Second Cover of the Year - Rogue Retrieval by C.M. Simpson

The cover for this month's release, Rogue Retrieval,  has just been approved. This month, we continue expanding the stories in the Mack 'n' Me 'n' Odyssey universe. The latest is a novella-length adventure, involving a rescue mission, our favourite Odyssey agent, Delight, and the Shady Marie. Here is the cover:

I was doing okay, right up until Mack arrived, with Delight and Pritchard in tow. Retrieved for a rescue mission, I was in more trouble than I knew, and, as if that wasn’t enough, Mack had an agenda of his own. Well, of course, he did…

January 2019 Overview

January was a bit of a slow month, with our writers recovering from a hectic Christmas-New Year break—or working on projects for other folk—but we have the first short story of the year up and available, and February’s in editing.

C.M. has promised that she will have Mack ‘n’ Me: The Wolves of Alpha 9 completed by the end of the month, and we’re hoping to release that in March or April, while Carlie is slowly pulling together the next chapter book in the Granny Finds Adventure series—and we’ve asked her about the possibility of another story in the Legacy series, as well.

We’ve also spoke to Ellie and Eleanor, and they will try to have the next Gargoyle and Mentraden novellas to us shortly.

 

So, while it’s a big year ahead, it’s slow beginnings—and we’re looking forward to the future. In the meantime, here's Miguel Unmade, January's solo release, and where to find it:

books2read.com/u/4jawWl/

 

Captured by the space wolves and held aboard their battle cruiser, Miguel doesn’t think things could get worse—and then he discovers he’s sharing his cell with the very two psychopaths he’s been trying to avoid. Dragged into their next deadly scheme, he faces two choices—do what they want and live as their captive, or save Earth and die horribly as a result. Either way, he loses. Just how much he loses is up to him.

JUST RELEASED - Miguel Unmade by C.M. Simpson

We're pleased to announce that January's short story is now live.

Set in the Lunar Wolves section of the Odyssey universe, it brings several of the series and settings of this universe together, providing a major link between them. Featuring Delight (from Odyssey), Melerom (from Melerom Leads the Dance), Felicity Jones and her lizardine consort... or is that vice versa (from The Reptile's Blade) and linking events from Serpents' Souls and Dragons' Hearts, with Abby, a major character in The Transporter's Favour, the fourth book of the Mack 'n' Me 'n' Odysseyi series, this story takes place in the Lunar Wolves arena (see Bid the Moon Goodbye, or Earth & Lunar Dreaming).

You can find links to all the major retailers HERE.

Captured by the space wolves and held aboard their battle cruiser, Miguel doesn’t think things could get worse—and then he discovers he’s sharing his cell with the very two psychopaths he’s been trying to avoid. Dragged into their next deadly scheme, he faces two choices—do what they want and live as their captive, or save Earth and die horribly as a result. Either way, he loses. Just how much he loses is up to him.

Miguel Unmade is now available from most major ebook retailers (or soon will be), and links to it can be found HERE AT BOOKS2READ.

Short Story Releases from 2018

2018 started well, and then June hit… and so did Life and health, and things went just a bit off track for our authors. Still, when we look back, 2018 wasn’t a bad year, even with its complications, and we’re grateful for that. Given the number, we'll break them down. Today, to celebrate the short story release on Friday, we'll list the short stories from 2018.

January - The Queen's Game

The year started with a novella-length foray into our own world, but one where magic has returned and elves, trolls, and pixies are a regular occurrence - and they're not the worst of what humans can encounter. This novel wraps the long-running Troll-Hunter storyline of short stories and flash fiction.

Never get involved with the Otherworld Fey. Take my word for it. I saved the Queen of Summer, and was betrothed to a lord of Winter by way of thanks—and then the human underworld got involved. So what do I do, when every choice is bad? What would you choose: death by troll, or the mercy of an elf?

You can purchase The Queen's Game at a link from HERE. 

February - Reluctant Liaison

The year continued in an urban-fantasy vein, with another story involving elves, pixies and trolls, but this encounter involved an officer from the hastily-formed Paranormal Operations Squad, and a very difficult choice to keep a fragile peace between the elves and man.

I woke up in a car—upside down, staring into the faces of a half dozen pixies sitting on a tree branch. To one side, was a cliff face, to the other, sky, and things were starting to shift. Apparently, I’d had an interesting night… if only I could remember what it was, and why I’d run, and why following the pixies scared me almost as much as the idea of staying in the car…

In Reluctant Liaison the Paranormal Operations Squad is faced with a dilemma outside their usual remit, when Otherworld and ‘real’ world cultures clash.

You can purchase Reluctant Liaison at a link from HERE.  

March - Memory's Vampire

In March there was a slight departure from the paranormal theme... well, from trolls, pixies and elves, at least - and we saw our first vampire short, involving vampires of a slightly different kind.

Not all vampires feed on blood. The ones we hunt take your memories before they take your life—and now they are hunting back. We’ve been compromised, and I don’t know who to trust. That comes later. Right now, I just want to make it back to my body alive.

You can purchase Memory's Vampire at a link from HERE.  
 

April - Dreams of the Serpent

April saw a shift from urban fantasy to science fiction, with the first Odyssey story of the year, this one involving alien contact and colonial liaison.

When the contract’s done, and you’re fleeing for your life, the company’s supposed to be on your side, right? Am I right? So, you tell me what happens when the company understands the contract wrong, and you get stuck somewhere you really don’t wanta be. You tell me how I’m gonna make it back to the stars. 

A short science fiction story set in the Odyssey universe.

You can purchase Dreams of the Serpent at a link from HERE.     

May -  Destiny's Queen

May saw us go from science fiction to fantasy - and a fantasy ghost story, at that - where a bereft queen has to make a choice to wed for her country's security, but cannot shake the ghosts of her past.

A dark fantasy short story about royalty, rivalry, and assassination

Life’s not fair, when you have to find a fiancé or risk setting your kingdom up for a fall. It’s not fair, when your dead lover comes to call, assassins in his wake, and your dead maid by his side. And it’s really not fair, when everything happens on the night of your suitors’ ball. It never rains but it pours. I am a queen by blood and right, and not some random happenstance—yet who am I to argue when Destiny comes to call?

You can purchase Destiny's Queen at a link from HERE.   

June - Harper's Choice

June saw the arrival of a new 'regular' character - and a new facet of the pixie-dust universe - although we didn't know it at the time. It also saw a return to urban fantasy, but one blended with science fiction, forming the first sci-fantasy story of the year. And time travel... let's not forget that.

“The world turns differently for each of us, and we have no choice but to take its hand and dance the next set of steps.” (Argyllis, 2017)

Harper disagreed. Rescuing pixies from drug-runners, and working alongside unicorns and elves was part of her job. The world had turned, and she had chosen, but, when she is badly injured and taken into the elven realms, Harper finds she has a whole new set of steps to choose—and that time, indeed, moves differently in the Other World.

You can purchase Harper's Choice at a link from HERE.    

July - The Depredides Dance

July was another month for science fiction, with a short story inspired by events at the end of Mack 'n' Me: Origins. In that story, we get to see exactly what happens to Cutter after she gives Mack, Tens and Odyssey the finger and tries to make a life of her own.

All I had to do was disappear. That was it: disappear and stay out of sight. Hard enough with Abs running an auction for the last location she left me, but then I poked the Depredides communications network—and everything else looked downright easy… I’m not even sure there is a way out of this…

The Depredides Dance is a stand-alone short story set in the Odyssey universe. However, if you’re into reading things in order, it tells the story of what happened to Cutter after the end of Mack ‘n’ Me: Origins, and thus forms story 1-1 of the Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey series.

NOTE: The main character swears like a sailor, and the support cast aren’t much better. If swears bother you, this this story may not be to your taste.

You can purchase The Depredides Dance at a link from HERE.

August - River's Edge

Science fiction remained dominant in August, too, with a short story that explored a hidden corner of the Odyssey universe, and which didn't feature much of Odyssey, at all - although it does have a lost colony, monsters, and an unlikely rescue.

When my mother told me to run, I ran. I ran all the way to the river and then stopped—because the river was a frightening place, and forbidden by the raiders who came to take their annual toll of settlers. Faced with the choice of being taken, or taking my chances in the river, I took a step back, and hoped that somewhere, across the river I’d find help.

You can purchase River's Edge at a link from HERE.  

September - The Songster & the Pirates

September brought another sci-fantasy tale, and another new character that may make more appearances. What happens when a bunch of space wolves take a siren captive and try to make her do what they want? Yeah, well, they find that out.

Once a space merc, now a singer, Taran keeps her identity as a siren secret. When spacewolves join the audience at her current gig, she knows what they’re looking for. The only question is can she slip away, before the wolves and her past can catch up with her? And can she kick herself free, if they do?

You can purchase The Songster & the Pirates at a link from HERE.  

October -  Harper & the Unicorn

Harper made a comeback in October, in a story set before the events in Harper's Choice. In a pure urban-fantasy adventure where unicorns show their propensity for getting P.O.S. officers into trouble, Harper travels to the Otherlands and meets a bunch of particularly nasty elves. She meets some nasty humans, too, bu that's par for the course.

When Harper goes after a lone unicorn without back-up she’s breaking every rule, and none. The only questions are: will her partner get to her before things go totally to pieces, and exactly how much havoc can one lone unicorn and a P.O.S. officer create before back-up arrives?

You can purchase Harper & the Unicorn at a link from HERE.   

November - What Happens on Axis 58...

November, again, finds us in the company of Cutter and the crew in an adventure that occurs between Books 3 and 4, and which highlights the danger of the arach both present and past. And does Cutter look like needing a regen tank again? Well, it is Cutter...

“They’re just kids,” he said.

“You won’t need your blaster,” he said…

“It’ll be easy…”

Yeah, and when I saw Mack next he and were going to have a little chat about what was easy and what was not. With our fists, even… Because half a dozen kids on a starship to nowhere good, with some unauthorised passengers on board? Not my definition of easy—and I missed my blaster. I really, really did.

You can purchase What Happens on Axis 58... at a link from HERE.
 

December - Where Else but Waverran?

  
December ended the year with another sci-fantasy story involving Harper, but set after the events of Harper's Choice, and involving a member of her team, and a rescue mission on a distant world where the Otherworld has made connections.

Snow, trolls, dustrunners, blackmailing werewolves, and mercenary elves…

From the sun-drenched outback to the snows of a distant world, Mathilda Mathieson is in trouble. Dodging a drunken promise to a werewolf while trying not to coerce the love of her life, and rescuing pixies from dustrunners on a distant world are just the start. . The stakes are high. If she gets it wrong on Waverran, the unicorns and pixies won’t be the only ones to lose it all.

You can purchase Where Else but Waverran at a link from HERE.