Sometimes transitions reveal more than than we imagine. Marlene expects a bittersweet day, revisiting a house her mother no longer calls home. Along with the joy of creating a haven for the next generation. But her mother’s reaction exposes more than the passage of time. Find out what happens when family secrets and worries can’t hide any more. Originally appeared in Fiction River: Superstitious, 2019 An excerpt from The Worry Trap: Revisiting childhood, and so much more… “Hang on, Mom,” Marlene said, leaving her memories with her footprints and catching up. “That last step is tricky.” “I guess I know how to go into my own house, Marlene. Even if I don’t live here anymore.” Marlene smiled, nodding even though her mother was already inside. This was a happy occasion, and she was going to act accordingly. Even if her mom got fussy along the way. “How’s everything look in here for your granddaughter’s arrival?” Her mother stood in the middle of the wide porch, hands on her hips, turning from side to side. The sunlight caught her short, permed hair, glinting off the silver highlights. Marlene hoped her own chestnut hair would be exactly the same color when she finally stopped getting it touched up. Someday.

The Worry Trap

Leo Sabov never imagined a day without his beloved wife Maria. Now he faces the rest of his life alone. After bringing Maria to rest in her native Transylvania, Leo only wants to escape the rumors and superstitions taking over the tiny mountain village. A former Communist Party boss, a string of unexplainable deaths, and an ancient mama dog force him into mysteries he can’t understand or explain. Will Leo survive a test even greater than the heartbreaking death of his wife, one with life or death consequences? Praise for Until Death: "Until Death is an innovative take on a familiar story, with layers of authenticity stacked on top of love, loss, hope, and death. Kari Kilgore is an author to watch—her lyrical voice a siren song; her insight, conjured voodoo."—Richard Thomas, author of Breaker and Tribulations An excerpt from Until Death: The old mother dog took a few stiff-legged steps forward, more than a dozen of her young following. Her sharp, fast barks were interrupted by low growls. Even from three floors up, Leo could see her long hair rise into hackles from her neck to the base of her tail. She walked forward again, her group in near lockstep beside her. The shadows in the yard were deep with the sun barely over the towering, fir-covered mountain behind Leo. That had to explain the odd shape moving from behind the log and stone building below. The inky phantom shifted, seeming to change as it moved, every sight more unsettling than the last. A puddle of water, a deeper shadow, a slithering snake; a terrified cat, a deformed child, a staggering bear. Leo leaned forward, drawing breath to call out to the girl walking across the dark green grass, egg basket in the crook of one arm. Whatever that thing was, his guts twisted at the thought of it being so close to her.

Until Death

Barry Evans: An oddball in the oddest land of all. A gray-suited accountant navigating colorful hair, crazy clothing, and questionable businesses. After three months in Little Five, nothing surprises Barry anymore. Until the day he meets a true stranger in town. What happens when numbers meet magic? An excerpt from Little Five: Barry turned the corner toward his next appointment, so focused on getting into the shaded alleyway and out of the sun that he nearly walked right into another person. Instead of dodging away and shaking his head, probably swearing under his breath, Barry stopped in his tracks without even checking to see what he might step in. He turned around. The man wasn’t wearing a woman’s dress or a black bodysuit or a shirt with some kind of obscene phrase on the front. He wasn’t nearly naked or dressed like a priest, or even another outsider in a business suit. Barry watched a tall, impossibly thin figure walking slowly away from him, dressed head to toe in gleaming copper. His insane idea that the man had been wearing a breathing device of some kind made more sense now that Barry could see the two small black tanks on his back. Barry also remembered a strangely bluish tint to the man’s pale skin, so pale that it was almost translucent. He could see from the back that he hadn’t imagined the man’s hair color. A spiky mane of every shade of purple stood up all over the stranger’s head. The damndest thing was that color didn’t look the least bit unnatural to Barry’s grumpy, judgmental eye.

Little Five

Self-improvement can be deadly. Insurance agency programmer Dana Sanderson only wants peace and quiet at work. A desire her micromanaging boss somehow never respects. Then the investigation of a rash of suspicious natural death claims lands on Dana’s laptop. Failure means huge payouts for the company. Success means a huge bonus for her. Find out if Dana’s risks outweigh her rewards in this clever digital mystery. An excerpt from The Sound of Murder: “If you know about me,” Dana said, “you know why I can’t get back into hacking, Mr. Redmond. That part of my life is over.” “I’m not asking you to get into their bank accounts. Just find the common thread. Take a look, a careful look, and see what you come up with. Don’t worry about your usual projects for now. There’s a full year’s salary bonus for whoever works this out.” “A full…” Dana shook her head, quite certain she’d misunderstood. “You’re offering me a year’s pay? How could it be worth that?” She didn’t have to do the math. That much money would pay off her college debts and everything else she’d racked up putting her past firmly behind her. The prospect of returning to her hacker life, even temporarily, felt slightly less dreadful now. “These were all in our lowest risk pool,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “Several of them had policies worth ten times your salary. Trust me. It’s worth it.

The Sound of Murder

Mark Hersch’s life changed for the better when he met Beth Azen. Except for those long drives from Richmond to Hartstown, Virginia, to see her. Mark jumps at a surprise trip for a routine investigation of a polluted stream, never expecting anything out of the ordinary. But a bizarre secret from before the town’s founding awaits. Can Mark, Beth, and their shared magic solve the deadly mystery before all of Hartstown runs out of time? An excerpt from Secrets in the Land: Sometimes, you need to leave the bad things in the past. Art smiled, but it didn’t get anywhere within a mile of his eyes. “I have to ask if this is something you’re willing to take on, Mark. I’m not fibbing or lying or anything else when I say I’d understand if you’re not. Whatever’s up there half scared the life out of me. You ever feel that way about a place?” This time Mark did shiver, and he didn’t try to hide it. Maybe it was time he admitted at least a bit of what he and Beth (and Clina) had actually gotten into back in December. “Just one time. When we were taking your lost miner’s bones out of that old house pit. I was sure then and I’m more sure now that he dropped the rock that hit Beth on purpose. Thing is, I know in my bones that the rock was really aimed at me.”

Voices through Time

Secrets in the Land

Bitan, the most valuable substance in the human universe, makes communication across vast distances possible. Bitan only comes from one planet. And that planet has a problem. The TransGalactic Corporation sends Luis Ahmad on a desperate mission to help the human colony on Bitanthra. Can Luis save the colony and stop the collapse of communications throughout the galaxy?

The Becalmed

Looking for humans? Just look for the garbage. From bones to plastic to dead electronics, people rarely manage to clean up after themselves. Humanity takes a long time to learn how to manage limited resources, too. The rare and precious get lost with the useless and plentiful. Meet Gayle Simmons, pilot of the Treasure Hunt. Rare and precious, in her sights.

The Garbage Belt

Earth Wars veteran Jim Turhan loves his quiet life on supply planet Mossera 4, teaching young cadets the art and science of xeno-farming. Pollinator drones never sting or bite. They simply do their jobs. Then crops all over Mossera 4 begin to fail. Will Jim discover the cause before starvation, or worse, turns his dream life into a nightmare? An excerpt from Restricted Species: Maerlis leaned forward, holding the comm in her lap. “I know we’re a fresh food outpost, so I hate to ask. What happens to our supplies in that time?” “Considering that the freighters won’t bring a damn thing with them?” Jim said. “Besides what little we can’t grow here. Even if we warn them, they won’t likely be able to detour to another supply planet.” “There aren’t any other ones close by.” Rob’s face was as pale as it had been flushed. “Not that they could re-route to.” Jim scrubbed his face. His brain didn’t want to see the answer, much less say it out loud. “We won’t actually starve to death. At least I don’t think so. You’ll know the nutritional deficiencies we’ll run into better than I do, Maerlis, with a year or more before we get a good harvest. But we’ll have a planet full of miserable cadets and furious miners on our hands.” Jim kept his true worries, and his memories, to himself. He’d seen people as rough and hardened as the miners on a desolate planet. At the end of the last wars on Earth. He knew how more shortages and hardships they weren’t prepared for could turn a difficult situation into a nasty one.

Restricted Species

Hartstown, Virginia, holds stunning natural beauty and a close-knit mountain community. Deep in the heart of Appalachian coal country, Hartstown also suffers more than its fair share of tragedy. Beth Azen discovers a strange ability that leads her deep into the ancient mysteries of the mountains around her. Mark Hersch finds more than he ever imagined on his lifelong quest to heal the damage left by decades of mining. Together, they discover the deadly nature of true loneliness. A gripping tale of sorrow and redemption. An excerpt from Songs in the Mountains: “Can you hear me?” she whispered, her cheeks turning red. She tried again, a bit louder. “Hello? I hear you talking. Is anyone there?” The song continued without even a pause. Beth scrubbed her fingers through her hair, then got as close to shouting as she dared in the closed space with people right outside the door. “Either tell me what you want or leave me alone!” The voices stopped. Beth tried to hold perfectly still, not sure if she wanted an answer or for the whole thing to be over. She could probably adjust to not having music anymore, but not to the constant noise. The low, empty circuit hum in her ears intensified, and a voice floated up like a distant station on her great-uncle’s old tube radio. “Been wonderin’ if anyone was there.” The woman spoke with a thick dialect that was hard to understand, but Beth thought it had to be from close by. “Been tryin’ to get through for a powerful long time.” Beth opened her mouth twice before any words made it out.

Songs in the Mountain

Visit an enchanted bookstore in a town full of magic. Chris Ramsey grew up visiting the Odds and Endings Bookstore in Lightning Gap, Virginia. Wandering the shelves. Finding endless adventures in the pages. Wishing he helped create the magic. Years later, Chris gets his chance. What would you do for the opportunity of a lifetime? An excerpt from Odds and Endings: A Special Odds and Endings Welcome to Our Newest Writer-in-Residence: EllaJane Cole! Chris had never heard of EllaJane, but that wasn’t unusual. The resident was often a real up-and-comer, and the year spent at Odds and Endings made all the difference. He was normally delighted to play a small role in the launch of a new powerhouse author like his Auntie had before him. Encouragement, feedback for readings and sometimes works-in-progress. Group lunches and dinners, helping the writer discover and love their home for the year. But this year, Chris hoped to play more than a supporting role. He hoped to be part of making it all happen. For the first time, Chris was going to enter The Contest.

Odds and Endings

A writer's life in a magical bookstore One week into her year-long stay as writer-in-residence at the Odds and Endings bookstore, insomnia grabs EllaJane Cole. Along with a creeping fear of never getting started. She hopes to catch inspiration in a late-night wander through the enchanted shelves. Find out if EllaJane discovers her version of "Once upon a time..." An excerpt from An Adventure Well Begun: A Beginning Filled with Promise EllaJane had promised herself, sworn, declared, and asserted, that she wouldn't let the pressure of the wonderful opportunity and all those decades of tradition get to her. Not when she had the chance of a lifetime to make all her dreams, and Chris's as a character, come true. And still… Here she stood. Not with writer's block, not exactly. She didn't believe in that, really. She had bunches of ideas and thoughts and plans of what she was going to write during the twelve months stretching ahead, and Chris was excited and willing to help with every single one. If only EllaJane could find the starting point, the door. The first words to compete with the venerable "Once upon a time…" Maybe those children's book authors were onto something. She turned out the last light, rolled the bookcase aside to get to the secret staircase, and crashed right into Chris one step below.

An Adventure Well Begun

2019 Virginia Writers Club Golden Nib Contest – Second Place in Fiction A Modern Myth. An eerie natural phenomenon. In the distant past, in a distant land… Grandmother Spider faces a sad problem far too big and difficult for her to solve. The end of her family and all the creatures in her land. Find out how her triumph echoes from then to now, and into forever. A tale of compassion, survival, and love.

The Spider Who Ate the Elephant

Virginia Evans and her best friend Maggie grew up together. From shy girl and wriggly puppy to confident woman and gentle old soul. Now Maggie must go where Virginia can’t follow. Unless a strange visitor holds the key. A touching tale of woman’s best friend.

The Seeds of Love

Wyja, Senior Dragonkeeper of the Upper Abramshire Academy, tends to young dragons and keepers alike. Each group challenging, and exhausting, in their own way. Unwelcome change sets in when dragon birthrates drop to dangerous levels. No one knows why. Can Wyja solve the problem before it’s too late? An excerpt from The Last Dragonkeeper: The End of Dragonkind? “Is it true?” one of the other girls said. “About no more dragons?” Wyja wished she could sooth and reassure them, tell them things far out of their control would be all right. But only for a second. This was not the time for coddling young keepers far past such niceties. “Relas speaks truth,” Wyja said. “The dragon birth rate is dropping. We’re trying to figure out why. Anyone else heard rumors from home?” They all muttered, glanced at each other, and shook their heads. Only Relas and Leela stayed quiet. Wyja raised her eyebrows and held out one hand. Leela finally spoke. “My parents are farmers, down in the great flatlands. They’re afraid they won’t be able to trade without the dragons. For fish or wood or healing herbs, many of the things they need.” Wyja hoped this was a chance worth taking. Letting the situation get much worse was definitely too much to risk.

The Last Dragonkeeper

The perfect house in the city of dreams. A lovely old bungalow on a quiet oak-lined street. When you live a double life, you never take anything for granted. Kelly Webb finally feels safe. Until nighttime, when all but Kelly’s name changes. An enchanting tale of the crossroads between science and magic. An excerpt from Terminalia: “I need… I don’t understand what’s happening here,” Kelly said, getting to his feet. Debbie didn’t move. “What you’re feeling is perfectly normal. I won’t tell you not to be frightened. I certainly was in the beginning. Before you go, let me ask you one last question.” Kelly stopped at the door, but he didn’t turn. “Is there something you’ve tried to keep hidden? Something you’ve been afraid of another person knowing about since the day you figured it out for yourself?” Kelly gripped the doorknob, gritting his teeth, cold sweat covering his body. This could be a chance. This could be a trap. He didn’t know enough to figure that out, but he needed to get out of here. “Yes,” he whispered, squeezing his eyes closed.

Terminalia

Katie fell in love with Pashmina at first sight. Luminous green eyes. Silken black fur. A purr like a belly full of bumblebees. Pashmina, of course, knows which humans to trust. She shows her trust like all cats. With offerings from her hunts. And like all cats, Pashmina keeps her secrets to herself. Find out what happens when Katie learns Pashmina’s favorite secret. An excerpt from Wicked Bone: Katie groaned. “Whycan’t you wait until Ken gets home?” Pashmina blinked her seductive, languorous blink and purred even louder. Katie put the vicious, murderous feline on the dark red loveseat. Appropriate match for such horrifying bloodlust. “Good kitty,” Katie said under her breath. Ken said she had to praise Pashmina for her excellent hunting feats, no matter how messy or how often. “Brave kitty. Clever girl.” Pashmina rolled onto her back, but Katie had finally learned not to fall for that trap. Cat requests for a belly rub came with claws and sometimes teeth right behind. The ways of the tiny house panther’s hunts were still foreign and mysterious to Katie, and she thought they always would be.

Wicked Bone

The Storm Builds Etan Griffith loves his life in Chicago, far from his native Blue Ridge Mountains. Alex Collins escaped Wisconsin to a career he loves, in a city that welcomes him more than his own family. Both seek the missing piece to their puzzle. Dreams and patterns. Restless and searching. Then one snowy night sets their shared destiny in motion. An excerpt from Joining the Storm: “I never wanted you to know about the dreams,” Etan said. “I feel crazy enough without you confirming it.” “Crazy isn’t the question,” Alex said, stroking Etan’s hair. “Unless it’s both of us. You missed me saying every word feels true.” “I don’t even know what the dreams are, Alex. I know I have them, but I never remember a thing. That’s not exactly stable.” “Well, have a drink and let me enlighten you.” Etan sat up, managing to keep himself from curling up into a knot of fear again. He drained the whiskey, watching Alex do the same. “What you tell me in the middle of the night is all about how we can’t stay here much longer. Something bad is going to happen, with the food supply I think, and none of the cities are going to be safe anymore. And we don’t have much time to get ready before we’re trapped along with everyone else who’s not going to make it out.”

Storms of Future Past

Joining the Storm: Book Two of the Storms of Future Past Series

The Storm Begins. Seeing the future: blessing or curse? For Anne Fincastle, only the number of survivors changes. Few or none. Anne knows the truth. In her heart, her mind, her bones. Only Evan Griffith believes. Can they make a difference for humanity, together? Book One of the Storms of Future Past Series. An excerpt from Dreaming the Storm: Prophets have risen up many times through the ages, claiming to have the gift of seeing the future. Whether certain ones could or not is a debate for another day. What’s not debatable is the most common response by society: to condemn them as insane, with often horrific results. The screen went blank for a second, and Anne wiped her eyes, hoping the horrible movie was over. She didn’t ever want to come back to this library again. Then she saw dots slowly lighting up and glowing, coming to life scattered around the screen. There weren’t very many, not even twenty of them. Lines formed on the screen, and after a second Anne realized those were the lines of the continents. The dots were on the land. She could see a few on each continent, and only five in all of North America. Her fear drew back a little as her curiosity started to recover. What was she looking at? They weren’t near any of the cities she knew. “What is it?” she whispered. The lines of the continents faded in the middle, right around the Atlantic ocean, and words floated to the surface. Pale blue words. Remaining Human Population.

Dreaming the Storm: Book One of the Storms of Future Past Series

Estonoa, Virginia. A lovely little town tucked deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hiking and ATV trails. Kayaking along the scenic Clinch River. A thriving community focused on the future. Erin Evans loves her hometown, except for one thing. The Earworms. Will Erin find the answer before the music drives her and everyone else crazy? An excerpt from The Earworms: What if your whole town had to face the music? Erin hunched her shoulders. No one else was out on the street, no vehicles moving. Just a few short weeks ago, even this early in the day people would be walking, chatting, doing a bit of shopping before the afternoon heat settled in. The middle of the street could be the worst depending on how the songs played out that day. Sometimes all of Estonoa sounded one annoying tune, from nowhere and everywhere. Sometimes each block was different. More and more often, each building, sidewalk, and parking lot was infected with its own variety of musical torture. Even the hiking trail by the river and the town park had joined in the constant onslaught. Erin gritted her teeth as chirpy Nineties pop battled campy Sixties TV. She hopped over brand new white lines on 4th Avenue, amazed at what she was willingly headed toward. The theme from Gilligan’s Island finally won out.

The Earworms

Elenda Murphy needs change like she needs oxygen. Constant motion. Extreme adventure. Anything but standing still. Her heart always as restless as her mind. Then a shattered leg sends Elenda back to the bedrock of family. An enchanting tale of destiny and free will. An excerpt from Legacy of the Land: For the first time since Elenda had gotten tall enough, she looked out that diamond shaped window as the elevator moved. She’d habitually avoided looking out at the passing floors, but Elenda was sure she would have noticed a mirror replacing the clear glass. A pale, drawn reflection stared back at her. Elenda was horrified at the dark circles under her eyes and lines around her mouth. Her hair was even faded, as if she'd gone gray since leaving that morning. She reached toward her hair, then froze. The woman in the mirror moved too. She didn't touch her hair, and she certainly wasn't still and staring. Instead, Elenda's reflection covered her face with her hands. She seemed to be crying. Elenda backed against the wall, whispering no over and over again. The reflection continued to sob.

Legacy of the Land

A ghost train carries a murderous secret deep through the North Georgia mountains. Betrayal colder than the wind blowing through the pines. A young girl with a burden a hundred years out of time. An old man’s tale of guilt and regret. A heartbroken woman caught in a mystery only she can solve. A boy long past living holds the key. Can unearthed secrets end the nightmare at last? An excerpt from In the Pines: “But why are you out here?” Mary said. “Where did you come from?” “Been sleeping in them pines. Got nowhere else I can go.” “Let’s try again. Why are you in this dream? In this tent? I have no idea who you are.” The girl finally drew back enough for Mary to see her face. Her wide eyes were solid black in the flashlight’s beam. “Ain’t been nothing warm out here for long as I can remember. Can’t remember my name either. Been lookin’ for my husband so long, never spoke to a living soul until you.” She froze, staring over Mary’s shoulder, trembling harder by the second. She put her head down and wrapped her arms around Mary, squeezing tight. “Train coming,” the girl said, her voice urgent but getting lower and softer. “Longest train you ever saw. Devil driving that train, took my husband away with him. Been trying hard to take me but I hide.” Mary opened her mouth to ask what she was really hiding from when she heard a strange, ringing noise, gradually rising until it was louder than the wind. She’d heard that metallic hum many times, but she couldn’t possibly be hearing it on this mountain. The singing of the rails, the distant sound of a fast train getting closer.

In the Pines

Meet Beth Azen, Elenda Murphy, and Mary Robbins. Three women not that different from any other. From mountains to city, single to widowed. Struggling with ghosts and family heritage. Facing hopes and fears of the future. Ordinary lives. Ordinary problems. What happens when ordinary gets more than a little strange? Includes the novellas Songs in the Mountains, Legacy of the Land, and In the Pines.

Fantastic Women

An enchanted bookstore in a town full of magic. A story of childhood and best friends revisited. A town forced to face the music. A modern myth from a land before time. A charming collision of numbers and magic. Unwelcome change in a land of dragons. In this second fantasy short story collection from Kari Kilgore, she visits lands familiar and strange, mythological and fantastic. From Allsentia to Appalachia to Atlanta, from modern mythology to dragons to joys of distant childhood. Join this talented storyteller on a journey through magical bookstores and haunted towns, lands lost in time and friendships forged across new dimensions. Includes Odds and Endings, Dawn Visitor, The Earworms, The Spider Who Ate the Elephant, Little Five, and The Last Dragonkeeper. Odds and Endings Visit an enchanted bookstore in a town full of magic. Chris Ramsey grew up visiting the Odds and Endings Bookstore in Lightning Gap, Virginia. Wandering the shelves. Finding endless adventures in the pages. Wishing he helped create the magic. Years later, Chris gets his chance. What would you do for the opportunity of a lifetime? Dawn Visitor A beloved dog brings a special gift, especially to a young girl’s life. One that lasts and endures no matter how many years pass. Toby welcomes Ellie home as only a first best friend can. A touching story of childhood and best friends revisited. The Earworms What if your whole town had to face the music? Estonoa, Virginia. A lovely little town tucked deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hiking and ATV trails. Kayaking along the scenic Clinch River. A thriving community focused on the future. Erin Evans loves her hometown, except for one thing. The Earworms. Will Erin find the answer before the music drives her and everyone else crazy? The Spider Who Ate the Elephant A Modern Myth. An eerie natural phenomenon. In the distant past, in a distant land… Grandmother Spider faces a sad problem far too big and difficult for her to solve. The end of her family and all the creatures in her land. Find out how her triumph echoes from then to now, and into forever. A tale of compassion, survival, and love. Little Five Barry Evans: An oddball in the oddest land of all. A gray-suited accountant navigating colorful hair, crazy clothing, and questionable businesses. After three months in Little Five, nothing surprises Barry anymore. Until the day he meets a true stranger in town. What happens when numbers meet magic? The Last Dragonkeeper Wyja, Senior Dragonkeeper of the Upper Abramshire Academy, tends to young dragons and keepers alike. Each group challenging, and exhausting, in their own way. Unwelcome change sets in when dragon birthrates drop to dangerous levels. No one knows why. Can Wyja solve the problem before it’s too late?

Fantastic Shorts

Betty Falconen: the most overqualified low-rent geneticist in Atlanta. Overwhelmed by old insecurities and struggles to pay the rent. Her dreams of cutting-edge research withering on life-support. Betty wanted more from life and work. Will a stranger in a coffee shop bring the change she craves? Or prove her fears right after all? An excerpt from DNA Never Lies: An offer too good to refuse, but at what cost? One last surprise waited for Betty: an application to qualify as a contractor for the Baron County Police Department. Specifically, to re-examine evidence from recent crime scenes. A background check, a confidentiality agreement, and…an offer of payment. “Wow,” Betty whispered, shaking her head. Payment equal to what she’d earned over the last six months of work her lab assistants could do in their sleep. Turning Detective Willa Belladeux down cold didn’t seem nearly as easy as it had the night before, but not because of the money. Well, not only because of the money. The feeling of being in demand, of being appreciated, carried a lot more weight and influence. The idea of getting to work in the field she’d wanted. Yes, what she’d trained for. What her talents and skills were best suited for. All of that together got Betty up and dialing the number on the business card clipped to the application before she could change her mind.

DNA Never Lies

A beloved family home, abandoned and broken. A so-called adult life, not much better off. Jessica’s hopes of finding her joy fade as soon as she steps through the door. Sometimes fear of staying the same hits harder than fear of the unknown. Can facing her fears, and her memories, make Jessica’s life right at last? An excerpt from Reflections: Jessica’s childhood rose all around her. Every cautious step into the darkness sent her disappointing present falling away from her mind, heart, and body. Colors brighter, sounds more harmonious, smells and tastes so much sweeter. All the choices and decisions of her life still ahead, all wide open and joyful with possibility. Her rational adult mind longed to reject those memories as unrealistic. Nothing but wistful nostalgia. Typical symptoms of a recent divorce, turning forty, and needing to believe everything was better in days gone by. The truth was Jessica’s childhood had been pretty damn good. It was the grownup part she wasn’t all that great at. She jumped and nearly screamed when her fingertips brushed a rough, scratchy surface. Before her imagination could conjure a broad-shouldered monster blocking her way, she turned the phone’s flashlight on. Visual input only made things worse for a few seconds.

Reflections

The Storm Rises Dr. Sandy Hughes faces several more hours of an endless shift in a Chicago emergency room. Wrangling baby docs, residents, and med students. All doing their best to help people yanked out of ordinary life and thrust into medical nightmares. Then a mysterious boy yanks Sandy out of her own ordinary life. Forever. Can Sandy figure out his warning before it's too late? A Storms of Future Past Prequel An excerpt from Sensing the Storm: "It's you," Ricky said to Dr. Tahara, his high voice rough and breaking. "You're the one who can help me." Ricky blinked again. His eyes still had that jumpy movement, but his face and his vitals remained calm. When his gaze met Sandy's, she felt a jolt of recognition that made no sense to her at all. "You know, too," Ricky said, raising his head toward Sandy. "Okay, Ricky," Sandy said. "I'm Dr. Hughes, and I've known Dr. Tahara for years. How can we help you?" Ricky closed his eyes, long, curling lashes overlapping before he blinked them open again. "You can't help me. I have to help you."

Sensing the Storm: A Storms of Future Past Story

A gripping adventure of new worlds and unknown alliances. Hard work on an aqua-farm orbiting beyond Jupiter with her plurapod companion Les suits Seetha Deergathca just fine. Calvin Seuma spends his days tending the fisher fleet on distant Ajar 12, working the seas with his plurapod friend Bel and aquatic Ajarans. A strange harvest awaits. One with ancient and dangerous origins. Can they survive a threat from light years beyond the range of humanity? An excerpt from Plurapod Pathogen: A Deadly Threat Out of Nowhere “We need to figure out what happened,” Seetha said. “Did you get a chance to re-check the seaweed flats?” “I did not. I will as soon as I can.” “Not during rest days you won’t, Les. I’m sure you kept a sample of the spoiled seed. I’ll take it up to the main platform lab tomorrow.” Cold, seaweed-scented water splashed along Seetha’s legs and back. Les held two of hir tentacle hands on the surface, ready to send more after it. “Rest days apply to humans as well.” “Don’t worry, I’ll rest. Besides, you’re impossible once you’re out of your routines. You fretting over empty growing space would drive me crazy.” Les shifted from side to side in the tank, somehow managing not to slop water out. A plurapod version of pacing. “Whatever this is may incubate and show up elsewhere later. As long as you do not spend all day working, I suppose that is acceptable.” “Thank you for your approval, my dear Les. I’ll return as soon as possible, solution in hand.”

Plurapod Pathogen: Empire Revealed ⋇ Book 1

A Haunting Legacy John and Branwen face challenges as a couple—his violent past and her unwanted pregnancy. Just when life threatens to overwhelm them, Branwen receives an offer of help from an unlikely source. Now, John must face his lifelong fears to find the strength to fight an ancient power and save Branwen from her family legacy. But first, John and Branwen must stop hiding things—from each other and from themselves—and learn to face the truth, no matter their fear of the consequences. A haunting fantasy story about the lasting power of family legacy. A page-turning tale of love and sacrifice. An excerpt from Hand Me Downs: John was in the grips of an insistent memory that wouldn’t let him rest. Whenever an upsetting memory caught at him like this, especially from his difficult seventeenth year, John had learned long ago it was best not to resist. Something inside was going to have its way with him. Fighting would only make it worse. This particular memory hadn’t demanded his attention for so long. Until tonight, he’d dared hope he was done with this one. The odd solitude of an overnight flight was preferable to a huge family gathering for this sort of ordeal, and certainly better than the twisted filter of his nightmares. At least while he was awake, he knew the worst night of his life was when he’d at last started to take control and change the course he was on. His dreaming life gave him no such relief.

Hand Me Downs

Amy Johnstone never imagined herself as a homeowner. Yet she finds herself with a set of keys in her hand. Outside a family house abandoned for the last thirty years. And no earthly idea what to do next. Decades away leave Amy uneasy in the woods outside Bountyfield, Virginia, unsure of friend or foe. Unsure if strange things around her come from paranoia or from an eerie, frightening reality. Can Amy put her family ghosts to rest in time to save her own sanity? An excerpt from Walking the Ghosts: Ghosts mark the passage of time in their own way. “It’s all in pretty good shape down here,” Amy said. “Maybe that luck will hold with the rest of the house.” Missy glanced back over her shoulder, eyes narrowed a bit but not giving a thing away. She led the way up the stairs and through the open trapdoor and into the darkness above. When Amy stepped up onto the dark hardwood floor, she scowled at a curving set of deep gouges in the wide boards. She started to stay something to Missy, but stopped cold at the look on her face. Missy’s full lips were compressed, and her eyebrows drawn down toward her dark blue eyes. She didn’t look angry, though, like Amy had just been. Missy looked afraid. “What did–” Amy started, then her gaze followed Missy’s. She breathed in a sharp gasp of the thick, musty air. Gouges weren’t the only thing marking the floor.

Walking the Ghosts: A Voices through Time Novella

Facing fear of your own dreams coming true. Longing to hold on to a beloved best friend. Wishing to repair a life gone off the tracks. A lifelong feeling that you never belong. The secret life of a gorgeous black cat. Functioning as signposts along the rich and often twisted road of Kari Kilgore’s imagination, each story in this collection explores a different area of fantasy fiction. Ranging from Appalachia to Atlanta, from love to loss, they all touch on emotions or experiences readers recognize. The (mostly) women in Fantastic Shorts: Volume 1 may start out in familiar territory. But in the hands of this talented storyteller, readers quickly learn to always expect the strange. Included in this collection: Intentions Angela Garcia builds websites to help make other people’s dreams come true. Now one of her childhood dreams waits, ready to come to life. Sometimes your intentions make all the difference. Reflections A beloved family home, abandoned and broken. A so-called adult life, not much better off. Jessica’s hopes of finding her joy fade as soon as she steps through the door. Can facing her fears, and her memories, make Jessica’s life right at last? The Seeds of Love Virginia Evans and her best friend Maggie grew up together. From shy girl and wriggly puppy to confident woman and gentle old soul. A touching tale of woman’s best friend. Terminalia When you live a double life, you never take anything for granted. Kelly Webb finally feels safe. Until nighttime, when all but Kelly’s name changes. An enchanting tale of the crossroads between science and magic. Wicked Bone Pashmina knows which humans to trust. She shows her trust like all cats. With offerings from her hunts. And like all cats, Pashmina keeps her secrets to herself. Find out what happens when Katie learns Pashmina’s favorite secret.

Fantastic Shorts: Volume 1

The Storm Strikes Iris Rutherford’s paintings scare most people. Especially the strange ones. Even in her hometown of Maple Ridge, Virginia, her own peculiar magic makes her an outsider in a town full of them. Then Iris meets Gena Wallace, the first to understand. To see the visions, joyful and nightmarish, even before Iris sees. Will they survive as Iris’s nightmares come true? An excerpt from Into the Storm: “Did I say which this happens in?” Iris shivered as she stared at the painting. “Maple Ridge or Wolf Branch?” “No, honey, you didn’t,” Gena said. “Same with the one with the prison a couple of days ago. I couldn’t tell which. But I think you’re right. It’s one or the other.” “I don’t know what to do.” Iris paced back and forth, looking at all of the true images, growing stranger and more upsetting as the months passed. “If we go up there with food riots just a few hours away, we might not ever get back. I don’t know what the hell the two of us could do about this anyway.” “How long since you’ve heard from your parents?” Gena caught Iris’s hand, then pulled her into a hug. “The phones have been out for the last couple of weeks.” Iris let out her breath in a rush, trying not to cry. “They had it pretty bad over the winter. Trees probably took out the phone lines. Maybe the power lines too.” “That’s not what you’re dreaming,” Gena said. “Nothing as simple as trees. Something’s wrong. Those three paintings go together.” “We just have to figure out why.”

Into the Storm: Book Three of the Storms of Future Past Series

The Storm Breaks Alex Collins and Etan Griffith thought love, hard work, and magic protected them from the end of the world. Until heartbreak struck much closer to home. Picking up the pieces brings new friends and new challenges. Threats unseen and unexpected. Will the power of family bring them all through, together? An excerpt from Fighting the Storm: Etan didn’t have to look at Alex to know he was biting his tongue, dying to say something. He could feel how tense Alex’s leg was against his own, could just about hear his agitation. “What are you wanting to say, Alex?” “I don’t want to be an asshole, but if we have to set you up as a prophet, that’s what we need to do. I hated what happened in Maple Ridge and everywhere else. But we can’t have gone through so much hell to get here and let everything fall apart again. If people will follow the Great Prophet Etan and that lets us survive, then that’s who you need to be.” Etan did groan then, closing his eyes for a second. Not only because this was what he’d been afraid of. Because the words and the ideas sounded true. They felt true, no matter how much he might dislike them. “I don’t know if I can agree to that, not right now. I have no idea how to do anyof this, much less create a new religion. I’m scared to death of making a hard situation worse.”

Fighting the Storm: Book Four of the Storms of Future Past Series

Bob Henderson despises the modern world. Talking elevators. Automated cars. Smart phones that track every move, mood, and thought. The day his office building grows security cameras in the halls, Bob realizes the modern world might despise him right back. What happens when the network decides to search for itself? An excerpt from Renovations: The office now had the most modern building maintenance unit available, one of the first to combine routine maintenance and wiring with computer and phone network monitoring. Light source defective? No problem, the building took care of it as soon as it happened. Need a room wired for an extra phone? Just have the building do it. Even better, this CBU was self-sensing for most things. No one even had to ask. Bob had grown up with self-reliant buildings like everyone else, but he’d never liked the idea. He imagined tiny mechanical fingers in the ceilings replacing the lights, stealthy robots doing the cleaning at night, most of the activity invisible. All of it coordinated by the central unit lurking in the subbasement. Any technology with that much control would eventually mess something up.

Renovations

Science fiction comes in many flavors. Technological advances not too far-fetched or far off. For better or worse. Humanity’s next great leap, from Earth to the solar system and beyond. And of course, what sorts of creatures and cultures await us among the stars. Jason A. Adams and Kari Kilgore explore these areas and more, each with their own unique voice and twists of imagination. Come along for the adventure, near and far, tomorrow and into the future! Includes The Sound of Murder, GS-304, Renovations, The Garbage Belt, and Sunlit Dispositions. The Sound of Murder Self-improvement can be deadly. Insurance agency programmer Dana Sanderson only wants peace and quiet at work. A desire her micromanaging boss somehow never respects. Then the investigation of a rash of suspicious natural death claims lands on Dana’s laptop. Failure means huge payouts for the company. Success means a huge bonus for her. Find out if Dana’s risks outweigh her rewards in this clever digital mystery. GS-304 Mighty explorers of the galaxy Portarr and Flandarr inspect a non-descript watery planet in G-Sector. What they discover changes their lives. GS-304, the specimen that refuses to be a subject. Join the intrepid adventurers as they discover a strange beast that conquers their hearts. Renovations Bob Henderson despises the modern world. Talking elevators. Automated cars. Smart phones that track every move, mood, and thought. The day his office building grows security cameras in the halls, Bob realizes the modern world might despise him right back. What happens when the network decides to search for itself? The Garbage Belt Looking for humans? Just look for the garbage. From bones to plastic to dead electronics, people rarely manage to clean up after themselves. Humanity takes a long time to learn how to manage limited resources, too. The rare and precious get lost with the useless and plentiful. Meet Gayle Simmons, pilot of the Treasure Hunt. Rare and precious, in her sights. Sunlit Dispositions Sometimes, only Alex will do. A space station just exploded, and the Sunlit Spirit Empire calls in Alex, Free Troubleshooter extraordinaire. No last name needed. Alex wades into the strange world of Sunlit Spirit intrigue, gamma blaster in hand. Join Alex as he learns the deceptions behind the Truth.

Near Future Forward

When a Friendly Reunion Brings Out the Worst Tansy Stidham arrives in her small-town home looking for a new direction. Or maybe just a chance to clear her head. When she runs headlong into Cat Maybell, Tansy jumps from tired to tempted. Because a museum full of bluegrass memorabilia seems ripe for the picking. Putting both of them on the road directly into their most dangerous tendencies. Will Tansy and Cat survive their own plots and schemes, or will they team up to blow up their futures? Find out in this twisty, unpredictable tale of bad intentions and questionable choices. An excerpt from The Great Gold Record Heist: Swept Along in a River Full of Bad Ideas Tansy closed her eyes for a second, running down the reasons this was not good enough, not one bit of it. She was trying to keep her fool self out of trouble, not rush headlong into it. Of all the rotten choices she'd made in a life too full of them, crossing the line into thieving was one mistake she'd never dared. She'd hoped to stay put for a while in a place she knew well and try to catch her breath, not get caught up in some kind of harebrained caper and end up moving on in a hurry. Again. And still... Tansy wouldn't have to be the one doing the actual stealing, not with Cat already raring to go. And it wasn't like anyone would see them—or even hear them—if Tansy did the bang job right and Cat did her share and whipped up a nice distraction. And she knew they both would. Her brain was already lit up like the Fourth of July with ideas of how to do all that and more.

The Great Gold Record Heist

Angela Garcia builds websites to help make other people’s dreams come true. Now one of her childhood dreams waits, ready to come to life. Sometimes procrastination feels like the safest choice. And sometimes your intentions make all the difference. Welcome to Intentions! Intentions brings all the flexibility and customization you've ever wanted to your website and your life, and even more than you’ve imagined. Our easy-to-configure plugin lets you design and implement anything you can dream up. Not even the sky is the limit! An excerpt from Intentions: Angela Garcia breathed in the rich cinnamon and ginger aroma of her third cup of coffee as she watched her wife sip from a huge mug of Earl Gray tea. Bright morning sunlight streamed through the wavy paneled glass of the breakfast nook windows, filtered by huge oak trees older than Angela and Julie put together. She’d grown up in this neighborhood full of hundred-year-old houses, a precious bit of peace right on the edge of busy Atlanta, but Angela was still delighted to wake up here every single day. Giving up their expensive, modern downtown apartment to move back into her childhood home had changed their lives in more ways than she could count. This cheerful bright yellow room, the sleek kitchen beside them, and the entire house basked in the love and attention the two of them had lavished on everything over the past six months. Their silky calico cat Lorrie purred her approval from her tiny window seat in the sun. With Julie leading the way and Angela’s enthusiastic participation, the outdated and gaudy late-Eighties décor had given way to calm earth tones, wood, and stone.

Intentions

A beloved dog brings a special gift, especially to a young girl’s life. One that lasts and endures no matter how many years pass. Toby welcomes Ellie home as only a first best friend can. A touching story of childhood and best friends revisited.

Dawn Visitor

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