Newstuff: New standalone novel

Vran the Chaos-Warped

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Vran the Chaos-Warped
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Vran the Chaos-Warped is a man who will never break an oath or drop a grudge. When he discovers the despicable wizard Foad Misjak has committed the most foul of crimes against the population of Nilztiria, he swears to slay the evildoer or die trying. Vran confronts Misjak, who learns how the cursed swordsman earned the name “Chaos-Warped” when he casts a spell which has drastically different effects than intended. As a result of the uncontrollable magic, the pair of nemeses are swept away from Nilztiria to another dimension: a far-flung primitive world of ice!

Vran’s hunt for revenge takes him through multiple realms, acquiring allies and encountering dangers each step of the way. But Misjak, with his slick tongue and fearsome sorcery, has lured cronies to his side as well. When the two hated enemies finally face off, who will survive? And will the victor be able to return to Nilztiria?

In addition to the novel Vran the Chaos-Warped, this volume also contains two previously unpublished short stories.

Waters of Darkness

Waters of Darkness
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Sailing Against the Tides of Hell!

The time is 1640 AD. The Age of Pirates.

Angus “Bloody Red” Buchanan, infamous in the West Indies, sets sail across the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean and the island of Madagascar in search of new plunder and loot. With him on his Spanish galleon, the Raven, is his first mate and closest friend, Mose Cooper, an educated runaway slave from the American colony of Louisiana. Sailing alongside them aboard her own ship, the Witch of the Indies, is Buchanan’s partner and the love of his life, fiery Katherine O’Toole—Crimson Kate.

During their voyage they will encounter the spawn of the Deep Ones on the Isle of Shadow, confront an ancient ship of zombie sailors, do battle with French, Dutch, and Arab corsairs, and tangle with a 1000-year-old Persian sorcerer who serves Dagon, the Philistine god of the sea. Man-eating phantoms, a beautiful demoness, assorted devils, dinosaurs, and creatures from the bowels of Hell will all threaten these crews before their tale is done and told.

There’s plenty of action, romance, betrayal, humor, drama, and tragedy to be had on this venture—as well sword-play, dark sorcery, and violent battles at sea. Wade hip-deep in the blood and brine with Buchanan and his mates toward the final confrontation with the Undying Wizard.

Here’s a rousing, high-seas adventure of pirates, swords, sorcery, and the supernatural in the tradition of Robert E. Howard, with a touch of H.P. Lovecraft to spice up the rum. So climb aboard as “Bloody Red” Buchanan, Big Mose Cooper, and Crimson Kate set sail upon the Waters of Darkness.

“The characterization of the protagonists and antagonists are what sets Waters of Darkness apart. A startling story development three-quarters of the way through the book left me certain a supernatural cheat was headed by the end of the story, but the authors chose to avoid a clichéd ending and instead play fair with readers. . . Any book this good that doesn’t follow the formula note for note is really exceptional and worthy of closer scrutiny.” — William Patrick Maynard, Black Gate Online Magazine.

“Smith and Bonadonna have truly captured the feel of the pirate life in terms of their skill at using language and jargon of pirates and their knowledge of the time period in which this tale takes place. What they have brought to the page is truly impressive. The adventure combines pirate lore, with high fantasy, vengeance, horror, demonic adversaries and imaginative beasts, to give you a hell of a ride. The vision created in the readers mind will stay well after this story has ended.” — Jeanne E. Rogers, author of the award-winning, The Sword of Demelza.

Conan: City of the Dead

Conan: City of the Dead
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Two epics in one hardcover as Conan the mercenary faces hideously transformed wizards and undead creatures in action-packed fantasy combining Robert E. Howard’s trademark sword and sorcery with concepts straight out of Lovecraftian horror.

Combines the classic Conan and the Emerald Lotus with the all-new, original Conan and the Living Plague.

The long-awaited follow-up to Conan and the Emerald Lotus brings John C. Hocking back to the sagas of the Cimmerian.

In Conan and the Emerald Lotus, the seeds of a deadly, addictive plant grant sorcerers immense power, but turn its users into inhuman killers.

In the exclusive, long-awaited sequel Conan and the Living Plague, a Shemite wizard seeks to create a serum to use as a lethal weapon. Instead he unleashes a hideous monster on the city of Dulcine. Hired to loot the city of its treasures, Conan and his fellows in the mercenary troop find themselves trapped in the depths of the city’s keep. To escape, they must defeat the creature, its plague-wracked undead followers, then face Lovecraftian horrors beyond mortal comprehension.

In the Lair of Legends by David Buzan

In the Lair of Legends by David Buzan
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“The devil is in the details and David Buzan masterfully brings all of those details to bear in creating one hell of a novel.” –Tom McCaffrey, bestselling author of The Claire Trilogy

The most highly decorated Native American in the history of the United States Cavalry, Jolon Winterhawk is a combat veteran of countless bloody skirmishes during the American Civil War. He’s a man of honor, struggling with sworn allegiances to two different nations-the country he’s sworn to protect, and the tribe he’s promised to defend.

During a top-secret mission to escort a military gold train through Oregon’s rugged Cascade Mountains, Winterhawk emerges as the sole survivor of a large-scale ambush. Duty-bound to complete the assignment and honor the sacrifices of his fallen comrades, Winterhawk makes the fateful decision to personally deliver the precious cargo of gold.

While Winterhawk embarks on a treacherous wagon trip across miles of dangerous wilderness, an aerial unit from the Army Balloon Corps has been dispatched to locate the missing train. Soon, the aeronauts seize upon a diabolical opportunity-stealing the gold for themselves.

Outnumbered and outgunned, Winterhawk soon finds himself in the fiercest battle of his life. But he quickly discovers that man is not his greatest enemy. Because there’s something else lurking deep in those woods. A monster of myth, a horrifying creature of enormous size.

Threading the Needle

Threading the Needle
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A NEW START—OR AN OLD CALLING?

Talia Merritt, a former military sniper once known as Death’s Handmaiden, is a woman haunted by her past. Her cybernetic arm and her phantom—the implant that allows her to control it—serve as a constant reminder of what she’s lost. But Talia is hoping to leave her past and her reputation behind and start anew on the colony world of Goruden, a hardscrabble planet of frontier-minded people seeking a better life. And she’s finally earned enough to start to make that dream come true.

In the bucolic town of Tsuri, she interviews for a job as a marksmanship instructor for local bigwig Signore Ferran Contesti. But Contesi is not what he seems. A recent arrival on Goruden, he hopes to mold the colony world in his own image—an image at odds with the unencumbered life free of government and corporate meddling that Talia has come to find.

Soon, Talia finds herself thrust into the start of another conflict. Talia desperately wants to stay out of it, but she may not have that luxury.

With the fate of a planet and her own peace of mind hanging in the balance, Talia must decide whether or not to once again take up the mantle of Death’s Handmaiden. . . .

At the publisher’s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Praise for Monalisa Foster:
“I cannot overly recommend this 40-odd page jewel. It’s a painful piece, but that’s its strength, really. And it is also a story which literally CANNOT be told too strongly or too often.” —David Weber on “Pretending to Sleep”

Monalisa Foster won life’s lottery when she escaped communism in Romania and became an unhyphenated American citizen. Her works tend to explore themes of freedom, liberty, and personal responsibility. Despite her degree in physics, she’s worked in several fields, including engineering and medicine.

Sword of the War God

Sword of the War God
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In a world of war and ruin, men and gods collide.

436 AD. The Burgundars are confident of destroying Rome’s legions, for the Empire is weak. Their forces are strong and they have beaten the Romans in battle before.

But they are annihilated, their king killed, his people scattered. Their fabled treasure is lost. For Rome has new allies: the Huns, whose taste for bloodshed knows no bounds.

Many years later, the Huns, led by the fearsome Attila, have become the deadliest enemies of Rome. Attila seeks the Burgundars’ treasure, for it includes the legendary Sword of the War God, said to make the bearer unbeatable.

No alliance can defeat Attila by conventional means. With Rome desperate for help, a one-eyed old warlord from distant lands and his strange band of warriors may have the answers… but oaths will be broken and the plains of Europe will run with blood before the end.

Drawing on Norse mythology and European history, Sword of the War God is an epic historical adventure perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Joanne Harris, Neil Gaiman and Christian Cameron.

The Maleficent Seven

The Maleficent Seven
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A “wickedly inventive” grimdark fantasy full of non-stop bloody action, shocking plot twists, and snarky gallows humor as a mismatched team of villains gets their shot at heroic glory (SFX).

When you are all out of heroes, all that’s left are the villains.

Black Herran was a dread demonologist, and the most ruthless general in all Essoran. She assembled the six most fearsome warriors to captain her armies: a necromancer, a vampire lord, a demigod, an orcish warleader, a pirate queen, and a twisted alchemist. Together they brought the whole continent to its knees . . . Until the day she abandoned her army, on the eve of total victory.

Forty years later, she must bring her former captains back together for one final stand, in the small town of Tarnbrooke—the last bastion against a fanatical new enemy tearing through the land, intent on finishing the job Black Herran started years before.

Seven bloodthirsty monsters. One town. Their last hope.

A War to End All

A War to End All
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A war, then. A war of our own. A war for perfection and cleanliness and order.
A war to end suffering.
A war to end filth and disease.
A war to end immorality and injustice.
A war to end blasphemy.
The last war this world would ever see.
A war to end all.

REVIEWS:

“The epitome of grimdark fantasy; a bloodbath of irredeemable characters and terrifying monsters duking it out in a delusional world covered in muck. If you call yourself a fan of the sub-genre, this series is a necessity. My Top Read of 2023.” –FanFiAddict

The Double-Edged Sword: A Tale of the Fallen Hero

The Double-Edged Sword: A Tale of the Fallen Hero
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A disgraced swordsman leaves town one step ahead of justice.

In search of gainful(ish) employment, he heads for a former haunt, the seaport city of Cray. His past, however, soon catches up with him in the form of Julia, a notorious thief and sometimes assassin. He finds himself thrust into an impossible situation, caught in the midst of a bitter feud between the city’s two ruling families, and is forced to embark on what will surely prove to be a suicide mission.

A novella of sword play, betrayal, and derring-do, seen from the perspective of a cynical anti-hero who struggles to live up to expectations but excels at living down to them.

“A cheerfully brutal story of betrayal and skulduggery, vicious fun from start to finish.” – Adrian Tchaikovsky

“A quick, highly readable, swords & sorcery romp… you can see Whates has learned his craft.” – Mark Lawrence

“The Double-Edged Sword is a slice of pure golden-age sword and sorcery action, packed with rogues, betrayals and dubious morals.” – Jen Williams

“Action, deception, a daring heist and lots of twists and turns. Excellent world building and intriguing characters. I really enjoyed it!” – Gail Z. Martin

Lair of the Crystal Fang: An Arkham Horror Novel

Lair of the Crystal Fang: An Arkham Horror Novel
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When a mysterious killer haunts Arkham, three struggling investigators must confront the eldritch horrors of their past in this action-packed pulp adventure from the world of Arkham Horror

In the swirling sewers beneath Arkham, excavators uncover a crystalline formation that hints at dark events from the city’s past. As the discovery makes headlines, so too does a series of bizarre murders. With no leads, the Arkham police are always one step behind. Acting on a hunch, down-on-his luck former journalist Andy Van Nortwick reunites with adventurer Jake Williams and struggling filmmaker Maude Brion to unearth the truth. The trio know of the supernatural horrors that lurk beyond this world, and the reality haunts them. But time is running out and between them they must face their nightmares before the city of Arkham is lost to blood and chaos.