These stories have accumulated over 100+ reviews and have been boxed together for the first time!Missed ConnectionsHow far would you go for revenge? Veronica Bauer isn't above homicide. Twelve years after a ruthless attack killed her mother and put her father in prison, she embarks on a mission to bring the real culprits to justice. As bodies start to drop, Detective Sheila Arden is assigned to the gruesome case, but she soon discovers that the truth is more complicated than she thought. In a riveting game of cat and mouse, each woman challenges the other to reach new heights.The ProfessorFollowing the mysterious disappearance of her history professor, Nicole Costello discovers that her prestigious university is home to an elite secret society with questionable moral standards. Can Nicole crack the case of her missing professor and finish her thesis paper, or will Nicole herself crack under the pressure?

    Dhampir. Undead. Cursed. With supernatural powers and an insatiable need for blood, her existence is cursed. When Gray awakens from a three-year spell induced coma, she not only discovers her lover as the one responsible, but that he has joined with a dangerous organization known as the Consilium to help them create a new breed of hybrid demons. Humans and Witches are being taken against their will, and fear is growing throughout the covens.Gray never had a choice—forced to become a monster, the Dhampir. Yet after four hundred years, she still yearns for her humanity, like a long-lost echo from another life. She cannot allow the Consilium to do this to anyone else. With a renewed lust for vengeance, and a target on her back, Gray must use the one thing she swore never to in order to stop them—blood magic.Armed with a magical pirate ship, an immortal monk, and a flower plucked from the Underworld, Gray will stop at nothing to start a war. Yet in her quest to track down her enemies, she uncovers a dark family secret that threatens to destroy the last shred of humanity she has left."Melissa Sercia packs a punch with her debut novel with its rich world building and unique interpretation of gothic literature. It’s a must read if you’re looking for a fresh take on gothic fantasy.” – Science Fiction Author, Samantha Huewagen ★★★★★ AUTHOR INTERVIEW Q: Why do you write? A: When I was a kid, reading was a way for me to escape into magical worlds. I was about twelve years old when I first started writing and making up my own stories. It made me feel like I had a connection to the literary greats. Like I was in some sort of secret magical club. Today, I write to try and capture that magic in hopes to inspire writers and readers alike. To take my readers on a journey. An adventure. An escape. I write to breathe life into characters, to transport readers to fantasy settings, and to hopefully make people believe in magic again. Q: What books do you write? A: I write Fantasy and Science Fiction and all of its sub-genres. My current series, Blood and Darkness, is adult Urban Fantasy. I love playing with the real world and spinning it on its head, adding magical elements and creatures to it, and creating worlds within worlds. I keep a very long notebook of story ideas filled with everything from Portal Fantasy, Steampunk, and High Fantasy to Dystopian, Hard Sci-Fi, and Space Opera. BLOOD AND DARKNESS BLOOD AND MAGIC (book 1) FLESH AND BONE (book 2) GODS AND DEMONS (book 3) Q: Why should readers pick up your books? A: Blood and Darkness is a fast paced, page turning Urban Fantasy series. If you are a fan of Gothic settings, sexual tension, ancient prophecies, dark magic, and deep rooted mythology, then you will love this series. Ultimately, Blood and Darkness is about love and betrayal, revenge and redemption, and all-out war. From the first page of Blood and Magic to the last, you will not be able to put this series down. These characters will haunt you, their stories will stay with you, and they will leave you wanting more.

    It was a flash in the moonlight, a blur of motion like I'd never witnessed before. No human had the capacity to move like that. When I found myself face-to-face with him there in the meadow, I knew without a doubt that the journal was authentic. I knew that my grandfather hadn't been crazy at all. Because a foot away from me stood a vampire. What do you do when you find out the people you trust have been hiding a terrible secret? When Sarah Wood's father passes away and hands over to her the responsibility of running the family's inn, she finds put things are far more complicated than she first imagined. She's not just responsible for running the inn. She's become the Vampire's Warden. This is part one of a three-part series. It is 31,880 words long. It is a novella.

    That's about to change.After a jetliner plunges into the Columbia River near Portland, Oregon, everyone survives. So why do crash investigators have a hangar full of bodies, one for each passenger except Mara? Before the plane goes down, she glimpses a new reality, one with scales and snouts, fangs and gills. She sees a boy running down the aisle carrying a ball of blue light, chased by a girl who could be her clone. By trying to help, she unwittingly unleashes dozens of creatures on an unsuspecting world and sparks a series of events that threatens her life, her family and everything she believes. To save them, she has to embrace a power she cannot comprehend.

    They look just like me, just like you. But they can kill. They do kill. And I’ve fallen in love with one.I wish I’d walked away. I wish I’d followed my gut. I wish he’d been there when I became the victim.You’ll love this fresh take on a tired genre, because vampires should be bad, and they should do it well. So hurry and start the series today. Don’t be the last to discover it.

    He discovers a quiet village deep in the countryside and settles there. He makes new friends and finds a new love, but there are undercurrents; events that threaten his newfound peace. Then a murder occurs and he finds himself drawn into the investigation, unsure of who among his new friends he can trust. How will he overcome this without losing all he has gained?

     Experience the gripping first entry in the action-packed Barrett Mason Thriller series! Barrett Mason’s mission was simple: help an Iranian biochemist defect. Extract him to the States then learn the darkest secrets of the Ayatollah’s weapons programs. Iran's deadliest spies would try to kill them along the way, but Barrett never shied away from a fight. Everything was going fine until Barrett was caught in a spy’s worst nightmare: his own side tried to kill him. Trapped between two sides full of expertly trained, cold-blooded killers means standing his ground is suicide. And running will only get him so far. But Barrett Mason never lays down. Not when failure means unleashing the deadliest weapons known to man. He'll fight to get his revenge, or he’ll die trying. Fans of Clancy's Jack Ryan, Child's Jack Reacher, Ludlum's Jason Bourne, and LT Ryan's Jack Noble will be hooked by the heart-pounding, life-or-death adventures of Barrett Mason. Other books in the Barrett Mason Thriller series Book 0: The Lost Son Book 1: Matador Book 2: Tyrant

    When an alien spaceship crashes outside his house, he suddenly gets his chance. With the help of his friends - Eudox, a green space alien pretending to be from Texas, Sam Duval, a professional complainer who has huffed too much government mind control gas, and Corpsy, a stone-cold dead corpse - Arnold sets out into orbit to show everyone that the world is flat once and for all! Flat Earthers in space, the real reason the moon landing was faked, where the arrow in the Fedex logo is really pointing, the identity of the secret fifth Teletubby, the meaning of crop circles, and the true nature of the evil conspiracy that runs the world - all in Flat Space, a hilarious new comedy from author Andrew Stanek.

    But a youthful Tubby chanced to see it happen, and the tragic event's haunted him throughout his life. Decades later, an established (but not exactly driven) lawyer, yet successful enough to have time on his hands, Tubby decides to conduct his own investigation into the forgotten crime. He quickly stirs up a hornets’ nest of far-reaching political feuds, police corruption, government agents, and old men with secrets to hide.But as in all Tubby Dubonnet novels, the plot takes a backseat to local color, colorful characters, odes to fine food, wry observations, and a whole lot of humor. It's a little like spending a weekend in da Big Easy, dawlin'--complete with three well-chosen meals a day!Vol 2 – FAT MAN BLUES – The NINTH installment in Tony Dunbar’s humorous, hard-boiled Tubby Dubonnet mystery seriesEx-con Angelo Spooner is trying to start a legit business, but he just can’t catch a break. Just as his healing Holy Water, “Angelo’s Elixir” is about to go upscale, the sticky strands of the Big Sleazy’s tangled web of crime and corruption reach out to ensnare him. What’s a law-abiding parolee to do? He can’t get caught with a gun, but maybe that axe in his shed could help him extricate himself. But when low-level creep Frenchy Dufour’s henchman turns up nearly beheaded, Angelo’s fate rests in the capable hands of laid-back lawyer Tubby Dubonnet.Tubby’s been trying hard to lay low, too. As those closest to him are targeted by frightening attacks, he suspects his dealings with the clandestine society of Cuban exiles who’ve plagued him lately are far from over. Tubby would love to have nothing further to do with “that crazy band of geriatric lunatics”. But the old Cuban revolutionaries have taught their sons well. Now their grandchildren, heirs to a substantial cache of weapons and money, burn with a dangerous zeal to prove themselves.Meanwhile … a man’s got to eat! The epicurean counselor does his best thinking when he’s well-fed. Our good luck! –as we vicariously sample our way across New Orleans’ culinary panorama on the hunt for an axe murderer. But sleuth does not live by bread alone—even in a Tony Dunbar legal thriller. Ignoring his own advice to his client to “keep your head on your shoulders”, Tubby’s lost his to the lovely Peggy O’Flarity. It’s about time Tubby had some steamy sex – and maybe a little happiness? But fortune teller Sister Soulace has her doubts.

     Having put an embittered past behind him, Marc builds a successful landscaping business with clientele from the affluent suburbs of Chicago and starts to appreciate the finer things in life—and he's found the perfect woman to share in it. But when his alcoholic sister and her two young sons enter into the picture, Marc falls victim to their helplessness and temporarily puts his own life aside. When his despondent father is added to the mix, it doesn’t take long for Marc to completely lose sight of his own dreams—and his girlfriend. Does Marc save his relatives from their ill-fated lives, or save himself from entering into a life of self-sacrifice and missed opportunities? Painful soul-searching and late-night talks with the captivating tenant downstairs guide him to an unexpected decision and discovery of his true purpose in life.

    But as Halloween rolls around, he’s faced with being sued over the fact the house is now haunted. Determined to deal with the problem before he’s forced to go bankrupt, Peter enlists the help of a reluctant medium and a Catholic priest. But as the violence and danger grow, it soon becomes clear that the problem could be bigger than a disgruntled spirit… and the solution the one person Peter can’t afford to risk.

    Master Osaka sends her away to the Hall of the Dragon to learn to use and control her power. Soon after her arrival, a mysterious band of warriors tries to steal the Scroll of the Five Masters, which contains the key to immortality. Katana learns that they are the Arashi, a secret society that preserves the dark art of dim mak. It was believed that knowledge of the art’s highest power, the death touch, was taken to the grave by its ancient master. But now a new dim mak master has risen, commanding a power even more terrifying than the death touch—and he will stop at nothing to obtain the Scroll of the Five Masters. In the end, it’s up to Katana to confront this new enemy and uncover the shocking truth of his identity.Katana Shodan is the first book in a YA martial arts fantasy series. If you like coming of age stories in a modern setting, full of action and adventure, mystery and magic, then Katana will keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more!

    In a split second, everything changed. A drunk driver ended Lucy’s mortal life.Lucy opens her eyes to a world she never imagined possible and a new destiny: as a Patronus, a guardian of spirits. Adjusting to her new role and abilities while negotiating this confusing realm will test her limits and push her further than she ever dreamed she would go. From wayward spirits who don’t want her help to soul stealing vampires, and even a stuck-up British royal, Lucy must brave them all to save one spirit she can’t bear to lose.Further complicating her life is an inexplicable yet growing connection she feels to a member of her team, Max, whose mysterious behavior leaves her both confused and intrigued.Waking up dead was just the beginning of her problems. Lucy’s death is about to become the greatest adventure of her life.

    Nor does she want to remember the peculiar perceptions that disturbed her childhood. A talented historian, Danni’s focus is on the Louisiana research project she hopes will land her a job that doesn’t involve teaching bored college freshmen. But she’s walking into a confluence of events that will change her life forever.His story preserved only in a threadbare quilt fashioned by a slave during the Civil War, the Vampire Grimaud has slept for a century and a half beneath the soil of a Louisiana plantation called Angola. The place is now a prison of over six thousand men locked in sweltering isolation. One of these, Antoine Dupre, is innocent of the decade-old murder for which he is imprisoned. Yet now he must kill or be killed, unless, impossibly, he can prove his innocence.When a prisoner crew back-hoeing the warden’s latest project, a golf course, unearths the vampire’s grave, Stéphane Grimaud wakes to a future beyond his imagination. Without help he will be vulnerable. How fortunate that an adept, a mortal gifted with the ability to see beings who exist in shadows, is nearby. Yet how strange that she fears him!These three – historian, prisoner and vampire – have only a moment in time in which to alter a future already written. And the cost to each will be immeasurable.

    The Oasis, their haven beneath the city of Chicago, has become infected with a fatal fever that is wiping out the last remaining species of Nightwalkers. The dream of a future is crumbling. Someone must find the Drayada Stone and bring it back to restore life to the dying underground community. It is a perilous journey, and those who take it will be forced to go where no Nightwalker has been in ages: Topside. The Underground Council appoints this task to a young witch, Zora, who will be accompanied by three unlikely companions she has grown up with in The Oasis. An angel, a vampire, and a werewolf. There is an ancient evil that stands between the Drayada Stone and the four companions. Zora must look deep within herself to find the power to destroy the biggest enemy of the Nightwalkers, and in so doing, she might just destroy herself. Will four young Nightwalkers be enough to save a dying species, or will they be buried beneath the rock and rubble of history and forgotten by humanity?