Readers of The Novice, Book One in the Summoner Trilogy by Taran Matharu, will know Othello as the brave dwarven classmate of Fletcher's at Vocans Academy. How Othello got to Vocans from his village, against all odds, is detailed in this exclusive e-short.

The first installment in the tale of ancient “Gods” that come to earth in search of precious resources, but instead find ghosts from their own past. Most surprisingly these ghosts take the form of two human girls, Kira and her younger sister Kaya. Discovering that the sisters possess rare abilities, the alien deities decide to take the girls to their home planet Tython to learn more about them.The first installment in the tale of ancient “Gods” that come to earth in search of precious resources, but instead find ghosts from their own past. Most surprisingly these ghosts take the form of two human girls, Kira and her younger sister Kaya. Discovering that the sisters possess rare abilities, the alien deities decide to take the girls to their home planet Tython to learn more about them. Little do they know that the discovery of humans will shake the very foundations of their galactic kingdom…

Sir Differel is slowly going insane! And no one in the Caerleon Order can help her. Aelfraed calls on Eile and Sunny, Team Girl, to get to the bottom of the situation. But can they solve the mystery without going insane themselves? This is a short story.Aelfraed and the staff of the Caerleon Order are worried. Sir Differel appears to be going insane: she can't sleep, she's hearing voices and having hallucinations, and she has become paranoid of and hostile towards her own people. Nothing they can do seems to help; even Dracula cannot break through her malaise.To make matters worse, she must appear at a meeting of the Privy Council within a week, and if she has not recovered by then, there is a real danger that they will depose her as Director and appoint someone else to replace her, who most likely would defer to them rather than follow his own judgment.In desperation, Aelfraed has turned to her best friends, Eile and Sunny of Team Girl, for help. They agree to do what they can, but they're not sure if they can do anything at all. Especially when they discover that Differel's trouble has been caused by a new enemy, one who will prove to be her most persistent, as well as her most implacable.

The Rygem'dor War has begun, and on the shores of the Thermotylus Crag, Rygem'dor faces the might of Rostheromi, never expecting that their greatest weapons, the loxodonts, will become their greatest liability.The Rygem'dor War has begun, locked in battle at the front gates of Henopred. In an attempt to surround Henopred and lay siege, Rygem'dor sends much of its army to circumvent the mountains protecting the city. Only the small opening at Thermotylus provides a safe location to land, however it is being blocked by a small army from Rostheromi. The Warriors of the Purple Sun and the Tither'rian amazons have banded together, joining the war effort to stop Rygem'dor's massive army at Thermotylus. With all odds against them, Rostheromi's greatest warriors have been charged to hold the pass at Thermotylus, a task that threatens to destroy both sides and will etch their names into history with blood and bronze.

The main character searches his galaxy and beyond for the Source. He discovers that a fabled world similar to his own actually exists. Part One contains two events in his childhood that are very memorable.Allia Washington watches as another young Compound candidate is wheeled into the science lab for emergency care. The boy is only 12 years old and will not survive to see another sunrise. This means a new position will open in the candidate program and the Compound will be looking for new applicants, the first of which is Allia's four-year-old son. She knows the program will kill her son and she has to find a way to keep him out of it. But protecting her son will take more than solving the mystery that kills all of the candidates too soon. She may be forced to do something drastic, anything to save her son, even if it means she has to defy the Compound itself. This is a short story prequel to The White Lilac a YA dystopia sci-fi novel.

As the Solstice approaches our heroes gather on the decks of their respective ships, to mull over what has happened and the things yet to come...'All at Sea' is the fifth installment of 'To Walk the Path', the final book in 'The Star Plague Journals'.When wars last for generations, it doesn't matter how they began......it only matters how they end. And this one seems that it could end only by their defeat. Waeryehenian troops are getting closer to the capital city every day. The kingdom of Ahleyn, ruled by Queen Natya and controlled completely by women, had lost more than a half of its territory. Besides that, Zal attacks from the savage land of Ro-Oth are also getting more frequent. Ahleas can't even seem to control male rebellions any more. A great kingdom is falling apart, both from inside and out...People of Ahleyn keep in memory the first glorious years of war, when they were the ones winning the battles. One stupid mistake made the course of war to turn around. But they can now hardly even remember the days of peace, when the Great Continental pact with Waeryehen and Koron was a guarantee of peace. It was also broken by just a few foolish acts of only one person...Unfotunately, all this horror has made almost everyone on the Continent to completely forget that even greater danger had existed in ancient times and that it can happen again...

In a time when power was absolute and dissent could mean death, Fria is an expendable pawn in her father's power games. When his treachery nearly costs Fria her life, a strange forest girl teaches Fria the skills to claim her own power. And not a moment too soon, because there's something lurking in the woods that is even worse than any human tyrant.Children of Legend Stories:“X Marks The Spot” (Mark Feaney) – Prequel Short Story“Here, There Be Dragons” (Maria Perez) Prequel Short Story“Compass Rose” (Rose Covington) Prequel Short StoryHostile Takeover (Mark Feaney) Children of Legend: Book 1Knife's Edge (Maria Perez) Children of Legend: Book 2

Five shapeshifter novels—one fascinating read! Hawksong Danica Shardae, an avian shapeshifter, will do anything in her power to stop the war that has raged between her people and the serpiente—even pretend to be in love with Zane Cobriana, the terrifying leader of her kind’s greatest enemy, and accept him as her pair bond. But will Zane strike as swiftly and lethally as the cobra that is his second form? Note: Descriptions for books 2 - 5 contain spoilers for their previous books Snakecharm A surprising union has brought peace to the avians and serpiente. Soon a child will be born to carry on their royal lines. But Syfka, an ancient falcon, is claiming that one of her people is hidden in the avian and serpiente land. Is Syfka’s lost falcon just a ruse to stir up controversy among them? Falcondance Nicias is a falcon, the son of two exiles from Ahnmik, and images of this distant island have always haunted his dreams. When his visions become more like reality, his parents send him back to the homeland—and a royal falcon—they’ve tried their best to forget. Wolfcry Oliza Shardae Cobriana is heir to Wyvern’s Court, home of the avians and serpiente, whose war with each other ended just before Oliza was born. But hatred is slow to die, and Oliza’s serpiente suitor is found beaten in avian land. How can she be expected to lead a unified society if her people still cannot live peacefully together? Wyvernhail Hai, daughter of a falcon mother and a deceased cobra father, is considered a mongrel by most, an ally by some, and a friend by few. When Hai’s cousin abdicates the throne of Wyvern’s Court, Hai has visions of destruction. Now she will do anything to protect her new home—even if it means betraying the very people who need her most.

In the basement of a Boston bookstore, Firmin is born in a shredded copy Finnegans Wake, nurtured on a diet of Zane Grey, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, and Jane Eyre (which tastes a lot like lettuce). While his twelve siblings gnaw these books obliviously, for Firmin the words, thoughts, deeds, and hopes—all the literature he consumes—soon consume him. Emboldened by reading, intoxicated by curiosity, foraging for food, Firmin ventures out of his bookstore sanctuary, carrying with him all the yearnings and failings of humanity itself. It’s a lot to ask of a rat—especially when his home is on the verge of annihilation. A novel that is by turns hilarious, tragic, and hopeful, Firmin is a masterpiece of literary imagination. For here, a tender soul, a vagabond and philosopher, struggles with mortality and meaning—in a tale for anyone who has ever feasted on a book…and then had to turn the final page.

One day Elisabet, while Christmas shopping with her mother, vanishes into thin air. Accompanied by angels, shepherds, kings and even a Roman governor, she is rushing back through time and space to Bethlehem, to be present at the birth of Christ. Fifty years later a boy called Joachim pieces together her story from a magic advent calendar and brings it to a conclusion.

"If you ever want to hide from the world, live in a small city, where everyone seems anonymous. "That's the advice of twelve-year-old Ariella Montero, who lives with her father in Saratoga Springs, New York, in a house haunted more by secrets than by memories. "The Society of S" traces her journey south, to Asheville and Savannah, and on to Florida, as she learns that everything she knows about her family is a lie. When she finds her mother, she learns the truth: Ariella is a fledgling member of the Society of S. "S" stands for "Sanguinists: " a sect of environmentalists concerned with ethics and human rights -- although they happen to be vampires. S also stands for synesthete: a person able to see words and letters in colors. The letter S is lucky for Sara, Ariella's mother, who gravitates to cities such as Savannah and Sarasota. But will it be lucky for Ariella? Susan Hubbard's novel is an intricate literary mystery that raises provocative questions about the way we live now. Ariella's voice will lure you into a world where you'll meet the "others" among us: vampires who cope with their special nature and need for blood in a variety of ways, ranging from the savage to the mundane to the scientific.

A heavenly war rages among the Fallen that threatens to tear Victorian era England asunder. As the Descendants of these angelic warriors take sides in the escalating conflict, Brody West arrives with his father from America!A heavenly war rages among the Fallen that threatens to tear Victorian era England asunder. As the Descendants of these angelic warriors take sides in the escalating conflict, Brody West arrives with his father from America, only to find that his role in this firestorm is far greater than he ever could have imagined!FALLEN answers the question as to where the creatures of mankind's myths and legends really came from...and their plans to subjugate humanity and dominate the world!

The stakes of the game in the small-town bar are higher than Carly and her friends realize when a mysterious biker puts his quarter on their pool table.~~~This 1100-word paranormal tale is a 'short-short' story from the "Monsters in the Machines" collection by Roh Morgon. An excerpt from her novel "Watcher: Book I of The Chosen" is included.Nannies, Inc. – “A once in a lifetime opportunity to join the leading company in providing excellent care for children all over the world. Established in 1839, Nannies, Inc. has provided qualified child carers for over a million families, from the UK to Japan. If you have a passion for children and believe you can add a spoonful of sugar to their lives, come to our Open Day on the 21st of December.”Miss Elizabeth Watson always thought she could make a difference … now she's about to find out just how right she is.Nannies, Inc. is a short, fantasy story of approx. 6000 words, with a touch of quirky and very light steampunk.Silly and sweet, it will warm your heart and take you on a quiet journey down the road of possibilities.(Written in British English.)

Immortals Children Of The Gods is book one in a series.Once again the gods of the Norse and Greeks are going to be facing a ultimate challenge. Their demigod children must now unite and work together for the good of their parents but between now and the time of the prophecy they will have to prove themselves worthy.Forget what you know or think you know about mythology, there was time when all the gods of the earth interacted with each other and so did their children. This is the epic tale of the heroes that lived in that time.The prophecy states that two demigods will either save Olympus and Asgard or be their destruction. The time has come. The gods have found the young demigods of the prophecy. Now they must send them on individual missions that will test their strength, their hearts, their minds, and their faith. Kol, son of Loki, Is determined to prove to his self and the rest of the world that he is nothing like his thieving, mischievous, trouble-making father.As he continues on his journey he must learn to develop his powers even if that means embracing some of his father’s traits. Facing sea monsters, angry gods, and a mission that seems impossible to complete, it would be much easier to follow in Loki's footsteps and choose the path his father wants him to. Will Kol be able to become the man he wants to be and fulfill the prophecy? Or will the world be plagued with another god of mayhem? Vasos, son of Aphrodite, has spent his life training to be a Spartan warrior, dreaming of becoming a hero and hearing his name on the lips of all the gods. When the gods send him on an impossible quest he knows this is his chance to become the hero he's always wanted to be. Soon Vasos finds out becoming a hero isn't as simple as he thinks it will be, and all the training he has done could never have prepared him for the challenges he must face.