the young lady.But Aeron will have competition when Lucy meets Lord Garrett Ashdown, son of the Inventor, Earl Thomas. Lucy is drawn to the masked man and equally mysterious Lord. With one concealing his true identity and the other hiding a ghastly secret, she does not know which one is less dangerous.Will she be able to be with the man she chooses when she learns the awful truth?It is still unclear. And the current edition isn’t spilling the beans just yet…

Gethyon


Pippa Jay - 2013
    Hunted. Out of control.Gethyon Rees had always felt at odds with the universe, and hoped for an escape among the stars. But discovering he has the ability to cross time and space with just a thought brings more problems than it solves: a deadly bounty hunter who can follow him anywhere, the unwelcome return of Tarquin Secker--the mother who abandoned him--and an ancient darkness that seeks him and all those with his talents. When an unforgivable act sets him on the run, it'll take more than his unearthly powers to save his skin and the lives of those he cares about. It'll take a sacrifice he never expected to have to make. A science fiction adventure novel previously published by BURST (Champagne Books), and part of the Travellers Universe. A 2014 SFR Galaxy Award Winner for Most Awesome Psychic Talent and a 2015 EPIC eBook Awards finalist in the Science Fiction category. Also now includes the SF short story The Bones of the Sea.

The Dark Citadel


Jane Dougherty - 2013
    Even in Providence, city of eternal night, there are rebels. Deborah refuses an arranged marriage and runs. But more is at stake than her unhappy future. Her destiny is to become the catalyst that brings down the whole corrupt edifice and its creator—Abaddon, dark angel of the bottomless pit. Deborah runs to find her mother, the legendary Green Woman, who is drawing a host of dreams and heroes from the Memory of the world to defeat the evil that thrives in Providence. But the Green Woman’s strength is failing—she needs her daughter to take up the burden.In the apocalyptic wasteland outside the city, Jonah, another runaway, is waiting—to give Deborah his help, then his heart. Together they brave the terrors of the desert. Together they believe they can change the world.A girl, a boy, and a pack of wolf-dog pups search for the Green Woman, but Abaddon has set horrors on their trail that not even courage and boundless love can defeat.The Dark Citadel is the first volume of The Green Woman series, an epic story of evil, heroism, bravery, treachery, hatred, and the invincible power of love.

Tolomay's World and The Pool of Light


M.E. Lorde - 2013
    There is no swearing or sex in this series. Due to adult theme, it is Not intended for young YA readers. Genre is NEW ADULT/FANTASY/ROMANCE FANTASYAuthor M.E. Lorde creates a gripping story set in the earth’s future, where the youth of the world have the privilege and burden of saving humanity from extinction.Years before an apocalyptic event, a new means of travel is discovered. The modern technology comes just in the nick of time. Though none can return to a past-time in order to fix what men have destroyed, some candidates can now move forward to begin anew.Highly intelligent, Tolomay Ramey was trained since birth to do one thing… to lead others into the future of the ‘clean earth’ where both nature and mankind are given a fresh start. Leaving the pod community behind, she arrives as the only living ‘Original’ from the first team of candidates. The clean world, abundant with plant and animal life, is covered in green for the first time in hundreds of years.Unfortunately for this young girl and despite the beauty of the replenished earth, nothing she experiences from the moment she arrives is as expected. Alone for three years, until others finally join her, she learns to survive off the land, but that will not be what she finds most challenging. What will happen when a strong-headed young man arrives with the mindset that he should have been the first in this paradise? Can independent Tolomay and fiercely confident Kenter meet in the middle? Can the clean world become what it was intended to be for the new community, or will all thoughts of peace be left a thousand years in the past?(

DEMON DAYS: Love, sex, death, and dark humor. This book has it all. Plus robots.


Carl S. Plumer - 2013
    "The eyes on the first of its three heads had a serpent's split pupils, puke green. The eyes on the second head (which grew not beside the first head, but on top of it the way a cyst would) were as red as a poison frog's. The third head was stacked on top of its brothers, but this head was not worth talking about. It was a baby's head—and it was dead." Fortunately, there's one man who can stop the beasts: Zachary Zemeritus. Unfortunately, he's near dead and in pieces in a hospital across town. Central Park has been turned into an Air Force base, and the rest of New York City is in flames. Zachary's friends are the most recent victims of this nightmare. Too bad Zachary doesn't know any of this. As the hero of this tale, he might have been able to do something about it.

The Second Lives of Honest Men


John Robert Cameron - 2013
    Two centuries later, Honest Abe opened his eyes to a world he never imagined possible.

Shalia's Diary: Book 1


Tracy St. John - 2013
    The journal of Shalia Monroe begins in the wake of the end of the Earth-Kalquorian war, in which she details her life following the devastation of Armageddon."To Whom It May Concern: My name is Shalia Elizabeth Monroe, and this is my confession as to my part in bringing about Armageddon."When the Kalquorians entered Earth space during the war, they unwittingly triggered bombs hidden beneath the major cities. Now Earth’s former enemies rush to save the survivors left on a dying planet.Told from the viewpoint of survivor Shalia Monroe, this journal traces the first few weeks following Armageddon as she struggles to keep herself and her dementia-stricken mother alive. Battling the guilt of her part in Earth’s demise is only the first of many issues Shalia must deal with. She also faces man-eating alien Tragooms, disease, and violent gangs of surviving Earthers determined to kill each other in order to claim supremacy.word count: 61,034

Outlawed Hope


Na'ama Yehuda - 2013
    Outlawed Hope is her story, the story of the Outlaws who birthed her, the Society that raised her, and the infant she finds. Aimee needs to save the infant from a future she knows too well. Through dangerous close calls, Aimee discovers that she isn't who she thought she was, and nor are those around her. Why was she abandoned? Who found her?For the truth, Aimee must face stunning revelations. She is trained to comply, but cannot-it would doom her and the baby she struggles to protect. Can she find another way, and at what cost?Outlawed Hope is a story of loss, unexpected empathy, brutality, and heartfelt resilience."A story of escape and capture, the power of hope, and the heroics necessary to ensure a child's future." Meredith Blevins, The Hummingbird Wizard (The Mystic Café)"Reminiscent of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaiden's Tale, Outlawed Hope is a compelling, fast-paced novel set in a less-than-utopian society. We feel the race of Aimee's pulse as we follow the twists and turns of her journey, meeting various characters who help, hinder, sabotage, and heal both her past and future. In this first novel by Na'ama Yehuda, change is given the ride of its life and hope is anything but outlawed." Adele Ryan McDowell,Author of Amazon Bestseller Balancing Act: Reflections, meditations and Coping Strategies for Today's Fact Paced Whirl

Blue 52


Elaine Cantrell - 2013
    Together Hank and lovely physicist Kathryn Sinclair confront an implacable, twisted, merciless enemy who'll do whatever it takes to hide the truth forever.

Wolfman Apocalypse: Collection


Brannan Black - 2013
    The lucky ones died. Men who survived became something from the Twilight Zone growing larger, stronger and faster with better senses than us mere humans. Oh, and aggressive? 'Roid rage is nothing compared to these guys. They either wanted to kill it, fuck it or eat it, sometimes all three, and not in any particular order. One of a few immune men, I live in a fortified compound with a couple dozen women, a bunch of kids and two asshole straight guys. Sounds like a man's wet dream -- unless you happen to be the last gay man standing. After a winter locked up with two guys I've got nothing in common with, a few dozen lonely women and about a dozen kids, I needed to get away. That's how I ended up alone in that alley staring death in the face. I expected to die, not find my future and someone to share it with. Not that it was all wine and roses what with angry wolfmen, militant women and a threat none of us saw coming. The Wolfman Apocalypse Collection contains the previously released novellas Apocalypse, Revelations, Judgement, Salvation, and Genesis.

Glorious Incorporated


Steven Neil Moore - 2013
    Leaders emerge from the unlikeliest circumstances to tip the balance of power. The power of good embodied in Jonah International, a powerful corporate entity whose only interest is in ensuring mankind's power of choice and thwarting evil at every turn. The world is falling under an influence of darkness and is in desperate need of a defender to lead them into the light. The leaders at Jonah believe that the answers lie in Joshua Arden, a young man with a hard life whose destiny could change the face of humanity and faith forever. The choice to accept this responsibility is his own. How will he choose? SM

Sudden Death


James Carlson - 2013
    The dead now walk the streets of this once great city. Abandoned within the quarantine zone, Constable Dogan will need all his specialised skills to escape the growing army of flesh-eating corpses. A desperate group of survivors join him on a terrifying journey to the safe zone, hoping to find strength in numbers. They soon discover however that the cannibal corpses are not the only danger stalking the streets.

I'll Meet You Yesterday


Tom Barlow - 2013
    Lyrical and fresh, this novel explores memory, desire, and healing in an country torn apart by economic depression and environmental degradation, but held together by belief in the power of friendship. When the present is too harrowing to accept, the downcast escape into memories of the past. Barlow's future reads like a combination of William Gibson and Elmore Leonard.

Angel of the City


R.J. Leahy - 2013
    It is a city on the edge of starvation, slowly succumbing to the creeping death that has choked off the rest of the world. When the leader of a nascent resistance movement is captured by the government, a nameless, brain-damaged thief is hired to rescue her. It's a suicide mission and he knows it, but it's a job he can't refuse. And if he can get her out, then what? Where do you go, when there is no place to go? How can you hide in a city tearing itself apart in a wholesale ethnic cleansing? What drives a man to keep fighting, when he knows the terrible truth the future holds? Angel Of The City is a story of hope and survival in a broken world.

The Killing Trial


Drake R. Todd - 2013
    The year is 2028 and yet another "graduating" class of young teenagers raised together in Area 51 are ready to compete in a deadly game for a chance to be one of four child soldiers to fight in world war three. Split into four groups, they face the possibility of being forced against friends and, in some cases, their own twin. Innocence, idealism, faith, and life all come to end for these children as they begin to develop into the terrible soldiers that ordinary people never wanted to, or could become.

Captives


Jill Williamson - 2013
    Now alone, Levi is determined to rescue what remains of his people, even if it means entering the Safe Lands, a walled city that seems anything but safe.Omar knows he betrayed his brother by sending him away, but helping the enforcers was necessary. Living off the land and clinging to an outdated religion holds his village back. The Safe Lands has protected people since the plague decimated the world generations ago ... and its rulers have promised power and wealth beyond Omar's dreams.Meanwhile, their brother Mason has been granted a position inside the Safe Lands, and may be able to use his captivity to save not only the people of his village, but also possibly find a cure for the virus that threatens everyone within the Safe Lands' walls.Will Mason uncover the truth hidden behind the Safe Lands' façade before it's too late?

The Polaris Uprising


Jennifer Ibarra - 2013
    For nearly four decades, people have known exactly what’s expected of them. Obey the rules, follow the path that’s been laid out, and everything will be provided for: food, shelter, education, safety. No need goes unmet.But the cost is steep: you lose all rights to make your own choices in life.In seven years, eighteen-year-old Ryla Jensen will come of age and take over for her father as president of this idyllic nation. Groomed since childhood to take on a role she’s not even sure she wants, Ryla’s only escape from the pressures of duty is her sister, Alanna. But when her eyes are finally opened to the oppressive regime her father built, she begins to question everything she’s set to inherit—and finds herself at odds with her sister’s blind allegiance to their father.Torn between loyalty to her family and the fight for freedom, Ryla must decide just how far she’s willing to go to make a stand and risk losing the person she loves most in the world: Alanna.

Streets of Payne (Amber Payne #1)


Jeff Brackett - 2013
    Cybernetic implants replaced the organics she lost in the line of duty, and their appearance often causes Amber to doubt her self-worth.Rookie detective Kevin Glass is her partner. And though he may be new, Kevin's unparalleled skill as an elite cyber-surfer makes him an invaluable asset.When Alta Corp contracts the two of them to solve a case of high stakes data theft, they will need every bit of skill, experience, and determination to succeed. For the more they investigate, the more it becomes evident that this case is much more than it appears, and its resolution may forever alter the world in which they live.Show more Show less

The Color of Rain


Cory McCarthy - 2013
    Caring for her little brother, Walker, who is "Touched," and losing the rest of her family to the same disease, Rain has long had to fend for herself on the bleak, dangerous streets of Earth City. When she looks to the stars, Rain sees escape and the only possible cure for Walker. And when a darkly handsome and mysterious captain named Johnny offers her passage to the Edge, Rain immediately boards his spaceship. Her only price: her "willingness."The Void cloaks many secrets, and Rain quickly discovers that Johnny's ship serves as host for an underground slave trade for the Touched . . . and a prostitution ring for Johnny's girls. With hair as red as the bracelet that indicates her status on the ship, the feeling of being a marked target is not helpful in Rain's quest to escape. Even worse, Rain is unsure if she will be able to pay the costs of love, family, hope, and self-preservation.With intergalactic twists and turns, Cori McCarthy's debut space thriller exists in an orbit of its own.

Broken Things


G.S. Wright - 2013
    People live forever, but children are a thing of the past. To meet the demands of want-to-be parents, children have been replaced with androids... very life-like androids. Josh, a twelve-year old boy, is hit by a truck, leaving him badly damaged. Instead of paying the outrageous cost to fix him, they dump him in the wilderness. Broken Things follows Josh and his journey to a home that doesn't want him anymore, through a setting that darkly mirrors our own. Along the way, he must face the fears of abandoned children, from the wilderness to the city streets, and the predators that dwell in both. His only salvation may rest in finding a single person that cares.

Apocalipstick


Lisa Acerbo - 2013
    Jenna should be having the time of her life at college. Instead, her one desire is survival. She lives in a world gone insane after a virus kills most of the population. Being alive after the apocalypse is bad, but when the undead return, hungry for humans, times turn darker. For Jenna and a small group of survivors, the goal is to reach the High Point Inn. At the inn, Jenna develops feelings for Caleb, who, while exotic and intoxicating, is not quite human. Will this new utopia last?

Safeguard


Ethan Spier - 2013
    He’s been alone for a long time. But that is the way he wants it; that is why he chose the job.Living on a secluded moon in a remote sector of the galaxy at the behest of a huge corporation is a quiet existence for Michael. But when an unexpected visitor arrives with shocking news, his world is thrown into turmoil.From the bestselling author of Kinesis.Note: This is a 13,000 word short story.

Shadow of the Last Men


J.M. Salyards - 2013
    Technocratic elites have poisoned his world, enslaved his neighbors, and left his entire people destitute and depraved. Now this lone guided missile of a man is willing to shed the last tatters of his humanity to exact his vengeance.In this first volume of the Next Man Saga, J.M. Salyards presents a novel that sweeps from the apocalyptic Outlands to the palatial luxury of the corridors of power, and finds Harrow about to begin a war of annihilation. Before he can, he discovers allies who might bring him back from the brink. A psycho-spiritualist teenage boy and a disgraced princess of the elites may give Harrow a final tether to life, and as wills and fists collide, the unwilling hero must choose between a future beyond his victory, or death as his only chance for peace."

Obsolete (Obsolete, #1)


Christy Tillery French - 2013
    She joins forces with Katherine, a former anthropologist, in search of a safe place to live, and the two find a group of women gathered on the campus of a small college in East Tennessee. Katherine quickly establishes herself as leader and under the influence of Callie, a former prison guard, begins to imprison men, whom they refer to as the “others”, for what Madison perceives can only be nefarious reasons. When older and weaker prisoners start mysteriously disappearing, Madison suspects Callie and her band of deputies are killing them. After a pregnant woman joins their commune, Callie and Katherine, aware that females outnumber males and hoping to create a new world ruled by women, make plans to build their community and attain power. They devise a procreation policy, mating the younger women with the healthy male prisoners, and Madison must make a decision to either stay and become puppet to their plans or make her way alone in a desolate, violent world. But before she can do so, she meets Jonah, a young man captured by Callie, and Madison finds herself caught between her love and loyalty to Katherine and her attraction to Jonah. Madison is forced to make a harder decision: to stay and condone what Callie and Katherine are doing or risk her life and escape with Jonah.Show less

Future Past


Robin Winter - 2013
    There can be no forgiveness for Ash Tarberrn, no salvation for the men, women and children he slaughtered by infecting them with his deadly virus. When his past comes to confront him and demand his service, he steps into the temptation of time travel for his possible redemption. The violation of time will cost his world, his companions, and him-a price beyond imagining.

The Plan


Imogene Nix - 2013
    In the course of his work, he captures Kadie Frost, the young woman who managed to escape his sting operation. Kadie, an orphan, now almost destitute illegal parts runner, is shocked to find herself falling for the man who arrested her. Jonah's world is one that Kadie doesn't understand and fears. When he offers her a deal, she agrees to help him with the investigation. Now they must fight an impossible attraction, find the bad guys, and along the way they'll even end up getting married…purely for the sake of the case, of course. In the middle of upheaval they find themselves surprised by the scorching promise of passion while bewildered at how it all went awry. The clock is ticking and anything can happen next. Will they survive when work and pleasure collide?

And Laugh at Digital Butterflies


Holly Blackstone - 2013
    Her world as she knows it come crashing down when she writes a sim for a mysterious client who turns out to be none other than Dyson Pearce, the world’s first trillionaire and President of space exploration giant Stratosphere Futuristics. Confronted with an opportunity she can’t say no to, Abby finds herself adrift in a foreign world where people vie for your favour even as they scheme behind your back. Alternately attracted to and frightened by Dyson, Abby finds she must face her fears - including her parent’s unsolved murders - in order to cope with her new life. This is the first book in the Sine Qua Non Cycle. NOTE: Contains explicit language and depictions of sex (including spanking, bondage, roleplay, domination and submission). Content intended for adults only. 135,000+ words

Good Intentions


D.N. Simmons - 2013
    If successful, the soldier would have an increase in endurance, strength, awareness and overall speed. They would become the true super soldier. That's if everything went according to plan. SciTech put its best scientists on the project and gave them a time limit to complete the job or else. With the pressure on and the stakes high, Vincent Masterson and his team put everything they had into the project. Everything was looking hopeful until an experiment went horribly wrong. The scientists mutated their specimen's DNA, turning it into something monstrous. Now, life as we know it will never be the same. As it stands, the only thing that can save the human race is one of the two things they should be running from.Can the human race survive being caught in a bloody war between two vicious predators?

Debt Collector


Susan Kaye Quinn - 2013
    He's just in it for his cut, the ten percent of the life energy he collects before he transfers it on to the high potentials, the people who will make the world a better place with their brains, their work, and their lives. That hit of life energy, a bottle of vodka, and a visit from one of Madam Anastazja's sex workers keep him alive, stable, and mostly sane... until he collects again. But when his recovery ritual is disrupted by a sex worker who isn't what she seems, he has to choose between doing an illegal hit for a girl whose story has more holes than his soul or facing the bottle alone—a dark pit he's not sure he'll be able to climb out of again.Contains mature content and themes.The first three episodes of the Debt Collector serial are collectively the length of a short novel, or 152 pages. It is recommended that you start with the first season, but each season is a complete story for that debt collector and can serve as an entry point to the series. There are five planned seasons in the Debt Collector series, the first four each from the perspective of a different debt collector with the fifth season bringing all four together. Reading order:Season One – Lirium - COMPLETEEpisodes 1-9: Delirium, Agony, Ecstasy, Broken, Driven, Fallen, Promise, Ruthless, PassionSeason Two – Wraith **available for pre-order** releases 12.15.14Episodes 10-18: Wraith, Specter, Menace, Temptation, Shattered, Penance, Judgment, Corruption, Atonement

The Boxcar Baby


J.L. Mulvihill - 2013
    Bishop Steel, a mechanical engineer for the Southern Railroad, found his adopted daughter snuggled in a basket of cotton on an otherwise empty boxcar in the train yard. When no one came around to claim the baby, Bishop Steel, rather than relinquish the child to the State only to end up at the Workhouse someday, smuggled her home to raise as his own. The name on the boxcar he found her in read, A B Gale Logs, and so he named the baby AB’Gale.But if the mystery of who her real parents are isn’t enough for fifteen-year -old AB’Gale, Papa Bishop goes missing. Worried for her family and afraid of having to spend her life at the Workhouse, AB’Gale goes into town to see if anyone’s seen her papa, only to find a deeper mystery. At the train station no one seems to know who her papa is even though he’s worked for the Southern Railroad for thirty years.An encounter with a strange Hobo-man, who claims to know her father, results in the acquisition of a leather eye-glass tube that he says belongs to her papa. Before AB’Gale can question him further the man runs away. When she gets home, she finds the Crushers taking her grandma off to the Oldies-home, so she hides until they are gone.AB’Gale finds that the leather tube contains a map of the United States, with markers made by various towns across the country. By each marker is a word or a name written in her papa’s handwriting.Alone, and with only the clues of the map to go by, AB’Gale has no choice but to set out on her own to find her Papa.

Sin Eater


C.D. Breadner - 2013
    The Sin Eater will begin to learn that he is not as immortal as he originally believed.

T.I.T.O.R.


J.M. Surra - 2013
    The military claims it’s a weather balloon. Witnesses insist they’ve seen bodies of aliens, and the wreckage of a UFO. Sixty-eight years pass. On September 15th, 2015, an incident involving the Roswell wreckage escalates into a massive nuclear exchange between Russia and the United States, leaving five billion dead.2098. Another eighty-three years have passed. Project T.I.T.O.R. becomes a reality. Quantum physicists Ephraim Caine, Jeff Waldron, and Rose Rios have designed hop machines, crafts capable of breaching the time barrier. Time is short. The wounded, post-apocalyptic earth, with her dwindling resources on the verge of exhaustion, can barely support life. The hop pilots and crews of T.I.T.O.R. must risk driving the fragile hop machines back through time, in a desperate gambit to find some way to save the earth. Their mission goes awry when Hop 206 tumbles from the sky, crashing, to their horror, in early July of 1947, near Roswell, New Mexico.In a mind-bending, unthinkable twist of fate, they've knocked over the first domino, inadvertently setting off the inexorable series of events that, if unchecked, will culminate in a nuclear war, and the slow, agonizing death of their living planet. They've created a paradox, and caused the precise scenario project T.I.T.O.R. was intended to stop. With everything stacked against them, can they succeed in changing history? Or will time continue to block their every effort to change it, eliminating humanity in the process?

The Infinite Within


Michael Drakich - 2013
    But little does she know the fate that awaits her on the surface of the red planet or the results of her encounter when she gets back to Earth.

No Such Thing


Michelle O'Leary - 2013
    Ryelle Soliere, a telenetic with the ability to move objects with her mind, is either the Fleet’s most powerful weapon or their greatest downfall in the war against the GenTec. She is the strongest telenetic to ever come out of the Institute, frightening even her own kind with the extent of her talent. Raised in isolation and taught strict control, Ryelle boards the flagship of the Fleet determined to prove her worth in battle and her obedience to the Institute. Until she meets Declan McCrae.With his open, trusting friendship and his sweet, compelling seduction, he reveals a world she’s never seen and changes her beliefs about herself and her abilities. Feeling Ryelle slipping their control, the Institute sets out to teach the pair the price of love and war. Ryelle and Declan must discover if their future holds victory, or if there is no such thing as peace.

Blood Tracks


Paula Rawsthorne - 2013
    With her feet pounding the ground and her dad watching, she feels as though she can fly. But when her dad dies in dramatic circumstances, Gina refuses to accept the explanations she is given. Struggling to find the truth, Gina finds herself plunged into a world far removed from the one she has known; a world of lies, crime and betrayal. A world that will make her question everyone and everything around her. And a world she can't run from.

The Descartes Legacy


Nina Croft - 2013
    Now he has a lead--an imminent terrorist attack on London--code-named Descartes.Born with a genetic illness, Jenna Young has always known she was different. But the unexpected death of her father catapults her into a world of murder and terrorism she never expected. In order to stay alive, she must solve a twenty-five year old mystery--and her only ally a hard bitter man in search or retribution, her only clue the Descartes Highlands, an area on the near side of the moon.Luke's need for revenge collides with Jenna's hunt for the past, and together they must stand against the Conclave. All the while uncovering the truth behind Jenna's illness, a truth that will make Jenna question her very humanity.

The Last Elephant


Justin D'Ath - 2013
    But can he save the last animals on earth?Twelve years from now, rat flu has wiped out almost every animal and bird on the planet. The creatures in Captain Noah's Lost World Circus are the last of their kind. But the Rat Cops are determined to shut down the circus, and Colt and his acrobat friend Birdy might be the only ones who can save it, starting with Lucy - the world's last elephant.An electrifying new series from Justin D'Ath, author of the bestselling Extreme Adventures.

Assignment 1989 (The Time Travel Wars, #1)


Wal Ozello - 2013
    Her job as a U.S. Temporal Inspector is to report any aberrations in history. But she wakes up one morning to find time has shifted. The Germans manipulated the past so that World War II ended in their favor and America is under Nazi control.Now Alex must do more than monitor time, she has to correct history. But she’s being hunted by Nazis where ever she goes. She’ll have to make friends in odd places and find strength within herself if she’s to win the war and make sure that the government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Will time run out?

Ankara Fever: Journeys


Brian S. Vinson - 2013
     Ankara Fever, the deadliest virus to ever exist, has broken out as a global pandemic. Infrastructure is failing and the thin veneer of society is peeling back. > > >Intense action, engaging characters, timely storyline< < < Disaster management expert and professor, Roger Westover, is caught in a locked-down airport with the National Guard securing the gates and the outbreak slowly spreading through the terminal. He is joined by a beautiful new acquaintance to make a daring nighttime escape and begin their cross country trek to find Roger’s son and take refuge. > > >Fans of Forstchen’s One Second After have a new author for their reading list< < < Halfway across the country, Roger’s son Corey is oblivious to the events transpiring just outside his door. Thankful to be away from his father’s incessant preaching on preparedness, Corey has turned his attention fully to his gaming console and smart phone until his ex-girlfriend - and Roger’s star student - brings reality crashing home. > > >A dystopian thriller which makes you wonder if you’re truly prepared< < < Two separate journeys, a common cause: make it to safety. In the end, the difference between life and death may be as simple as your choice of companion. Click “Add to Cart” to get it now!

Cyberstalker


Jens Hildebrand - 2013
    Don't accept friendship requests from people you've never met.2. Don't look at their photos.3. Don't fall in love.----------A gripping YA novel for the Facebook generation."I love you."Lilly's heart misses a beat when these words appear on her screen. Okay, she'd love to have a boyfriend, and when Ian sends her a friendship request, she eagerly accepts. He just looks so gorgeous in the pictures. But when she's about to meet him in person, things take a dramatic turn. Who is Ian really? And how far will he go to get what he wants?

America's Darlings


Gail Bridges - 2013
    She takes pride in her advanced skills in the sexual arts, but performing Courtesan's Treat and Raging Volcano in front of thousands of cheering fans is no easy task, especially when sexual malfunctions threaten. At her side, a pillar of strength and compassion, is her best friend, Benson White. He is the one who scrapes her from the ground when her self-destructive tendencies surface. Benson is a talented sexual gymnast in his own right, the other half of America's Darlings. They hope for a gold medal. What neither of them expects is to fall in love. Inside Scoop: This book contains a mixed-gender menage, girl-on-girl, references to male/male sex, group sex, voyeurism, exhibitionism and everything else you'd expect from a society where sex is a game. An Exotika(r) futuristic erotica story from Ellora's Ca

Star Guild: Episodes 1-3


Brandon Ellis - 2013
    However, they don't know how their race got here. No history book has an answer and no historian has the guts to find out. It's as if the history of their race, the human race, originated in orbit around this planet. Any knowledge of their distant past has either been erased or their Prime Director is correct--they were birthed here.Most don't question it. Some do.Regardless, life is undisturbed. All they know is peace. There is no torment, no struggle and no war. The starships and starfighters that make up their military -- Star Guild -- are for show, unneeded, and manufactured only to help with tech research. They know of no enemy, no threat, no carnage, and because of this......they aren't prepared for what's coming.Star Guild consists of episodes, much like shows on television. Chapters do not reside here. Each episode is written in novelette form and well worth the read.Star Guild is action packed and riveting, and with every heart pumping page you'll be on the edge of your seat, wanting to read what happens next. You'll be carried along, feeling as if you are part of the journey, playing a role in the adventure, and falling in love with the characters as you progress. When an episode finishes, you'll find yourself eagerly awaiting the next.

Auto


David Wailing - 2013
    This sophisticated ‘super-app’ is a digital personal assistant which acts on your behalf. It knows your personality and habits – and mimics them. It learns from your behaviour – and copies you. Digital detective Joanna O’Donnell has heard stories about autos going wrong, twisting people's lives inside out. She doesn’t believe it. Until it happens to her. Unable to trust her own agency, Joanna secretly investigates and discovers these incidents may be part of a bigger, more terrifying story.Michael Walker – the man who invented the auto, and public enemy number one – is back...

Pretty Woman, Floating


S.J. Hunter - 2013
    Longevity Law Enforcement claims it, and LLE doesn’t play well with others. Except… the murdered woman’s grandmother doesn’t trust LLE’s high-handed disregard for the truth, and Livvy finds herself investigating again. Soon she has more to worry about than LLE and the revelation that members of her own family are involved. As the opening moves in a lethal game, a brilliant professional assassin sets his sights on Livvy and sends his augmented droids to harass her. If it weren’t so deadly it might be fun.

Time Again (Adelia Kayland Personal Log 2)


Pamela Barchers - 2013
    After living nine years in the 23rd century, she had changed; a square peg cannot fit into a round hole.Haunted by a man from the future that she cannot stop loving, Addy resolves to live out the rest of her life in quiet comfort – but the Temporal Enforcement Agency has other ideas. Whisked back to the future, Addy lands straight into adventure and trouble.Once again in space, this time as co-pilot of a small craft, Addy searches for her friend Kathlyn, whom Starcorps has declared to be dead. She forges a new friendship with her pilot companion, a human/feline hybrid, and stumbles onto the growing business of humanoid trafficking, where females are considered a rare commodity. Separated from her husband, Addy’s heart takes a beating as she witnesses his attachment to another woman. All the while, she is pursued by the commander of a cat-like species called the A’chutti, determined to collect on the bounty put out on her. Who is it that wants Addy desperate enough to put a price on her head?

The Vampire Next Door


Charity Santiago - 2013
    Unsure if her missing husband is still alive, Kennedy has no interest in starting a new relationship- until she meets Reeve, the gorgeous vampire next door who can melt Kennedy into a quivering puddle of lust with a single, smoldering glance.Between ignoring her growing feelings for Reeve and fending off nightly murder attempts from her husband's undead ex-wife, Kennedy's got her hands full. She knows that eventually, she'll have to make a choice: either stay put and wait for rescue that might never happen, or set out on her own in hopes of finding her family.

Retribution


Lea Griffith - 2013
    Used to helping, she isn’t prepared to be the one in need. As she holds the hand of suffering, alone in a courtyard of death, she discovers salvation is but a breath away.He is a man conveniently at the right place, at the right time.A battle-hardened spec ops soldier, Dray has been sent on a mission he doesn’t understand. Sitting in the hills above a terrorist’s compound he discovers a woman who is knocking on death’s door and everything clicks. Rescuing her is never a question. Keeping her safe becomes his number one priority.Evil has taken form, and hell hath no fury like this madman’s twisted mind.Dempsey isn’t above using whatever or whoever he can to enact payback for a perceived slight. And he revels in his ability to instill fear and pain on those he deems beneath him. His goal is vengeance and yet he has no idea what he’s set in motion or the lengths Dray and Sasha will go to protect themselves and eliminate him in the process.They are on a collision course that will change their lives in ways none could anticipate. How much can love take when evil stalks it?

Rhuul's Flame


Nulli Para Ora - 2013
    The product of two races who despise each other, he is reviled by his family and unwelcome in his homeland.Exiled, he finds himself in a new realm with beings he’s never seen before. They’re not important; only his destiny is. Driven to prove his worth, he seeks to rule a realm of his own. Nothing will stand in his way, and no one will change his focus. Or so he thinks.When a mysterious woman calls out for help through his dreams, he searches her out. When they meet, she’s unlike anyone he’s ever encountered. Can they set aside their beliefs to work together? Can love bloom when their ideals are exact opposites?

Holding Out for a Hero


Christine Bell - 2013
    There's only one problem. She's been assigned to partner with arrogant, by the book, and irritatingly hot, Blade of Justice.Blade's whole life has gone according to plan, and he's more than ready to move on to the big time, protecting a metropolis of his own. But his perfectly ordered life is derailed when he's teamed up with the fiery maverick, Scarlett Fever.Sparks fly the moment they arrive in Plunketville, Oklahoma, as they each set out to force the other to request a transfer. They soon discover there's more going on in this single stop-sign town than blowing up mailboxes and cow tipping. If Scarlett can get Blade to listen to his gut, and he can teach her to use her head, they just might have a fighting chance.Ironheartby Nico RossoVince might be hard as steel, but he's not invincible. Not when iron touches him, especially in the hands of an evil minion. Not when Kara ran away after a whirlwind affair, just when he thought he might be falling in love. And definitely not when she returns, looking for his help.The archvillain TechHead is coming for Kara and her superhero teammates, and he's determined to use their combined power to create the ultimate weapon. But Kara can't fight him alone. She needs Vince's brutal skill, though being with him means she risks losing her beloved secret identity, leaving her nowhere else to hide. When TechHead makes a play to capture Kara, Vince has more to lose than just his heart. But he will do anything for the woman he loves, even if it means putting his heart on the line again.Playing With Fireby Tamara MorganFiona Nelson has always been one hot ticket--even before she took the conversion serum that gave her superhu¬man abilities. Fiona's powers come at a price: lack of human contact, or she won't be the only thing burning. When she loses control of her emotions, her fire powers run rampant... and she's hurt enough people already. Including herself. But when the man behind her conversion returns to black¬mail her into helping him gain power, the only person she can turn to is Ian Jones, the man who broke her teenage heart. The man determined to expose the criminal known as Fireball, whose explosive escapades are just a little too close to Fiona's M.O. Ian is convinced Fiona's dangerous, convinced she's Fire¬ball, and convinced he'll damn himself if he doesn't resist a heat that's always drawn him to Fiona like a moth to a flame--but Ian has his own secrets. And he'll learn far too soon what happens when you play with fire.From the Ashesby Adrien-Luc SandersSociopath. Killer. Deviant. Monster, devoid of morals, incapable of human emotion. The villain known as Spark has been called that and more, and as a super-powered aberrant has masterminded count¬less crimes to build his father's inhuman empire. Yet to professor Sean Archer, this fearsome creature is only Tobias Rutherford--antisocial graduate research¬er, quiet underachiever, and a fascinating puzzle Sean is determined to solve. One kiss leads to an entanglement that challenges ev¬erything Tobias knows about himself, aberrants, and his own capacity to love. But when his father orders him to assassinate a senator, one misstep unravels a knot of political intrigue that places the fate of hu¬mans and aberrants alike in Tobias's hands. As danger mounts and bodies pile deeper, will Tobias succumb to his dark nature and sacrifice Sean--or will he defy his father and rise from the ashes to become a hero in a world of villains?

New Fleece on Life: A Silo Story & Lacuna Crossover


David Adams - 2013
    It was literally a few lines thrown together from the top of my head and a poorly photoshopped cover. It was one of many joke threads and I had no idea where it was going. The readers--including Hugh himself--wanted more, so I posted more.And they kept wanting more. So I posted more. And they asked for more.And here we are.Wool and the canonical tale of Holston is over, but this is what could have happened if everyone involved lost their minds. In the true tradition of terrible fanfiction shipping, New Fleece on Life is poorly written and poorly structured, everyone acts wildly out of character and, in the interests of the 'ship', all previous emotional and romantic entanglements are disregarded so that all involved can throw themselves into a flimsily constructed, hasty and poorly thought out fling with little thought to the consequences.I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed, in a sincere and genuine way, writing it.

WindHaven


Charlotte Boyett-Compo - 2013
    There will be nowhere you can hide that we won’t find you.”Samiel Brell is being held against his will in the WindHaven Mental Hospital. His life there is a brutal nightmare from which he can not wake. The only anchor he has in this dark world is nurse Katelyn Tarnes who sees beyond the psychotic, self-destructive patient to the lost, lonely man desperately needing her help...and pleading for her love.Length: TBAGenre: Dark Fantasy RomanceRating: Erotic. Contains graphic sexual content, male rape, torture, BDSM.

To Snatch a Thief


Hazel Cotton - 2013
    Likewise, seventeen year old new recruit, Skye Forrester, a repeat offender fresh out of juvie, as just another street thief. To Lieutenant Hunter, her designated puppy-walker, she's a pain in the backside. He's enough on his plate: winter 2089 is gearing up to be a shocker. Already overcrowded, the city is at flash-point with the migration of northerners, escaping the mini ice-age gripping the country north of Leicestershire, pouring in. And people are dying. Twenty nine unexplained deaths around the poorer areas of Hammersmith and White City: no visual cause; toxicology reports negative; forensics zilch. But Skye is determined to prove her worth. Tough, smart and sassy, she's a survivor where quick wits and nimble fingers have kept her and young brother, Alexie, alive for the last six years. Working alone, she uncovers two cold cases where the previous investigator met a gruesome death. That's when the threatening text messages start, her brother's abducted in the park, and when Skye's babysitter and two small boys are found dead, face down in their porridge, Skye begins to wonder who, if anyone, she can trust. it will take all her dubious skills to uncover the perpetrator - knowing that he or she will kill anyone who gets in their way.

Etched in Soul and Skin


Joshua Legg - 2013
    Her life has been one of deprivation and loss, always striving to keep one step ahead of relentless attackers.Erik is the newest soldier in a secret military, one dedicated to keeping his steam-powered city in the air. Only a select few know the dark secret of his flying home. It's not their technology that keeps it aloft, but the magic that flows in the veins of the people who live below them. He has been trained for one purpose: to hunt and retrieve human beings.Captured and almost turned into a living battery, Adanna is rescued by the very man who imprisoned her. In her, he sees a chance at redemption. In him, she sees a chance to escape. And maybe get a little revenge for the years of terror the 'sky demons' have inflicted on her.

Paradigm Time: Two Tales of the Future


Will Gibson - 2013
    In the first tale, Resource Wars, ecological and economic disasters have brought great changes to people's lives. Severe weather conditions and collapsed food production have placed extreme pressure on uncontrolled expanding populations. In tale two, Resolution Days, the world has finally faced the challenges of education, economy, and environment. A new way forward has been forged that now benefits all people, all cultures, and all of life's creations.So, what does the future hold for us and our children? We still have time to make the changes that will create that better world but the clock is ticking. Paradigm Time is a call to action before it is too late and before we have too many regrets. There are two paths to take, which one will we choose?

Ice Red


Jael Wye - 2013
    All that stands in her way is the mine's charming owner, Cesare Chan.The evil stepmother: Victoria Ross is plotting to gain control of Mars. She plans to assassinate Bianca and seduce Cesare to further her goals, and Bianca's trip is the perfect opportunity.The charming prince: Cesare shouldn't get involved. Bianca's visit could reveal the escaped slaves he's hiding at his mine, but he can't ignore a damsel in distress—especially one as beautiful as Bianca.Alone, neither would stand a chance against Victoria. But together, they could rewrite a tale that's meant to end with Bianca's blood.93,000 words

Kingdom Come


Michelle Smith - 2013
    Now, those scrolls are being opened.When her small town crumbles during her stay in an institution for troubled teens, eighteen-year-old Kerrigan Monroe is one of the few left standing. She and a handful of other survivors take cover as everything they've ever known is reduced to rubble. When the smooth voice behind a cryptic radio broadcast beckons her to a safe house, she and the others abandon their temporary haven, and embark on a cross-country journey toward refuge. Upon discovering the identity of the man behind the voice, Kerrigan is smacked with the revelation that he's not the only heir to these scrolls. Now, she must make a choice: join this dark stranger and lead the New World by his side, or fight for what's left of humanity.Either decision will bring power. Either decision will bring death.

Song and Signal


M.E. Patterson - 2013
    * Seventeen year-old genius Zakari Sharp has never stood on the surface of a planet, never seen a sun-streaked sky. He lives on a corporate-owned mining facility at the edge of the solar system, with a mute alien for a guardian and brainwashed, muscle-bound ex-convicts for company. The day his father vanished was so long ago that Zak thought he would never hear from him again. Zak was wrong. Now, chased off-station by a cabal of mythical assassins, Zak and his best friend Liz embark on a harrowing journey across the galaxy, to find his father's hiding place and learn the universe-shaking discovery that hides with him. But their enemies will stop at nothing to steal the secret themselves. Can a teenage boy change the fate of the universe? Or will a nanotech-wielding killer reach him first?

Threads


Tom Tinney - 2013
    A chance encounter plants an evil seed, and a psychotic killer begins stalking the female population of the MetroStellar. It's up to the USS Marshal Service to find him before he kills again.In another part of the galaxy, a lone USS Marshal on a routine undercover mission stumbles into a 300-year-old cover-up.Both cases begin and end with the Intra Stellar Transportation and Exploration Company (ISTEC), and the planet they control, Exodus.Solving each case, and coming out alive, will require the combined skills of USS Marshals Matt and Mark Williams. They're twin brothers who will have to use their special bond to overcome the forces working against them and seek justice for those they've sworn to protect. They're stronger together, but first, each will find the greatness in themselves. When they do, the Fabric of the Universe will never be the same."Threads" is a Hi Tech, Sci-Fi psychological thriller spanning the colonized galaxy and the next 500 years of human history. The author uses unique technologies, intertwined story lines and political intrigue to move the reader to its exciting conclusion.The author has committed that 10% of the profits from the sale of "Threads" will go to ALS (Lou Gehrig disease) funding for research and patient care.The author has committed that 10% of the profits from Threads will go to fund ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) research and patient care.

Succubus Steam


Lila Shaw - 2013
    Any act that wants of propriety, and she would find herself banished to the wilds of Cornwall where her full-blooded succubus sisters live and thrive. Yet she prefers the company of mortals, even if she must occasionally risk her reputation by engaging in discreet sexual liaisons.When Violet’s great uncle dies and bequeaths her his laboratory and home, she crafts an artificially intelligent automaton named Adam to sate her carnal needs. Her plan is coming along nicely until an incubus from her past, and the unwitting model for her invention, discovers her secret. Violet has good reason to be wary of losing her heart to Lyle, but perhaps Adam is the key to fulfilling all of her desires.Warning: menage scene. For adults only.

Handsome Devil


Ava Argent - 2013
    Space, on the other hand..... Jules A. Jenner has got a good thing going on Earth. The former party girl has traded in her club dress and opened up a reasonably successful pub. She has parents who love her, nine sisters who keep a girl on her toes, and a life that's on track. Everyone thinks she's just a normal citizen. Nobody has a clue that aliens exist, or that Jules' mom is one, or that those nine sisters are mildly unhinged. Then one night a tall, hot, sharp-toothed alien named M'anu shows up at Jules' door—and suddenly Jules' normal citizen status is revoked in a big way. Now it's all space, plots, pirates, shootouts, and a sexy male who keeps misunderstanding her signals. Guess the universe will have to learn a valuable lesson: Never mess with a Jenner.

Forecast: Murder


Terri Lynn Main - 2013
    Meanwhile, Carolyn is juggling her criminal investigations with her job as a history professor and a member of the provisional lunar council trying to come up with a constitution for the new Luna republic. The mystery deepens when the glitches in the weather controls leads to an investigation of sports bookmaking, big time wrestling, steroids for the brain and murder. Stormy Weather continues the tradition of Dark Side of the Moon of placing a cozy mystery in a science fiction setting. Even people who claim not to enjoy sci-fi have praised Dark Side of the Moon. This story expands on that as our sleuths visit some of the lunar settlements we haven't seen before, like the "company town" of Aldrin on the other side of the tube tracks. While maintaining the cozy mystery elements of a small town setting, closed community and unofficial or semi-official detectives working the case, Stormy Weather adds a touch of the exotic in the setting of a lunar colony. This book emphasizes the science in science fiction. Taking a "hard science fiction" approach to the genre, the author builds a future culture based on an extrapolation of technology already in the works. However, the story blends in elements of that which will not change. Most of us could find ourselves quite at home in Armstrong City, at least until you forget and jump up too quickly propelling yourself to the ceiling. Is this a cozy mystery or science fiction? It is a bit of both. Mystery fans will find a complex murder mystery with plenty of twists and turns and red herrings. Science fiction fans will enjoy the dynamics of a future world set in a lunar colony very like our own world, yet totally different at the same time. Fans of Michael and Carolyn now have another treat to enjoy.

Questor


L.S. Gibson - 2013
    Desperately low on supplies, they discover a system with two inhabited worlds where the crew hopes to find some assistance. Captain Sullivan visits the first world, Midea, while sending a small expedition to the second. By the time Jon and Manny arrive they’ve discovered the second planet is called Rhiava. However, when trying to land they find the planet is circled by an energy field which causes their vessel to crash.Rescued and befriended by Rhiava, Jon and Manny learn the truth about the oppression of the Mideans. The Rhiava aren’t the simple people they first appear, having strong mental skills they call Gifts. Helping the Rhiava leader, a young female called Triena, to reach safety, Jon and Manny travel across the planet’s surface. During the dangerous journey Jon and Triena become close and she is devastated when he is captured and tortured by Midean forces. Jon refuses to disclose anything and though he is finally rescued with help from Triena’s Gift, he has been hardened by his ordeal. The Questor eventually arrives at Rhiava having learned the truth about the Mideans. Knowing that if they assist the Rhiava against the Mideans and succeed they will receive all the supplies they need, Captain Sullivan decides to help. Triena reveals some of her people’s secrets to the Questor crew and together they plan an attack on the Midean base.Now only one question remains - who will survive the battle?

Hold Me Never


Natalie Kristen - 2013
    He was shot. She never forgot that brave, young soldier.When the Emperor orders Zoey Whard delivered to his Palace, she recognizes the order for what it is. A death sentence. But the Commander who is tasked to carry out the Emperor's cruel order is strangely, achingly familiar. She knows him.And he never forgot her.The connection and passion between them is too strong to be denied. Through their crushing, tormenting circumstances, they find courage and strength in each other. But in the dark depths of the Palace, as blood is spilled and forbidden desires burn dangerously out of control, Zoey knows that she will have to fight for not only her love, but her life. And she may lose...everything.