5,000 words (16 pages).For Bafion, there is no farther to fall. Once a banneret, officer, and gentleman, he is none of those things now. He is a swordsman who has slipped through the cracks of society and is eking out an existence as a thug for hire.Bafion is presented with the opportunity to reclaim some of what was lost to him, but to do so will mean facing part of his past that he would rather forget.The Swordsman of Tanosa is a swashbuckling fantasy short story set in the same world as the Society of the Sword trilogy.

    And it was not Alodia.Alodia is the crown princess of the realm. The sister who knows how to rule, and the one who is constantly reminded that she has not been marked for a grand destiny. But Alodia has plans, and she will be the greatest queen her people have ever known. So she travels--with her hopeless, naïve, chosen sister--to a distant part of their land, to begin to secure her supporters. This region needs its princesses, for it is plagued with a curse. The crops don't grow, the spring doesn't arrive, and a fierce jaguar stalks the shadows, leaving only empty homes splashed with blood behind. If Alodia can save them, no one will be able to deny her strength and her sovereignty.But what she discovers could change the fate of her kingdom, if not her world. And it will most certainly change her opinion of her younger sister."The Shadow Cats" is a prequel to the riveting Fire and Thorns trilogy: Book One, The Girl of Fire and Thorns; Book Two, The Crown of Embers; and Book Three, The Bitter Kingdom.

    The Sisters live without men, so Alev must Gather young girls to replenish their numbers.When Alev plucks young Kaiya from the remote village of Koolkuna, the girl’s father follows them into the wilderness. Alev keeps him at bay, but she suspects that this man, at least, isn’t the monster she was taught all men are.After he arrives at the Cloister, the Sisters want to put him to death. Alev can look the other way, or she can heed the growing whispers of her heart to help Kaiya and her father escape. But to defy the Fire Sisters is to revoke the only life and family Alev has ever known—and to face certain death herself.THE GATHERER is an exciting 50-page prequel novella in the young adult fantasy Brilliant Darkness series.The first novel, THE SCOURGE, was a finalist for the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Award.RECOMMENDED SERIES READING ORDER:The ScourgeThe Keeper: A Brilliant Darkness StoryThe DefianceThe Gatherer: A Brilliant Darkness StoryThe Fire Sisters

     Little does she know it’s about to get a whole lot weirder. When she answers an online help wanted ad, she never expects it to lead to the revelation that magic exists. She certainly never expects to experience it firsthand. But after teaming up with washed-up sorcerer Larry Stuttgart, sword master Dawn Blayde, werebear munitions expert Tank Johnson, and immortal zombie head-in-a-jar Bill, Lexie’s about to discover what life is like on the supernatural side. She’s about to join THE NYTE PATROL. *** This is the first novel of the snarky urban fantasy series, the Nyte Patrol. Look for book two, Nyte Terrors, coming soon!

    Magic use is rampant. Crime is spreading. Told from the perspective of Tobiah, the crown prince with a dangerous secret, and set two years before the heart-racing action of The Orphan Queen, this 100-page digital novella brings to life one of Jodi Meadows's most beloved characters.Tobiah Pierce knows he is a spoiled, sheltered prince, and he's tired of it. His only chance for freedom is if his cousin, James Rayner, passes the trials to be one of his bodyguards. But when Tobiah takes a rare opportunity to escape a courtly celebration and he witnesses a horrible—and magical—crime, he must make a momentous decision: return to the ignorance and comfort of the palace, or risk everything to discover the truth?The Hidden Prince is the first of four prequel novellas that offer existing fans a deeper insight into a favorite character and the complex city of Skyvale, while new readers will find a stunning introduction to this rich world and the heart-pounding fantasy of the Orphan Queen series.Epic Reads Impulse is a digital imprint focused on young adult short stories and novellas, with new releases the first Tuesday of each month.

     Embark on a deeper dive into the mermaid lore of Born of Water, An Elemental Origins novel. New mermaid, Targa MacAuley, has just sat down to read the diary of an ancestor, join her as she uncovers secrets from the past resulting in a tragic shipwreck. More than one-hundred-fifty years later, the wreck gives up her secrets.Born of Water is the first book in The Elemental Origins, a series of captivating YA urban fantasy novels. If you like new twists on mermaid lore, simmering romance, and close-knit mother-daughter bonds, then you’ll love A.L. Knorr’s nautical adventure. Embark on a deeper dive into the story's lore with The Wreck of Sybellen, a companion novelette. Read Born of Water and The Wreck of Sybellen to submerge yourself in an enchanting coming-of-age tale today.

    A boy with a terrible secret. When the truth is revealed, Lauren's world comes crashing down.For once, seventeen year old lauren's life is going right. She's attending the college of her dreams, has what appears to be the perfect boyfriend, and is surrounded by her childhood friends. But her boyfriend, Tristan, grows more possessive by the day, and his temper is getting harder to keep in check. When lauren realizes Tristan is using her for her power, she has to make a choice: Tristan or her world.

    14, 2010, and was never seen again. The only clues to his fate were a series of blog posts he left behind, allegedly recounting his final hours inside one of the most haunted houses in the world. But what started as an investigation into the mysterious occurrences inside Madison Manor also revealed shocking truths about Sean’s own past. “The Last Blog” is a 10,000-word short story that includes Sean’s final blog postings, as well as additional analysis and insight provided by noted supernatural expert Soren Chase. It’s the perfect treat for Halloween!

    Then he meets Thalia, an alluring but troubled dancing girl who offers him a way out—if he’ll help her kill a powerful nobleman. With the Guild falling apart, it just might be worth the risk. But when you live, breathe, and love in a world that’s forever flirting with death, the slightest misstep can be poison.

    When a young girl is snatched on her way home from school, Matty's police detective father knows that every minute counts. For the first time - but not the last - Detective Roger Turner enlists his son's unique help.With over 130,000 copies sold, the Matt Turner Series launched author Michael Siemsen to bestseller status. The Dig (Book 1) and The Opal (Book 2) hint at the troubled psychometrist's shocking childhood, using his ability to "read" an object's history to help his father solve the worst kinds of crimes. Only now, with the short story Matty are we offered a firsthand glimpse into a young Matt's first case - tracking down a kidnapped girl named Joss Lynn Leland.

    When that day finally comes and she is sent to patrol the border's swamp with fellow warrior, Lars, it seems like her dream has come true. But something has followed her home. When Lord Arnkell's wedding is interrupted by a werewolf attack, the dream shifts into a nightmare... and Aein is the only one awake.Book One in the Twilight Shifters series.

    In it, you will get a taste of the kingdom of Autumn, meet some of Meira’s fellow refugees, and get an introduction to the wicked danger that will soon plague them…

    But when the love of his damned life grows mortally and mysteriously ill he realizes he's lost more than he bargained for--and that wasn t part of the Deal.So Niko sets out on a harrowing journey from the streets of Los Angeles through the downtown subway tunnels and across the redlit plain of the most vividly realized Hell since Dante, to play the gig of his mortgaged life and win back the purloined soul of his lost love.Mortality Bridge remixes Orpheus, Dante, Faust, the Crossroads legend, and more in a beautiful, brutal--and surprisingly funny--quest across a Hieronymous Bosch landscape of myth, music, and mayhem; and across an inner terrain of addiction, damnation, and redemption.

    Merz.In the style of Robert E. Howard, NINJA tells the story of a mythical warrior hero named Ran as he graduates from the ninja school he has been attending for twenty years and begins undertaking all sorts of missions across an alternate Earth. Ran will travel far and wide gathering intelligence, acquiring priceless artifacts, and battling evil wherever he finds it... In this story, Ran is assigned to retrieve a magical sword from an evil sorcerer but fate intervenes and Ran is left with a tough decision: carry out his assignment or do what he knows is best.Written by bestselling author Jon F. Merz, himself a 20-year+ practitioner and master instructor of Togakure-ryu Ninjutsu, NINJA is destined to thrill readers with its authentic ninja action combined with the adrenaline of the best fantasy fiction. This is the first in a planned series of adventure surrounding Ran.

    His familiar reminded him of this several times a day.He only knew three spells, and one of them was to control his allergy to armadillo dander. His attempts to summon elementals resulted in nosebleeds, and there is nothing more embarrassing than having your elemental leave the circle to get you a tissue, pat you comfortingly, and then disappear in a puff of magic. The armadillo had about wet himself laughing.He was a very minor mage.Unfortunately, he was all they had.