What do you get when you ask 34 of today's top indie authors to each submit a story and then ask a team of judges to scour that ore and pick out the gems? You get All These Shiny Worlds:A world of today, divided, black from white, good from evil, and held apart by the taste of a cookie.A world of griffons and glimmer bunnies, sassy llamas, and the magic of beer.A world of contemplation and serenity, of service and devotion, ruled by a jewel and guarded by children.Plus 12 more, for a total of 15 sparkling worlds to explore.From the brutal curators at ImmerseOrDie.com comes this collection of indie short stories, each a distinct jewel forged in the fires of judgment, and all carrying one simple promise:Guaranteed not to suck.

    They Are Watching You is the perfect read for fans of creepy and twisted horror thrillers.The bundle includes They Came with the Snow, a science fiction horror story and The Sighting, a gripping horror and psychological thriller with a twisted ending.They Came with the Snow: When a mysterious blast goes off in a small college town, triggering a blizzard, the few survivors must decide whether to stay or leave and face the monsters who came with the snow.

    One gritty woman who won't be denied. IN Defiance She survived. But no one truly escapes their past. A "system" kid no more, Ivy now fights for the wellbeing of children. Even those implicated in murder? With anguish and confusion centered on one child, how many will bear the scars of this turmoil? The case becomes blurred. Accusations of abuse and drugs. The authorities want it all to go away. But Ivy can't -- won't -- let it go. It's about the kids. It always has been. Evil knows no boundaries. Childhood secrets erupt into the present, and Ivy's in the fight for her life. IN Pursuit A man wants retribution. And he'll do anything to ensure Ivy suffers. A serial killer terrorizes San Antonio. One point intersects the victims -- Ivy herself. The hunt is on…but who's the one being pursued? At the same time, a run-away teen begs Ivy to find her missing parents. Is there some outside force behind their disappearance? The parallel investigations seem both clear and murky at the same time. Can Ivy tell the difference? Just as Ivy believes the end is near, past connections are slammed in her face. And nothing will be the same. IN Doubt What does the face of evil look like? Ivy has a calling. Protect those who can't protect themselves. An adorable little girl. A shamed woman stashed away in a mental institution. Even her friend. But what force can stop an egomaniac hell-bent on revenge? A monster returns. Lives are shattered. The suspicion of guilt shrouds everyone. With her world caving in around her, can Ivy ever stop looking over her shoulder? Get the first three Ivy Nash novels now! Box set discounted for limited time only.

    A man was the last thing she needed. But that was before Richard Lynch literally crashed into her life.After Reilly and the charismatic Brit are involved in a fender-bender, she's unable to resist the exhilarating romantic freefall. The enigmatic Rick is not who she thinks he is, however, and Reilly finds herself in a twisted maze of sordid secrets and devious manipulations. Navigating this terrifying new reality, can she rally and find a way out before her soulmate-turned-stranger destroys everything she treasures.

    Join the Viking Ancestors’ Kin on sweeping adventures rich with Scandinavian history, intrigue, passion, epic battles, dragons, Norse mythology and so much more! 1400+ Pages. RISE OF A VIKING- Hearts will be tested and lives forever changed. Will a new Viking King rise up and keep his people safe? Or will his endless draw to a modern day woman be his ultimate ruin? VENGEANCE OF A VIKING- One a captor, one a prisoner, Bjorn and Samantha embark on a journey full of unending strife. If they give into love, all could be lost, including everyone they care about. A VIKING HOLIDAY- Cast beneath the spell of a powerful Scottish wizard determined to protect his Viking Ancestors, Sean and Svala go on an unexpected yuletide journey. SOUL OF A VIKING- Caught in an unraveling hex that steers them closer to the enemy, Tait and Lauren are forced on an adventure that tests them in more ways than one. Can love flourish from within a curse? FURY OF A VIKING- Matthew and Shannon must face their pasts. What they left behind and all that haunts them. As they do, old wounds heal, hope grows and love sparks. DESTINY'S DRAGON- As the right hand man of the enemy, it’s Kage’s job to figure out if Vivienne’s a threat. More so, if she’s a risk to his hidden agenda and well laid plans. Soon enough, he realizes the only danger she poses is to his hardened heart. PRIDE OF A VIKING- Two men tore Erica’s world apart in another life. One was the man she loved and the other the enemy. Now she’s on a whirlwind journey back in time to witness firsthand what happened. Will she and the man who holds her heart discover what it takes to end an age old war? Or will their enemy have the final say? Find out in the epic conclusion of Viking Ancestors’ Kin. PLEASE NOTE: This boxed set contains the entire Viking Ancestors’ Kin collection, including Destiny’s Dragon which was formerly published in Kindle Worlds under the title Her Wounded Dragon.

    There’s a little something here for everybody—love, revenge, technothrills, past life regression—as the Alphas crisscross the globe foiling military coups and assassination plots, taking down drug smugglers, cyber terrorists, and extremists. OPERATION DUE DILIGENCEAt the heart of hard-hitting action and intrigue is the love story of CIA Agent Alejandro Cardenas and his soul mate, beautiful investment banker Julia Muller. Ten years after their romantic meeting in Paris, Alex, now retired from the CIA, assembles his Alpha Team to shut down a Miami-based conglomerate secretly owned by the Cuban government, which has used it for decades to launder the ill-gotten gains of a vast criminal empire involved in drug-smuggling, revolution for hire, and numerous other nefarious activities—including a massive assassination plot. OPERATION BLACK SWANIn post-9/11 United States, ex-op Alex Cardenas and his longtime love Julia have finally settled into domestic bliss—or so they think. While Alex runs a private security and intelligence agency from the comfort of the same Chicago skyscraper where his fiancé works at an investment banking firm, his undercover team—John “The Hulk” Powers and three of his best and brightest—are on the ground in Mexico City. They learn that three seemingly-disparate fringe groups—Islamic terrorists, a Cuban militant, and Chinese cyberterrorists—appear to be working in cahoots, orchestrating an elaborate operation of insider trading, border infiltration, and espionage.OPERATION RAVEN: The Dead Have SecretsEx-FBI Agent John Powers is on a special ops assignment in Prague when his past and present begin to collide treacherously. His godson Ian, the son of John’s best friend who died in Afghanistan, is undergoing hypnotherapy to treat the boy’s fear of water. The doctor who invokes Ian’s past life finds he was one of three US senators assassinated as part of an Iranian counterintelligence maneuver by government agents, one of whom was none other than John Powers. John drops everything to fly across the world to protect Ian and his mother and wind up the unraveling conspiracy.This action-packed boxset is a triple treat for fans of political action thrillers like those by Brad Thor, James Rosone and Miranda Watson, Vince Flynn, and Robert Ludlum!

     Of Murders and Mages: Casino Witch Mysteries 1 Three ways that Ella's life is totally messed up: 1. Her new coworker is as cranky as he is attractive 2. A mischievous cat has decided she needs a familiar 3. She just found out she's a witch who can read the emotional hologram of a magical death (and isn't that a mouthful) And oh yeah, there's five dead bodies, and no one knows how they are connected. Now she’s drawn into a madcap investigation at the casino where she's managed to snag a job. She must navigate learning her new mage abilities, a topless burlesque show, a jealous girlfriend, gamblers of all varieties, and magical chocolate cake, all while not setting herself or others on fire before the murderer makes her the next victim. Which Mage Moved the Cheese? Casino Witch Mysteries 2 Ella's Super Awesome Guide to Paranormal Cheese: 1. You eat it, but there are weird side effects. 2. The ingredients can be really gross. 3. You don't use it to squash people. When the ex-president of the Paranormal Cheese Council is found dead under the world's largest wedge of cheese, Ella is on the case! Unable to admit who she really is, she goes undercover. But can she, her klutzy sidekick, and the world's most arrogant familiar escape the Booby-Trapped Queso of Doom, or stop eating the magically addictive beer-cheese fondue without giving things away to the anonymous villain?

    His name is Silas Kane.Dr. Grant Armstrong has returned home from his medical work in Africa. His grandfather is dead. His remaining family has gathered on Armstrong Island where a billion dollar inheritance is in play. And he’s just learned from his best friend, NYPD Detective Eric Johnson, that the old man may have been murdered.When Silas Kane—the ruthless second son of an infamous serial killer—escapes police custody, Eric embarks on a mission to recapture the monster. Following a bloody trail through the streets of New York, Eric races against time to stop Kane before he strikes again.Meanwhile, Grant is left alone to investigate his grandfather’s death with each clue leading him further down a path he doesn’t wish to follow.A violent storm envelopes the State of New York as Eric and Grant each pursue a killer. Will either succeed…or survive?Brimming with tantalizing mystery, pulse-pounding suspense and unexpected twists, Second Son is a complex, exhilarating thriller and an electrifying follow-up to the stellar Hostile Takeover.

    He wakes one morning to find himself charged with the brutal assault on a young woman who now lies comatose, unable to testify to his innocence. A fluke accident allows him to escape custody. Now on the run, he travels to the Lowcountry of South Carolina to find Doctor Emily Parker, the one person who can lead him to the real assailant. Standing in her way is the wealthy and powerful Harrington family, who will do anything, including committing murder, to keep her from the truth.

    The third story, A Deadly Homecoming, is BRAND NEW and will answer all questions and bring closure.Secrets, Soul Cakes, & Murder: When witch, Serena Spellburn, finds a dead body in her garden, the new non-supernatural detective to Enchanted Island, Grant Wolfe, is sure Serena or her best friend, Tamara, are involved. Hoping to clear their name, Serena does some sleuthing of her own at the Samhain Celebration and slowly narrows down suspects. When the killer is finally pinned down, will Grant open his eyes and heart to the supernatural island around him and take Serena up on her offer to help? Or will his close-mindedness leave him powerless against the supernatural forces seeking to kill him and Serena?Yule Time Murder: When witch, Serena Spellburn, discovers both a dead body and the theft of a beloved family heirloom, she has no choice but to help Detective Wolfe uncover who the culprit is—after all, she’s the best insight Detective Wolfe has into the long-standing family feud going back three centuries. Can the killer be captured and the beloved Yule Log returned in time for the town’s Yule celebration?A Deadly Homecoming: When witch, Serena Spellburn, witnesses three people threaten physical harm to Grover Burns, she's concerned...but when Aunt Serenity hex's Gover Burns and he turns up dead the next day, she terrified. Serena joins up with Detective Grant Wolfe and sets out to clear Aunt Serenity's good name and find out who really killed Grover Burns. But the dynamic duo needs to hurry...there's a full moon coming, and Detective Grant Wolfe is about to learn his family's big secret. When Shayla shows up on the island to help clear her mom's name, will she be in time to help Serena and Grant, or will it be a deadly homecoming for Shayla?

    Investigating a series of horrific murders, grave desecrations, and missing persons, Kiera uses her unique ability of seeing, and soon realizes her own life is in danger. When Kiera falls for police officer Luke Bishop, not only are her mind and heart opened to a terrifyingly new world, she comes to suspect that Luke might be involved in the killings. In a race against time to unearth the truth, Kiera must discover the identity of who - or what - is behind the gruesome deaths on her Vampire Shift.Vampire Wake, Book 2: Since escaping from The Ragged Cove and finding herself suspended from the force, Kiera Hudson is hired by the mysterious Lady Hunt to protect her 16-year-old daughter from a stranger she believes is lurking on the moors. But little does Kiera know that it is she who will need protecting.Arriving at the Hallowed Manor on the desolate Welsh Moors, Kiera soon realises that the vampires she has been seeing are not just the stuff of her nightmares, but are very real - and are closing in.If Kiera is to escape the vampires who hunt her, she will have to discover the true identity of the bandaged man, the secret of the children's graveyard beneath the weeping willows, and who, or what, is hiding in the "forbidden wing"

    Step 1: Shedding Light on Light Sources Step 2: Conquer ISO Settings Step 3: Understanding Aperture/Depth of Field Step 4: Choosing a Shutter Speed Step 5: Composition Step 6: Tripods Step 7: Filters Heather Hummel Photography Spreads Pixel Dust on Land and Seascapes. Her photography has been on exhibit at Agora Gallery in the Chelsea District of New York City, C'ville Coffee in Charlottesville, VA and Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, CO. Additionally, she licenses her photos through ImageBrief.

    Lucky Savage was once a powerful Empire Marine. But that was before the Empire collapsed, sinking the outer colonies into chaos and leaving the galaxy on the precipice of disaster. Now his ship, Last Gasp, is home to a ragtag crew of misfits and ex-soldiers just trying to navigate the endless conflicts while hoping to score a big payday. So far, they'd settle for scratching out enough to cover fuel. When a job with Lucky's old employer comes along, it looks like their luck might be turning. But it quickly goes sideways, and they find themselves in the middle of a massive manhunt for a deadly experiment gone wrong. Can the mercs save the day? Who knows. They're just trying to save their own skin. It wouldn't hurt to get paid, either. Retribution is the first book in Lucky's Mercs, an action-packed new series that reads like an unholy union of Starship Troopers and Firefly.

    After losing her adoptive parents as a teenager, she found solace in a relative’s home. Her aunt helped shape her formative years and inspired her to reach for her dreams, no matter how unimaginable they may seem. Now, Remi is young woman trying to make a name for herself in the fashion industry, but finds herself distracted by one her aunt’s many suitors. Soon a torrid love affair with him begins to chip away at the wall that separates her love and devotion for the woman who raised her and the man she can’t help but fall in love with. Kaiden has never had to worry that he’d spend a night alone. Independently wealthy and dangerously handsome, his mere presence makes women for miles around swoon, but when he meets his girlfriend’s niece, he finds himself caught up in trouble. Love, lies, and scandal! Find out what happens in part one of What She Don’t Know!