Swerving to avoid a hitchhiker out in a whiteout storm, Julie’s car ends up wedged in a snow bank. With the inches piling higher on the dark road, she can’t escape a man who makes little sense. Stranded in the freezing cold, the two tell stories to pass the time. From the Midwest to India, Denmark and Canada, they offer visions of lives and loves from young to old, far and wide. But as the hours blur together, and the snow and ice set in, it becomes less clear how their own story will end. A tale of love, craziness and impossibility.

    She didn’t invite the raven into her nightmares, with his riddles of suffering and death. She didn’t ask, at six years old, to be responsible for saving her family. But fate chooses us, and Hanka can either play the raven’s game, or watch her family die. The question is, will the raven play by the rules? Or is Hanka his final victim?For fans of dark psychological thrillers.Warning: Absolute Sunset is an intense novel, with serious themes including mental illness and abuse. Not appropriate for young or sensitive readers

    But beware of shocking twists and unexpected surprises that keep on intriguing, readying you for the ultimate gut punch. A wild escapade.” —Steve Berry, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of “The 14th Colony” What if our very survival rested in the hands of one man? A dead one… Iraq, 2003: Navy SEAL Austin McCord meets with his own end when he takes a lethal bullet. A single heartbeat, and all is lost. But after more than a decade Austin awakens with no sign of an injury; not even a scar. Held in a subterranean medical facility in present-day London, Austin discovers no explanation for the death he so clearly remembers. There are only two things present for him to see: a picture of his twin sister sitting on a table beside his bed, and a body—absent its head—lying in a pool of blood on the floor. Fearing for his sister’s safety, Austin pushes his questions and confusion aside and races to find Angelique. Unfortunately, a killer is heading in the exact same direction as the heroic SEAL—an infamous murderer suspected to be dead long ago, who has miraculously survived to continue his rampage. As Austin attempts to save his sister, a web of lies, cover-ups, and a historical past unveils itself. He soon discovers that he and his loved ones are major targets in a far greater war that began long ago at the hands of a secret society known as the Morvicti. The deeper Austin plunges into their realm, the more escape seems impossible. And the harder he fights, the clearer it becomes that not only does Angelique’s life depend on him, but so does the rest of mankind. “Inventive and audacious, “Morvicti Blood” is a ground-breaking thriller. If Bram Stoker had written “A Game of Thrones,” this is the book he’d have produced.” —Andrew Grant, Bestselling Author of “Run”

    Combining sci/fi thrills with action/adventure, Thacker's books have been described as "National Treasure" meets "Indiana Jones" and "Jurassic Park" meets "Leviathan Wakes." The Golden Crystal In 1791, two men began planning the layout for the nation’s capitol city. One is shunned and resigns in disgrace, and the other is all but forgotten. Years later, an original copy of the plans–long thought to have been destroyed– is found, with hastily marked notations by Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. During the second World War, American military scientists discover some fascinating properties of the hydrogen atom and its link to an ancient mystical number. The exact findings are never published, but a national laboratory is built in 1943 to further their research in covert silence. America is told it is a defense project, code-named ‘The Manhattan Project.’ An ego-maniacal entrepreneur and his company, Vilocorp, will stop at nothing to build the “perfect” human specimen. His firm’s research has been getting closer every day, but they seem to have uncovered a horrific, ancient secret that has been locked away for thousands of years. Now, it’s up to Bryce to understand the mystery surrounding the events and ancient symbolism before Vilocorp unleashes a hellish fury upon the earth; one that hasn’t been seen for ages… The Depths Jen Adams, a research assistant, finds that her son has been kidnapped and her boss is brutally murdered, she and her computer programmer husband are thrown into a hunt to find out why. The mystery takes her and a team of British Royal Marines and other scientists deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean -- to a forgotten research station buried under five miles of water in one of the deepest oceanic trenches on the planet. The station has been abandoned for over thirty years, and no one knows what to expect when they get there. As they learn more about the station, however, they find out there's something the base is trying to hide -- something that could prove devastating for the rest of the world... The Enigma Strain When a bomb goes off at Yellowstone National Park, threatening the stability of the world's largest active volcano, the reclusive park ranger Harvey "Ben" Bennett is startled to realize that the blast itself wasn't the only threat: the bomb released a virus into the air, and the outbreak is beginning to infect and kill more and more people. Ben teams up with Juliette Richardson, a driven CDC agent working inside the newly-formed BTR (Biological Threat Research) team, to find the people behind the act of terrorism.

    Detailing the high-octane hunt for three sadistic serial killers, Volume 1 includes: Hush, Lady Luck, and Ruin. Hush (Book 1): Two years ago, Mason Black was a detective, a husband, and a father... until obsession with a killer drove him further from his family. That life was left behind, until today. Now a part-time PI, a familiar string of murders is pulling him back into the cycle. Mason must choose between bringing the killer to justice or remaining a humble family man. With his marriage on the line, the police seek his knowledge of the unsolved case, to help identify and track down the psychopath. But now he's too close to the Lullaby Killer, who is driven to have a little fun... at Mason's expense. Lady Luck (Book 2): It’s been a year since he last saw a murder spree, but now there’s a new killer in town… Mason Black is just settling into his new life as a part-time PI, when a body is delivered to the SFPD. With his name carved into the body’s torso, a psychotic motive begins to unravel. People keep turning up dead, each with a new message. The ruthless killer – who goes by the name of Lady Luck – seems all but determined to pin it on Mason, and see to it personally that he suffers. Time runs short, and Mason must find this psychopath and discover why he was chosen. Because if he can’t bring her to Justice, he will have no choice but to take the fall for her crimes… Ruin (Book 3): Most killers have a motive. Not this guy. Now living a balanced life, Mason Black – a private investigator with a troubled past – finally has time for the people he loves. For the first time in years, everything is going well. Until he meets Chris Healy. Three women have gone missing, and Mason is hired to find them. But when one of their severed heads is found with a message, Mason discovers that the two remaining girls are being held by a man known as Anarchy. Anarchy – the newest killer in town – soon grows bored of the girls and seeks a deeper challenge, setting Mason in his crosshairs. It seems he will stop at nothing, as he forces the PI into playing his twisted game.

    Sophie's life is about to be turned upside down Sophie has worked hard to free herself from the clutches of addiction and turn her life around. Practising as a counsellor, in a women's centre in Manchester, she now helps other girls in trouble. She forms a close relationship with Cassie, one of her clients and tries to help her escape the clutches of a violent boyfriend. But is Sophie being followed? How can she uncover the truth, when she can't trust what is real? The more she delves, the closer she gets to danger. Can she revisit her own dark past before it is too late? Get hooked on this dark, twist-filled suspense thriller that's in the vein of works by Rachel Abbott and Mark Edwards.

    Cancer took his wife, and drugs put his son in rehab. All he has left is his badge.  When a teenage girl is kidnapped it brings back nightmares from the worst case he ever worked—the one that tore his life to shreds and forced him out of Philadelphia. Gino doesn't want this case but he knows he has to take it. Not just to save the girl, but to earn redemption for what went wrong in Philly.  What do you do when you’ve lost everything? Gino—a cop who pushes the limits of the law… Lonny—a good man struggling to feed his family… Scott—a biotech executive who has everything a man could want… A band of ruthless kidnappers… They all come together in a thriller you won’t be able to forget. Everyone has decisions to make. This one could cost Gino his badge—and a young girl her life.

    Raimond Foix, her friend and mentor in the study of ancient documents. Horrified, Lisa finds clues at the crime scene left behind for her by her mentor—clues to secrets kept hidden for centuries, one of which is Lisa’s own identity, secret even from her.Since she was a child Lisa had suffered from uncontrollable fugue states. Now she discovers just in time that what she always thought was a liability may in fact be an almost paranormal ability to see things in ways others cannot.Who will like it: Fans of intrepid women sleuths will love Lisa, as well as anyone smitten with the romance of the ancient world, and action-adventure in historical fiction and thriller conspiracies, (especially those involving the Catholic church, like The DaVinci Code).A must-read for fans of Steve Berry, Dan Brown and Raymond Khoury!  Vol. 1: THE DELPHI AGENDA THE INQUISITION IS BACK! AND THIS TIME THEY HAVE TECHNOLOGY. Papyrologist Lisa Emmer’s friend and mentor, esteemed Paris historian Dr. Raimond Foix, has been savagely murdered. Now Lisa is not only a prime suspect in the murder investigation, but also smack-dab in the cross-hairs of a deadly commando group that proves to be none other than a contemporary offshoot of the Inquisition. They want an ancient document that reveals a secret so explosive it could change the world—a document they’ve been tracking for centuries. Led by a sadistic priest and a vicious but very accomplished nun with excellent military cred, their mission is to destroy the document—no matter what the cost in blood. Desperate to clear her name and to stay alive, with the help of a handsome yet mysterious banker, Lisa must solve the clues and uncover the millennia-old secret before her adversaries can find and destroy it. The trail leads everywhere from ancient cemeteries and tombs throughout France to Istanbul and Greece, as Lisa and Steve desperately stay one step ahead of their enemies, solving the clues to a dangerous treasure hunt their lives now depend upon.  Vol. 2: TABLET OF DESTINIES JOB DESCRIPTION: DELPHIC ORACLE, CURRENTLY SERVING TO-DOS: STOP APOCALYPSE. ASAP! A clay tablet turns up, containing a prophecy of demons, a snake goddess, and the birth of a “disruptive” miraculous child. A prophecy so dangerous the tablet was smashed to bits, and the shards scattered to all the cities of the ancient world to prevent reassembling, until a Jesuit scholar's vision sets the prophecy in motion in Paris, where the pieces have lain for centuries, half a world and three millennia away from their source. Yet very close to the current home of Lisa Emmer, chosen the Pythia, head of the Delphi Agenda because of her gift of sight, and trained in ancient world studies by a mentor who promised to "teach you life"; more accurately, he might have said "teach you to save the world from evil.

    But when Ian mysteriously disappears while researching the economics of organized crime, James must take a leave of absence to look for him. Risking everything, he embarks on a perilous journey across Europe, digging deeply into the business affairs of some very private, very dangerous people. But in the search for Ian, he discovers a brewing revolution that will shock the world - and change what he sees as his own place in it. "A first-rate suspense thriller...delivers gripping action, well-rounded characters, and a tantalizing plot...The Price of Innocence is a complete package of entertainment...Devore skillfully immerses his readers in German and Czech cultures, adding rich international flavors...As if an exciting, precise plot weren't enough, the author also fills his story with subtle but powerful themes, including respect for women, eternal optimism in the face of defeat, and the strength of brotherly love...Fans of John Grisham's legal thrillers or Robert Ludlum's intricate action scenes are going to be pleased with Devore's contribution...Readers of all ages will enjoy this intelligent novel." -ForeWord Clarion Review (5 Stars) "The narrative boasts a distinctly cinematic impression...every scene is made memorable by chilling descriptions and dialogue...An enticing plotline, lifelike characters, high octane prose and penetrating visualizations combine to create a compelling, hair-raising story that may not be as far from reality as readers may think." -Kirkus Reviews "A fun thriller...By the time the book climaxes (in its final chapters), the action is relentless, with a satisfying denouement." -BlueInk Review "After about 20 pages, The Price of Innocence takes an irresistible hold. Devore has a big imagination and the writing skills to match...The story is immediate, personal, and riveting--a page turner, in the very best way...will keep you captivated until the very last paragraph." -Pacific Book Review

     Now featuring Volume Two, Diversion Guns of the Waste Land is an epic retelling of Arthurian Legend in an American Western setting. In late 1800s just outside the Texas town of Bretton, four men wander the American desert. Percy Murratt seeks Sheriff Ardiss Drake to learn the fate of his late father. Meanwhile, Ardiss’ deputies, Gary Wayne Orkney and Boris Bennick, are in the pursuit of the outlaw Lancaster O'Loch flees, who has seduced and stolen Ardiss’ wife, Guernica. Featuring a host of familiar characters reminiscent of Gawain, the Green Knight, Lancelot, Merlin and, of course, King Arthur, Guns of the Waste Land is a timeless adventure of chivalry, revenge and honour. Now, in Book Two: Diversion , follow Percy and co. on their epic quest as they traverse the frontier of the American Waste Land, in pursuit of their own Holy Grail… Guns of the Waste Land “impressed the hell out of me with its inventiveness and wonderfully colorful dialogue, […] you may have a genuine classic on your hands.” –T.E.D. Klein, author of Dark Gods & The Ceremonies “Leverett Butts is a real talent. His Guns of the Waste Land is an original way to use a genre. I like a guy who has a mad literary streak and walks the wobbly tightrope: so far he's gotten across. This is the first installment in a longer narrative, and I can't wait to read the next if it's as good as the first or even close.”—Richard Monaco, author of the Parsival series “Guns of the Waste Land brings us back to a genre that has mostly been out of fashion for a time, but I believe this work has the power to bring us back to why we loved westerns. The western story is the story of America. In the western, the lines between good and evil are often vague, just as they are in real humanity. The western shows us the difficulty to survive and how it changes people for better or worse. Butts has explored these ideas and many more in a book that is unique and as well written as anything you'll read this year.” –Scott Thompson, author of Young Men Shall See & Eight Days Leverett Butts teaches composition and literature at the Gainesville campus of the University of North Georgia. His poetry and fiction have appeared in Eclectic and The Georgia State University Review. He is the recipient of several fiction prizes offered by the University of West Georgia and TAG Publishing. His first collection of short fiction, Emily's Stitches: The Confessions of Thomas Calloway and Other Stories, has been nominated for the 2013 Georgia Author of the Year Award in Short Fiction. He lives in Temple, Georgia, with his wife, son, their Jack Russell terrier, and a couple of antisocial cats. Venture Press is a science fiction and fantasy imprint of Endeavour Press, the UK’s leading independent digital publisher. We are committed to the discovery and rediscovery of immensely talented authors in the SFF genre, and continue to push boundaries in search of great literature. Join us as we venture across universes and unknown landscapes – past, present and future. Sign up to our newsletter: http://bit.ly/1LUVI4n Follow us on Twitter @venture_press Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1NnFow7

    Will she make the right choice? An unknown woman is murdered and detectives Pierce Carson, Chelsea Madden and a new recruit, Dean Weston, are assigned to the case. Their search for the killer leads to several dead ends and a suspected drug connection, as even more people are killed. In the process of helping to solve the first murder and those that follow, Chelsea realizes that she is walking a very thin line between personal revenge and professional responsibility. She too has suffered at the hands of a murderer, who brutally snuffed out the life of her parents, giving her a reason to join the police force. To complicate matters, she finds herself attracted to Dean. She knows little about the newcomer to Homicide, only that he’d been a successful undercover agent. Normally a loner, she finds him surprisingly easy to talk to, as she unburdens herself of her past, kept secret for years. As the case becomes more complicated and passions are stirred, questions arise about a mole in the force, and Dean is on the list of possible suspects. Chelsea is torn between trust and doubt, fear and love; her desire for vengeance and belief in the system of which she is now a part. The strands of the plot become intertwined, with unexpected twists and turns, and Chelsea finds herself caught in a life and death struggle in a most unexpected way. Only time will tell if she survives to right the wrong or decides to let it go and find a new direction for her life. Detective Chelsea Madden is the cool, calm, and collected hero of Only Time Will Tell. Putting her life on the line, she doesn’t pull any punches, searching only for the truth, and for the person who takes lives on her watch. Intelligent, resourceful, and uncompromising, Chelsea will take readers on a memorable, white-knuckled journey in this suspenseful, gripping serial killer thriller. <

    James Rollins and Clive Cussler have nothing on Paul Kemprecos who has been and continues to be a master of the form and then some. This is everything a great read should be, a riveting, tried-and true tale of quests and daring-do, of great heroes and equally contemptuous villains. There’s a reason why Kemprecos is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and it’s all on display here.” —Jon Land, bestselling author of ”Pandora’s Temple” “A brilliant mystery that combines suspense with exciting adventure. Intriguing plot twists from beginning to end shrouded under genuine history.” —Clive Cussler, New York Times bestselling author of “Zero Hour” Something bad happened to Matinicus "Matt" Hawkins in Afghanistan. The ex-SEAL was grievously wounded in an ambush that killed men under his command and almost ended his life. When he pushed for an investigation, he was kicked out of the Navy with a psychiatric discharge. The doctors put his shattered leg back together, but the bitterness destroyed his marriage. Five years later, Hawkins is jerked out of his tranquil life as a designer of undersea robots. A super-secret government group wants him to go back to Afghanistan on a strange and dangerous mission. A Georgetown University historian has unearthed evidence that could lead to the fabulous treasure of Prester John, a legendary Christian ruler of an eastern empire. The historian has disappeared, and the government wants Hawkins to track down the treasure as a matter of national security. The centerpiece of the trove, an emerald-encrusted gold scepter, is the linchpin in the Prophet's Necklace, code-name for a plot that is intended to kill more people than the attack on the Twin Towers and rally others to the terrorist cause. Hawkins sees his mission to foil the plot as an opportunity to search for answers. He pulls together an eclectic team that includes his ex-wife, a former comrade-in-arms and a mentally unstable computer whiz. Backed by his unlikely team, Hawkins will travel thousands of miles and hundreds of years on an amazing time-space odyssey. He'll face off against a cold-blooded killer. Probe the underwater secrets of an ancient tomb. Navigate the treacherous stands of an unimaginable conspiracy. And in the process, will discover that there are treasures even more valuable than gold.

    Her client becomes the prime suspect and Iris sets out to find the real killer. Things go from bad to worse when Iris' boyfriend reconnects with an old flame, bringing up buried secrets and unintended consequences that threaten to change Iris' life forever.“Mystery and distinctive characters hone this remarkable tale.”Kirkus ReviewsCory teases out her twisty plot at the perfect pace, leaving readers on the edge of their seats. Her multilayered characters are working at cross purposes, and even the most astute mystery reader won’t see where everything is headed until the final thread is unknotted. Completely absorbing, fast-paced, well-written and with a shocking ending guaranteed to satisfy.P.M. Steffen, best-selling author of The Profiler’s Daughter and Killing Ulysses.

    No matter what.Born into a wealthy but flawed North Carolina shipbuilding family, Chase was somehow immune to the dysfunction. The sky was the limit for the 18-year old football prodigy, until one terrible event changed the course of his life and prison became his new home. Through the highs and lows of his incarceration, there was one person he couldn’t forget, no matter how hard he’d tried: childhood best friend Bailey Masters. For reasons unknown to him, she'd shunned him ever since her mysterious return to Foggy Harbor at the beginning of their sophomore year.Now, seven years into a twelve-year manslaughter sentence, Chase is given an unusual second chance, one that comes with its own set of rules. Suddenly, he's thrust into a position he's not ready for: the tip of the spear in a quiet war against an American enemy. A war that could cost him his family . . . and his life.

    Louis to the safety of the countryside, they don't realize that the rural town they think of as a protective haven is loaded with secrets, and the farm they lease is far from safe. It is cursed land, and they're about to find out the hard way that danger lurks everywhere, even in a small, peaceful farming community. AND SO HAS THEIRS... Will the Martins live to see dawn, or will they only add to the rising body count?