Ashes on the Earth


Sarah Ashwood - 2020
    Monsters are real. And no good deed goes unpunished. Nursing student Ellie St. James didn’t mean to get involved in a war between rival gangs of shifters, but saving the life of a local mob boss’s child has dragged her into one. When Ellie’s life is threatened because of her involvement, she’s forced to go on the run, protected by Carter Ballis, head of security for the mobster’s family, and a lethal shifter himself.Blood, fire, and warfare weren’t part of Ellie’s plans, but even if she survives, her life will never be the same. The world is more than she knew, and she’s seen too much. People capable of morphing into deadly creatures from legends and folklore around the globe are coming for her.The cost of staying alive means trusting Carter to defend her, and he’s every bit as frightening as the creatures that want her dead…

Whisper Falls


Elizabeth Langston - 2013
    But if Mark travels through time to save Susanna, will her brutal world trap him too? While mountain biking in the woods, Mark Lewis spots a mysterious girl dressed in odd clothing, standing behind a waterfall. When she comments on the strange machine he's riding, he suspects something isn’t right. When Susanna claims to be an indentured servant from 1796, he wonders if she’s crazy, yet he's compelled to find out more. Mark enters a long-distance relationship with Susanna through the temperamental barrier of Whisper Falls. Curious about her world, Mark searches through history to learn about the brutal life she’s trapped in. But knowledge can be dangerous. Soon he must choose between changing the past--or dooming the girl he can’t stop thinking about to a lifetime of misery. PRAISE for WHISPER FALLS: "... I would recommend [Whisper Falls] to any reader who is interested in historical fiction, thrillers, fantasy, love stories or time travel." - Youth librarian, Boyd Co Libraries WV, USA "Whisper Falls is a fun, action-packed story…" [School Library Journal] "Whisper Falls is captivating! The themes of love and hate in it's many forms and nuances are timeless and will appeal to all generations... I had a hard time putting this book down until I had savored the last page. And I certainly didn't want it to end. Another book? Yes, please!" - M. Ward AWARDS: Winner of a Bronze Medal in the Moonbeam Award for Excellence in Fiction (YA historical/cultural category)

The Confectioner's Guild


Claire Luana - 2018
    A culinary killer. The perfect recipe for murder.Wren knew her sweet treats could work wonders, but she never knew they could work magic. She barely has time to wrap her head around the stunning revelation when the head of the prestigious Confectioner’s Guild falls down dead before her. Poisoned by her cupcake. Now facing murder charges in a magical world she doesn’t understand, Wren must discover who framed her or face the headsman’s axe. With the help of a handsome inspector and several new friends, Wren just might manage to learn the ropes, master her new powers, and find out who framed her. But when their search for clues leads to a deep-rooted conspiracy that goes all the way to the top, she realizes that the guild master isn’t the only one at risk of death by chocolate. If Wren can’t bring the powerful culprit to justice, she and her friends will meet a bittersweet end.

Nobody's Princess


Esther M. Friesner - 2007
    Not one to count on the gods—or her looks—to take care of her, Helen sets out to get what she wants with steely determination and a sassy attitude. That same attitude makes Helen a few enemies—such as the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseus—but it also intrigues, charms, and amuses those who become her friends, from the famed huntress Atalanta to the young priestess who is the Oracle of Delphi.In Nobody's Princess, author Esther Friesner deftly weaves together history and myth as she takes a new look at the girl who will become Helen of Troy. The resulting story offers up adventure, humor, and a fresh and engaging heroine you cannot help but root for.

Antigoddess


Kendare Blake - 2013
    But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god. These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning. Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out. Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.The Goddess War is about to begin.

The Coven's Secret


Alicia Rades - 2021
    Turns out I’m a witch, and my powers will awaken on my nineteenth birthday.I’m sent to a magic academy, where I’ll learn about the coven and prepare to meet our goddess. It’s there that I meet Lucas, a sexy warlock with an attitude. I shouldn’t be attracted to a guy like him, but he’s a puzzle I can’t figure out—and I find that beyond irresistible.But there’s more on my mind than Lucas. If I don’t pass the goddess’s test to awaken my magic, I’ll be banished from the coven—and lose the only family I have left.LucasI wasn’t supposed to inherit death magic, but here I am. They call me the Reaper’s Apprentice. I’m tasked with carrying the last thoughts of the dead to the afterlife when I die. It’s a burden that grows heavier by the day.Most thoughts are more depressing than I care to admit… except for one. I don’t know what it means, until Nadine shows up in town. She’s the one ray of hope to an otherwise dark gift, and I quickly find myself falling for her.But we can’t be together—because there’s a curse upon all reapers, and if Nadine falls for me, she’ll die.

The Reluctant Duke's Dilemma


Trisha Messmer - 2020
    She longed to be free. Pressured by forces beyond their control, will they give in to forbidden desire?England, 1823. After establishing a successful practice in America, Dr. Harry Radcliffe swore he wouldn’t set foot on British soil again. But when he’s named the Duke of Ashton after his callous brother’s sudden death, he begrudgingly returns to the pretentious world he detests. And his pledge to his dying mother to find a wife is thrown into chaos when he meets his stunning sister-in-law.Margaret Radcliffe finally escaped her abusive marriage. Yet her late husband’s final cruel act left her penniless, with her only option to remarry... the one thing she vowed she’d never do again. But the new duke’s startlingly familiar features awaken yearnings she thought long-forgotten, dangling the heartbreaking whisper of a passion impossible to fulfill.Although convinced the accusations that she murdered her husband are only salacious gossip, Harry's real torment comes when he wishes for a union that would make them outcasts. But even when they finally submit to their simmering attraction, Margaret’s dream of happily-ever-after may be derailed by society’s schemes.Can a scandalous affair turn into a lifetime of love?The Reluctant Duke's Dilemma is the suspenseful first book in The Hope Clinic Regency romance series. If you like swoon-worthy heroes, uplifting humor, and heroines beating the odds, then you’ll adore Trisha Messmer’s tale of tortured hearts.

Recompense


Michelle Isenhoff - 2018
    Jack knows the truth.Born into Capernica’s lowest social tier and not permitted to leave Settlement 56, Jaclyn Holloway refuses to pour out her years in the local fish cannery. She gambles on the one chance available to her to advance—the high school Exit Exam. In a country that still keenly remembers the horrors of the Provocation, the period of unexplained disappearances that led to revolution, the smartest and strongest are richly rewarded in exchange for military service. Jack is adamant that her best friend, Will Ransom, join her in striving for induction. But if Jack fails to pass the stringent physical standards and Will succeeds, she will not be allowed to see him again until his tour of duty is completed—in twenty years.Meanwhile, the government has been keeping a tight lid on a new string of abductions. Jack’s Exam score places her in a position to aid Axis, an underground organization charged with investigating events that threaten national security. The evidence leads her back forty-seven years, to a series of high-profile cover-ups linked to the Provocation. Blowing the whistle could place her in danger, but holding her silence means history will likely repeat.And Capernica could never survive a second Provocation.

Persephone's Orchard


Molly Ringle - 2013
    Did they? Sophie Darrow finds she was wrong about that assumption when she's pulled into the spirit realm, complete with an Underworld, on her first day at college. Adrian, the mysterious young man who brought her there, simply wants her to taste a pomegranate. Soon, though she returns to her regular life, her mind begins exploding with dreams and memories of ancient times; of a love between two Greeks named Persephone and Hades. But lethal danger has always surrounded the immortals, and now that she's tainted with the Underworld's magic, that danger is drawing closer to Sophie.[Content warnings: one instance of non-consensual magic used on someone else's mind, a few instances of violence, discussions of death and grief]

Mortal Obligation


Nichole Chase - 2011
    Seventeen year old Ree McKenna has three goals: get through high school, convince her crush she is more than his best friend’s little sister, and save money for college. Fate, though, has other plans for her. After the untimely death of her older brother, Ree is haunted by dreadful nightmares and terrifying visions. To make matters worse, Ree has started to suspect that something dangerous is stalking her from the shadows. A night full of frightening surprises leaves Ree with unsettling news. Gifted by the gods with unusual powers, she must devote herself to a battle that could very well lead to not only her death, but the demise of everyone she knows and loves. After all, Ree is the only mortal standing between the Earth and utter darkness. Set in Savannah, Ga, Mortal Obligation is the first book of The Dark Betrayal Trilogy.

Bronze Dragon


Eileen Mueller - 2019
    Strange beasts in the forest. A dangerous hunt for a missing sister and mother. And a mysterious bronze dragon. A routine hunting trip turns into a nightmare when Hans discovers a dead dragon rider, and strange beasts in the forest. Then his family goes missing. He must track the dangerous beasts to find his mother and sister, but everything goes go wrong. There’s only one hope left. A hope that could save his family and give him a new destiny. Dare Hans dream of the impossible? And what must he sacrifice to save his kin? Fans of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragon Riders of Pern and Christopher Paolini’s The Inheritance Cycle enjoy Riders of Fire. If you love epic coming-of-age fantasy, heart-pounding adventure and dragons, Bronze Dragon and the Riders of Fire series are for you. Start your adventure now! Scroll up and click to read today! Riders of Fire Series: Book 1: Ezaara Book 2: Dragon Hero Book 3: Dragon Rift Book 4: Dragon Strike Book 5: Dragon War Book 6: Dragon Healer Book 7: Dragon Mage Book 8: Dragon Calls Silver Dragon, a Riders of Fire story is available only at EileenMuellerAuthor.com

WarMage: Unexpected


Martha Carr - 2020
    Girl works to befriend dragon. A large, red, dangerous dragon. Raven Alby will have to train her new ride and save the dragon’s life or die trying. Mix in starting at Fowler Academy as a first year, becoming a stronger mage and oh... people disappearing. It's all adding up to typical teenager stuff for a young mage.First lesson Raven will learn? Don’t ever let anything come between a girl and her dragon.

Basics of Spellcraft


L.C. Mawson - 2020
    Blocked memories. And an Academy for young witches that might just hold the answers. I should have known something was wrong when my weird aunt arrived in town just as I started getting killer headaches. But how was I supposed to know that it was a sign of repressed magic? Or that an ancient witch had escaped her tomb and sent demons after me? Demons who cursed my mother. I wanted to stay with her, even if she wouldn’t wake, but I was sent to Ember Academy for Young Witches instead. Somewhere the demons hopefully can’t get me. I need to find a way to lift the curse, but there’s a block on both my magic and memories that everyone is refusing to lift. A block that might hold the answers as to why an ancient witch is after me in the first place. If I can figure her out, maybe I can figure out this curse. My teachers don’t want me digging into it, worried about the danger. But I don’t care. My mother was cursed because of me, and I’m not going to rest until she’s safe again. BASICS OF SPELLCRAFT is the first book in the Ember Academy for Young Witches YA Urban Fantasy Academy series. If you love kick-ass heroines, Sapphic slow-burn romances, and magical boarding schools, you’ll love this latest fast-paced series in L.C. Mawson’s Snowverse.

Queen of the Warrior Bees


Jean Gill - 2019
    Together they must change the world. As the Mages of the Citadel fight amongst themselves and prepare for war against the Forest, Mielitta, a despised servant, has her own battle to face. Bastien and Jannlou, the boys who terrorised her as a child, have grown into their status as Mages and she cannot escape them forever.In desperation, she flees to the forbidden Forest and its dangerous attractions. Her scent angers thousands of bees and, although she survives their attack, she has changed. A strange bee symbol glows on her thigh and her senses are altered. She learns that her connection with bees enables her to summon their aid and gives her the power to shift shape.This new-found bond works both ways and the bees need Mielitta's help as the rift widens between Forest and Citadel. Can one girl and a colony of bees reunite Man and Nature, or is the split irreversible?Block Nature out and she'll force a way in.

Tangled Tides


Karen Amanda Hooper - 2011
    Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious.Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people--until he falls for Yara. The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process--or she might open the gateway to a love that's deeper than the oceans.