2014 Carol Award Winner for Speculative The Fate of the Kingdom Awaits the Cast of Stones In the backwater village of Callowford, roustabout Errol Stone is enlisted by a church messenger arriving with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Eager for coin, Errol agrees to what he thinks will be an easy task, but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom. Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom's dynasty nears its end and the selection of the new king begins--but in secret and shadow. As danger mounts, Errol must leave behind the stains and griefs of the past, learn to fight, and discover who is hunting him and his companions and how far they will go to stop the reading of the stones. "With an engaging, imaginative world that bristles with danger, characters that keep you guessing, and a story that sticks with you, A Cast of Stones will keep you devouring pages until the very end. I highly recommend it!" --John W. Otte, author of Failstate "Carr's debut, the first in a series, is assured and up-tempo, with much to enjoy in characterization and description--not least the homely, life-as-lived details." -Publishers Weekly This fast-paced fantasy debut set in a medieval world is a winner. Both main and secondary characters are fully drawn and endearing, and Errol's transformation from drunkard to hero is well plotted. Carr is a promising CF author to watch. Fans of epic Christian fantasies will enjoy discovering a new voice. "Like the preceding series title, Inescapable, this tale of suspense offers a colorful cast of characters, small-town drama, and a hint of romance. A sure bet for fans of Hannah Alexander." --Library Journal "[Good fantasy books] have to be excellent. Good storytelling and exceptional characters with circumstances that are easy enough to follow and wrap your brain around but keep you entertained and guessing... Cast of Stones has found itself firmly in that list of books. I absolutely, one hundred percent loved this book." --Radiant Lit

1977. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Forty-year old Frank Reeve befriends fifteen-year old Mike Montages, after Frank defends Mike's father, a used-car salesman, from three gangsters. Mike, and his best friend, Richard, are terrorized on a daily basis by a vicious bully named Joe Mantz. Before his incarceration, Frank was a heavy-weight contender. Mike asks Frank to teach him boxing. Under normal circumstances, Frank would be glad to do so, but because of his parole-condition, he runs the risk of going back to the last place he wants to be for the rest of his life.

--Winner "Cross Genre" Category 2018 American Fiction Awards-- [Audiobook narrated by Grammy-winning Stefan Rudnicki and award-winning Gabrielle De Cuir.] Part wacky adventure, part political thriller, this unconventional story will keep you guessing. "One of the most original and creative stories I have read in a very long time." --Goodreads reader with over 1,500 ratings! James Wong built a billion-dollar software company with childhood friend Maria Cortez, but a shady investor stole their company. In a video game, James would defeat the villain with a power-up. Maria tells him there aren't power-ups in real life, but James finds the ultimate power-up watching TV in a bar: become president. Making important life decisions in a bar, what could go wrong? Could a non-politician change their name to None of the Above and get elected president? When James and Maria land their own reality TV show, they try to answer that question. They must uncover secrets about their company and themselves, as the world falls apart around them. It will take every ounce of Maria's strength and every crazy idea James can muster to get their company back. Can they survive the chaos of reality TV, the corruption of Washington, and the dark forces aligned against them? Background: When I began writing the book in 2014, I was afraid that many of my ridiculous subplots, like a presidential candidate with his own reality TV show, were too hard to believe. Then Trump ran for president, and the book became more plausible by the day. When events similar to my book began to happen during the 2016 election cycle, it got so weird that I stopped reading the news. When I went back later to research the "Fact Versus Fiction" section after the ending, I found even more events similar to the book had happened. What readers are saying: "prepare for rib-cracking laughter." (Online Book Club reader) "A thriller in every meaning of the word. If you enjoy action books at all, or if you just want some form of fictional closure on the baffling mess that was the 2016 election, I cannot recommend this book highly enough." -- Official Review, Online Book Club (4 out of 4 stars rating) "The story keeps you guessing and in the third act the intrigue and politics give way to a conclusion full of heart-pounding action." "There's a surprise around every corner--be prepared to laugh, cry and for your heart to race." "Thrilling pacing and breakthrough concepts leaves the reader seared in thought." "Amazingly captures the new political landscape that is forming day-by-day. Fans of political thrillers, conspiracy theories, or those looking for a satirical escape from the dreary news that we see every day will certainly enjoy The Internet President: None of the Above" -- Official Review, Thriller Magazine (5 out of 5 stars rating and a finalist for International Thriller Award)

Two girls embark on a summer of montage-worthy dates (with a few strings attached) in this hilarious and heartfelt lesbian rom-com that’s perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Jenny Han. Seventeen-year-old cynic Saoirse Clarke isn’t looking for a relationship. But when she meets mischievous Ruby, that rule goes right out the window. Sort of. Because Ruby has a loophole in mind: a summer of all the best cliché movie montage dates, with a definite ending come fall—no broken hearts, no messy breakup. It would be the perfect plan, if they weren’t forgetting one thing about the Falling in Love Montage: when it’s over, the characters have fallen in love...for real. Ciara Smyth’s debut is a delightful, multilayered YA rom-com that will make you laugh, cry, and absolutely fall in love.

"Destined from birth to serve as protector of the princess Zariya, Khai is trained in the arts of killing and stealth by a warrior sect in the deep desert; yet there is one profound truth that has been withheld from him"--Book jacket.

Write Scenes that Move Your Story Forward In Make a Scene, author Jordan E. Rosenfeld takes you through the fundamentals of strong scene construction and explains how other essential fiction-writing techniques, such as character, plot, and dramatic tension, must function within the framework of individual scenes in order to provide substance and structure to the overall story. You'll learn how to: Craft an opening scene that hooks readers and foreshadows supporting scenes Develop various scene types - from the suspenseful to the dramatic to the contemplative - that are distinct and layered Tailor character and plot around specific scene types to better convey the nuances of your storyline Create resonating climactic and final scenes that stay with readers long after they've finished your work

Whether a side-street skirmish or an all-out war, fight scenes bring action to the pages of every kind of fiction. But a poorly done or unbelievable fight scene can ruin a great book in an instant. In Fight Write you'll learn practical tips, terminology, and the science behind crafting realistic fight scenes for your fiction. Broken up into "Rounds," trained fighter and writer Carla Hoch guides you through the many factors you'll need to consider when developing battles and brawls. • In Round 1, you will consider how the Who, When, Where, and Why questions affect what type of fight scene you want to craft. • Round 2 delves into the human factors of biology (think fight or flight and adrenaline) and psychology (aggression and response to injuring or killing another person). • Round 3 explores different fighting styles that are appropriate for different situations: How would a character fight from a prone position versus being attacked in the street? What is the vocabulary used to describe these styles? • Round 4 considers weaponry and will guide you to select the best weapon for your characters, including nontraditional weapons of opportunity, while also thinking about the nitty-gritty details of using them. • In Round 5, you'll learn how to accurately describe realistic injuries sustained from the fights and certain weapons, and what kind of injuries will kill a character or render them unable to fight further. By taking into account where your character is in the world, when in history the fight is happening, what the character's motivation for fighting is, and much more, you'll be able write fight scenes unique to your plot and characters, all while satisfying your reader's discerning eye.