Not since the dark days when the royal family was murdered and the kingdom put under a terrible curse. But then Finnikin is summoned to meet Evanjalin, a young woman with an incredible claim: the heir to the throne of Lumatere, Prince Balthazar, is alive.Evanjalin is determined to return home and she is the only one who can lead them to the heir. As they journey together, Finnikin is affected by her arrogance . . . and her hope. He begins to believe he will see his childhood friend, Prince Balthazar, again. And that their cursed people will be able to enter Lumatere and be reunited with those trapped inside. He even believes he will find his imprisoned father.But Evanjalin is not what she seems. And the truth will test not only Finnikin's faith in her . . . but in himself.

    Amid the chaos of war, a band of rebel humans risk everything to fight for freedom, and an end to the Dragon Age. Read the saga that Orson Scott Card called “a magnificent hero story.” Bitterwood, the Complete Collection gathers together all four novels of the Bitterwood series, plus the prequel short story “Tornado of Sparks.” The individual works: Tornado of Sparks: The dragon Vendevorex demonstrates his magical powers for the dragon-king Albekizan in a test that orphans a human infant. Can Vendevorex reunite the child with her only remaining family? Bitterwood: Dragons rule the world and humans serve as their slaves, pets, and prey, with only the mysterious dragon-slayer Bitterwood fighting the dominant dragons from the shadows. But when Bitterwood slays the beloved son of the dragon-king Albekizan, the dragons launch a war of extermination against all humans. Can mankind survive the combined might of the dragons? Dragonforge: As a war spreads throughout the dragon kingdom, a band of human rebels take over the armory of the dragon armies, the legendary Dragon Forge. As the dragon armies mass to take back the fortress, Bitterwood finds himself in the fight of his life, facing off against the most dangerous dragon of all: Blasphet. Dragonseed: With the dragon forces in disarray, the humans face their own woes as allies banded together to fight the dragons begin to take up arms against each other. With all of civilization on the verge of anarchy, can Bitterwood save the day by joining forces with his worst enemy—the sun-dragon Hex, the last surviving son of King Albekizan? Dawn of Dragons: 1000 years before Bitterwood, a man named Alex Pure gets disemboweled by a dragon. It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Also, the apocalypse. In praise of Bitterwood: “For the sake of humanity, join in Bitterwood’s revolt.” – Kirkus Reviews “A grabber from page one, a smart tale of adventure and revenge sprinkled with echoes of our own dangerous times. James Maxey’s world of dragons and humans at war is so solidly and engagingly rendered that I never wanted to leave.” – John Marco “Bitterwood is an unlikely hero in a rich world, with a rich history that holds many surprises. James Maxey tells his story with a sure hand. Enjoy the journey!” – Carrie Vaughn "Fine action and cool world building. Anne McCaffrey through a mirror darkly." – E. E. Knight “A magnificent hero story.” – Orson Scott Card

    When he discovers a familial connection to the stranger, Moss leaves the comfort of his home with his best friend for the sprawling megacity.There, he joins a group of ruffians dedicated to freeing people from the yoke of the evil companies. Police-for-hire, motorcycle gangs and betrayal threaten them at every turn.Can Moss help this small group of rebels fight the power before it’s too late? Find out in Into Neon: A Cyberpunk Saga.

    And I just got caught. Now I have three options: death, the Marriage Market...or the Dragon Duels.I'm going to take my chances against the dragons. If I survive, I'll become be pardoned for my crimes and become a Dragon Defender. If I lose, death will seem like the easy option. Hundreds of people go into the Duels, but only a tenth come out. And this year, I'm going to be one of them. - Stoking the Embers is book one in the Dragon Duels series, an urban fantasy adventure with a dystopian flare and a slow burn romance.

    Orphaned at a young age, Hitomi has learned to hide her magical aptitude and who her parents really were. Most of all, she must conceal her role in the Shadow League, an underground movement working to undermine the powerful and corrupt Arch Mage Wilhelm Blackflame. When the League gets word that Blackflame intends to detain—and execute—a leading political family, Hitomi volunteers to help the family escape. But there are more secrets at play than Hitomi’s, and much worse fates than execution. When Hitomi finds herself captured along with her charges, it will take everything she can summon to escape with her life.

    She thought her move to a remote fishing village in Northern Newfoundland would help.Population: Twenty. What could go wrong?Instead of peace, however, she relocates to a land of superstitution, the air alive with the presence of others.When a local teenager accidentally summons the spirits of the area, including those from a thousand-year-old Viking settlement, all supernatural breaks loose. As the spirits stalk her and each other, Rachel finds herself in over her head. With the help of Mrs. Saunders, her 93-year-old neighbour, Rachel has to put aside her own prejudices long enough to send the spirits back to rest, or risk being caught in the midst of a spirit war.

     Professional photographer and part-time bakery employee Carly Keene loves everything about her small hometown, except for the fact that there's a murderer on the loose. When one of Carly's photography clients is murdered just days before his wedding, it's up to Carly to prove that the most likely suspect isn't the culprit at all. With the help of her sassy best friend, Shell, and her clever cop cousin, Carly is determined to get to the truth, no matter what. Can Carly prove that the police are after the wrong woman? And are her feelings for the dead guy's twin brother more than just friendship and a shared love of their dogs? Find out in this first book of the Carly Keene Cozy Mystery series! Meet the colorful residents of Parker's Mill in the first-ever Carly Keene cozy mystery. ***Includes two mouthwatering recipe straight out of the Sweets & Eats Bakery!****

    When those closest to her encourage her to let Antoni in on her secret identity, Targa is torn between the promise she made her mother when she was just a child, and the desire to be honest. Will she keep her secret, or reveal her true self to the man she loves?The last thing Targa and Mira want is to be separated, but Mira grows distant as the voice of the ocean becomes urgent, and its clear she is suffering. Will Targa and Mira's close-knit mother/daughter bond be strong enough to keep the irresistible call of the mermaid's salt-cycle at bay?When someone who shouldn’t be alive turns up, Targa and Antoni are sucked into a breathless, whirlwind adventure leading them leagues under the ocean’s surface where even Targa’s great powers cannot save Antoni from an ancient force neither of them saw coming.

    Stop the war. Save the world.Sir Brannon Kesh spent years building a new life as a physician, leaving the name Bloodhawk and the war that spawned it behind. But when the King's cousin is murdered, duty calls him back. The crime scene suggests dark magic and the evidence points to the ambassador of Nilar, an alluring woman with secrets of her own, who sees Bloodhawk as little more than a war criminal.As bodies pile up and political ramifications escalate, Brannon must join forces with a vain mage, a socially awkward priest, and a corpse animating shaman to solve the murders and prevent another war. But who can he trust when the phases of a bigger plan take shape?The Risen are the greatest danger Brannon has ever faced. If he and his team cannot stop the killer then all of Kalanon - and the world - will descend into darkness.SPFBO 5 FINALIST - Winner of the SpecFicNZ Novel Competition  - Sir Julius Award Winning Author

    But she's next in line for the throne. When Princess Kalleah is born with a forbidden magic power, her mother takes her into hiding to keep her safe. Now, at eighteen, she is back to claim her throne. People with Kalleah's deadly power aren't allowed into the city of Baylore, let alone the palace. If she is to rule, her people will need to overcome centuries of prejudice against the forbidden races. But the timing for her return could not be worse. Baylore was once a haven for the magic races that were persecuted and killed in other lands. Now, a small but dangerous group calling themselves Truthbringers have stirred up public sentiment against all magic--not just the forbidden races. If Kalleah can't claim her rightful place on the throne, the once-peaceful city of Baylore will fall to chaos. Hatred and bigotry threaten to overthrow everything Baylore once stood for. But as she seeks support in her bid for the throne, she faces enemies at every turn. Can Kalleah win the throne and hold Baylore together? Or have the Truthbringers already sown the seeds of discontent too deep? Forbidden Queen is the first in a 6-book epic fantasy series filled with intrigue, adventure, and romance. Perfect for fans of Robin Hobb, Sarah J. Maas, and Sabaa Tahir.

    Retired Army vet, Isis Black, lives in a small Texas town, a tiny dot on the map. The only friends she has are her coworkers at a Tex-Mex restaurant, the locals she serves, and a homeless man named Bob. One evening after work, Death knocks at Isis’s apartment door. Death wears an expensive designer suit and four-inch heels. She has a curvaceous body, long, silky brown hair and mischief in her voice. Isis is sure that she’s dreaming or has gone to hell for accidentally killing a man by knocking him off a crowded fire escape at a wild party. Death informs Isis that the man she killed was Death’s intern, and now Death needs Isis to take his place for the North American territory. Somebody is stealing the souls that Death needs to transport to the afterlife. The intern’s job is to find out who is sabotaging Death’s efforts. Who better for the job than Isis – she’s lonely, bored and perfect – right down to her name. Death gives Isis three days to decide if she’ll take the job. When her friend, Bob, goes missing, Isis is enraged. But is she willing to work with Death, a talking cat, and a boy-genius as her teammates to find Bob? If she doesn’t help Death, will Bob, and homeless people across the country, die? This is a story of courage and a chase to save humanity. What readers are saying: ”Well written … fast-paced … a mix of supernatural and earthly realms where Death resides … loved the humor … hooked from the very beginning … unusual connection to dark themes.” Look for the other books in the INTERN DIARIES series and meet the other Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Plague, War, and Famine. Book Two: Plague Unleashed Book Three: Forbidden War Book Four: Unstoppable Famine Book Five: Judgment Day

    He rules the world alongside the Summer Lady, the Autumn Lord, and the Lady of Spring. He’s the wrong man to fall in love with, but Dawn loves him anyway.The last thing Dawn expects is to be thrown into the Winter Lord’s prison because of a minor dispute. When he visits her cell and asks her to marry him, nothing will ever be the same again. Her entire world spins into chaos, but soon, it’s obvious things aren’t as they should be. The Winter Lord is hiding something, and when the truth is revealed, she understands only one thing can save her life ... Love.This is a passionate love story for adult readers. It takes place in a magical fantasy world where the Elders rule the seasons.

     Detective Nick Cross is hard at work repairing burnt bridges incurred during a stormy first marriage when a murder happens. “Only One Will Fall” is the cryptic message sent to the victim’s husband moments before the slaying, but nobody thinks much of it until an identical message is sent to the relative of a second victim. To Nick, it means one thing: Mount Pleasant has a serial killer on their hands. With no motive and no connection found between the victims, the police are helpless to prevent the rampage from continuing. It doesn’t help that the Field Agent sent by the FBI clashes with Nick’s style in handling the investigation. But Nick isn’t done. He decides to take matters into his own hands, unwittingly setting himself up as the next target for a ruthless killer who can’t be stopped.

    Agerastian heretics, armed with black fire and fueled by bitter hatred, seek to sever the ancient portals that unite the empire - and in so doing destroy it.Asho--a squire with a reviled past--sees his liege, the Lady Kyferin, and her meager forces banished to an infamous ruin. Beset by tragedy and betrayal, demons and an approaching army, the fate of the Kyferins hangs by the slenderest of threads. Asho realizes that their sole hope of survival may lie hidden within the depths of his scarred soul--a secret that could reverse their fortunes and reveal the truth behind the war that wracks their empire.Unpredictable, fast paced, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Path of Flames is the first installment in a gripping new epic fantasy series.

    To make matters worse, the other woman happens to be her “friend” and hairdresser, Delilah Osborne! After months of mourning and moping around the house, she stumbles upon a help wanted ad in the newspaper for the perfect job as an assistant cruise ship director. Before Millie can talk herself out of it, she fills out the application and mails it in. Much to her surprise, not only does the company contact her, they hire her! Determined to start a new life and new career, Millie boards the ship, ready for a new adventure. She isn’t on board the massive floating city - her new home - more than ten minutes when a dead body is discovered near the atrium bar. Her curiosity gets the best of her and before she knows it, Millie finds herself right in the thick of the investigation. With a little help from a new friend and shipmate, the amateur sleuth discovers that the deceased had more enemies than friends making this murder an even tougher case to crack. Will Millie delve too deeply and risk losing her job – and possibly her life? BOOK 2: Portside Peril Millie Sanders has settled into her new position as assistant cruise director of the Siren of the Seas and is loving every minute of the adventure and excitement. A fresh wave of passengers have just boarded, and as the deck party gets into full swing, a frantic cry of man overboard is shouted over the loudspeakers. Millie rushes towards the crowd that has gathered on the portside upper deck and watches in horror as the ship's crew desperately tries to save a young man who has just gone over. Onboard investigators believe it’s a clear cut case of vacation suicide, but Millie isn’t convinced. Her suspicions are confirmed when she discovers the fiancé of the poor deceased man received a threatening note. The mystery deepens and the list of suspects grows when Millie discovers some of the friends who boarded with the young couple may have had reason to push him over, and that is just the beginning! BOOK 3: Lethal Lobster Assistant Cruise Director, Millie Sanders' day is off to a shockingly bad start when her boss “volunteers” her to be his Guinea pig for a stun gun self-defense class in front of her fellow shipmates. Loyal to a fault, she agrees but almost immediately regrets her decision. Meanwhile, several crew members have become violently ill and possibly on the verge of death after eating food prepared from the galley kitchen, operated by her best friend, Annette Delacroix. It soon becomes clear that someone is out to sabotage her friend and may be willing to go as far as murder. Millie dives in to the new mystery head first as she and her friend, Cat, try to salvage Annette's career and stop the saboteur before someone is murdered - or is it already too late?