Dangerous games. Kill or be killed. Can she survive a king’s ruthless arena?
Clarissa craves an escape. An orphan forced into criminal acts with other kids by their caretaker, she longs to break free and become a healer. But when an archenemy provokes a deadly confrontation, the seventeen-year-old awakens hidden powers in an explosive and fiery defense.
Seized by soldiers and taken to the capital along with her only friend, Clarissa trains alongside other slaves to fight in the royal army. But surrounded by mysterious strangers and running low on trust, the desperate captive fears graduation day will be her last.
Is Clarissa destined to die in chains?
Rising Ember is the thrilling first book in the Forbidden Chronicles YA dystopian fantasy series. If you like strong-willed heroines, nail-biting drama, and clean slow-burn romance, then you’ll love Sara Wright’s action-packed adventure.
Buy Rising Ember to ignite destiny today!
**Get signed & special editions with maps, bookmarks & sprayed edges at Sara’s Store!**
Excerpt: The Moment Everything Changes for Clarissa
Instead of reaching for my daggers, a molten heat surges beneath my skin, erupting from my outstretched hands in a blinding flash of light as I shoot a tremendously bright fireball at Abby. The group of friends scream as they duck, dropping Luna, and the flames smash into the wall of the tavern behind them, catching it on fire.
I’m frozen in place as I watch the tavern burn.
What did I just do?
About the Author
Sara Wright is the author of The Progenitor Chronicles and Forbidden Chronicles, a YA dystopian fantasy series packed with rebellion, elemental powers, and clean slow-burn romance.
She currently lives on Earth, her favorite vacation planet, with her husband and their very opinionated fur baby. But most days, she’s off exploring shattered kingdoms, star-spanning civilizations, and the occasional multiverse with her lifelong companions: Imagination and Creativity.
Raised on bedtime stories and fueled by a steady diet of fantasy, sci-fi, and a sweet topping of romance, Sara now writes tales for readers who crave action, heart, and hope. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her cycling, hiking, or singing dramatically to songs she swears are soundtracks to her books.
A fast-paced techno thriller that brings a gripping conclusion to the E&A Investigations series as Mari Ellwyn faces her past, her nemesis, and a web of high-stakes crimes.
Switch
E&A Investigations Book 3
by Lisa Towles
Genre: Mystery Crime Thriller, Suspense
A body vanished from the morgue. A coastal town gripped by bank heists.
The only link is a past that someone will kill to keep buried.
In Book 3 of the E&A Investigations series, Mari Ellwyn and Derek Abernathy return to track a string of unsettling bank robberies. Their case takes a dark turn with the bizarre disappearance of a body from the local morgue, a mystery connected to the vanishing of the previous Medical Examiner, Dr. Camille Bota. Their investigation plunges them into the dangerous world of a multi-national organization involved in suspected fraud and fringe technology research. For Mari, the case ignites a personal quest, forcing her to confront the long-unresolved disappearance of her father, CIA operative Richard Ellwyn.
The deeper she digs, the more Mari realizes that both she and her father are inextricably linked to their lifelong nemesis, the notorious international crime boss Jacques Martel. The missing body and the secrets surrounding Dr. Bota become entangled with her father’s shadowy past and Martel’s deadly machinations. In a high-stakes collision of family secrets and criminal enterprise, Mari must confront her father and their shared enemy before they both become casualties in Martel’s lethal game.
REVIEWS:
“A taut, high-intelligence thriller with real emotional teeth…” – The Prairies Book Review
Fast-paced, smart, and full of twists, this is a thriller that delivers both heart and heat.” —Scott Olsen, San Francisco Book Review
“A breakneck techno-thriller that crackles with smart dialogue, raw emotion, and relentless tension.” – Literary Titan
This exhilarating, action-infused crime thriller deftly incorporates suspense with harrowing drama to keep readers turning the pages. – The Book Commentary
“This book is an intricate, immersive, and riveting thriller, with plenty of surprising twists and turns.” — Readers’ Choice
In the heart-pounding international thriller Salt Island, Mari Ellwyn, a former-CIA private investigator, finds herself thrust into a perilous world of high-stakes corporate espionage and ecoterrorism. As her newly formed partnership with Derek Abernathy is put to the ultimate test, Mari faces a daunting challenge that forces her to confront powerful ghosts from her past.
When billionaire CEO Jack Darcy’s reputation and IPO deal are under threat, Mari finds herself entangled in a web of secrets, lies and corporate fraud. The disappearance of Jack’s glamorous wife, coupled with the unraveling of a dark secret within his esteemed environmental startup, leaves Mari with unanswered question and a thirst for Justice.
While Mari’s partner Derek goes undercover to investigate a series of suspicious deaths on a local farm in California’s Central Valley, Mari grapples with the haunting truth about her missing father—a man with a double identity and secret agenda. Determined to uncover the depths of her father’s involvement with her case, Mari embarks on a solo journey to the British Virgin Islands, a hidden Caribbean refuge that holds the key to her own identity and future.
With Derek gone and time running out, Mari must decide whether to risk everything to uncover the truth or succumb to the powerful forces that seek to bury it forever. Get your copy of Salt Island now and brace yourself of a relentless rollercoaster. Secrets can’t stay buried forever, but now Mari is alone, exposed and fighting for her survival.
What readers are saying about the award-winning Salt Island:
“An often engaging tale of money, danger, and family.” – Kirkus
“An intricate, gorgeously written, character-driven page-turner with some shocking twists.” – Prairies Book Reviews
“An intoxicating read, hugely entertaining.” – The Book Commentary
“An exceptional thriller and a riveting work of espionage, wrongdoing, and discovery.” – Midwest Book Review
Who killed Sophie Michaud? Stay up all night reading this award-winning psychological thriller that has readers obsessed.
Shot in the line of duty, ex CIA operative Mari Ellwyn is again chasing adrenaline, when she reinvents herself as a private investigator on a quest to find the killer of college student Sophie Michaud. Every door Mari opens proves to be more perilous than the last, but she’s hell bent on bringing the killer to justice—for Sophie, students, and all women.
Teaming up with seasoned investigator and former detective, Derek Abernathy, the crime-savvy pair discover Sophie’s journal, which is filled with names and controversial secrets—listed among them is Mari’s own father.
What secrets was Sophie hiding?
As they connect the dots leading to Sophie’s death, the blackmailing of a federal judge, and Mari’s own family, Sophie’s murderer is closing in for the next kill. Facing an adversary like none she’s ever experienced before, Mari must find her missing father and reconcile her broken past before she becomes the killer’s next victim.
A multiple award-winning novel, Hot House is a page-turning psychological thriller packed with tension, secrets, suspense, and surprises. If you like Blake Crouch, Harlan Coben, and Lisa Gardner, discover Lisa Towles’ E&A Series today.
First Place Winner of The Book Fest 2022 Literary Award, Mystery & Crime category
Literary Titan Gold Award for Fiction
Escape into this devious mind mystery by getting your copy of Hot House now, so you can solve the puzzle of who killed Sophie Michaud.
“Memorable characters make for a winsome, absorbing detective tale.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Towles does a fantastic job of pacing the storyline so that the reader hangs on to every clue… I recommend this for fans of crime fiction writers Baldacci, Slaughter, and Gardner.” San Francisco Book Review
“Award-winning author Lisa Towles delivers again and again with her gripping thrillers…” Sarah Lovett, Bestselling author
“The plot is propelled forward by the clever use of suspense, measured action, and ingeniously written conflict. It is a moving and delightful read with cinematic scenes and characters that will stick with readers for a long after they turn the last page.” – The Book Commentary
“Hot House is an intricate maze of blackmail, surprise and suspense delivered by quirky characters, pithy dialog and LOL humor. Another hit by my favorite thriller writer, Lisa Towles.” – Ana Manwaring
“Fans of investigative thrillers and mysteries will be the audience for Hot House, but its ability to craft a sassy, fun series of dialogues and inspections… creates an exceptional read with a powerfully unexpected conclusion... This will attract audiences both within and beyond the thriller and mystery genres.” – Midwest Book Review
“Towles has produced a knockout novel with Hot House. Towles’s plot is as twisted and unpredictable… Nowhere will thriller fans find a more engaging keep-you-on-your-toes read.” – Literary Titan
“This meticulously constructed, remarkable mystery deftly explores people’s darkest flaws while revealing hard truths about the hidden workings of the world. A fast-paced and psychologically astute thriller.” Prairies Book Review
“Hot House is one of those books that pries your eyelids open and doesn’t relent until you’ve reached the end. Good luck getting Mari out of your head!” – Benjamin Bradley
Lisa Towles is an award-winning, Amazon bestselling crime novelist and a passionate speaker on the topics of fiction writing, creativity, and Strategic Self Care.
Lisa has 11 crime novels in print with her newest title Specimen freshly released in November 2024. The first two books of her E&A Investigations Series (Hot House and Salt Island) were both #1 Amazon Kindle Bestsellers.
Lisa also writes standalone thrillers, such as her 2022 political thriller, The Ridders, which won an American Fiction Award. Lisa is an active member and frequent panelist/speaker of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers.
She has an MBA in IT Management and works full-time in the tech industry.
Three elder stateswomen in the music industry, scarred by scandal, addiction, and forced retirement, go all in to create a killer comeback album.
Wild Flowers
by Merie Robie
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction
Three elder stateswomen in the music industry, scarred by scandal, addiction, and forced retirement, go all in to create a killer comeback album. As they learn to trust themselves and dive back into songwriting, they entwine their lives and voices in ways they couldn’t have imagined alone.
Everyone has forgotten about soul singer Honey Conaway, except that she stabbed a producer’s eye out at a party and left drunk and stumbling like some glitzy Medea. Everyone loves Gloria Redmond: Girls grew up listening to her country-tinged, smart-alecky tunes, but she has become irrelevant past her prime.
And everyone knows Sian Star, not for her time fronting the pop band The Whirlygirls, but for driving a red Porsche into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. When these three women create an award-winning comeback album together, each is challenged by the version of herself that pushed her out of the spotlight in the first place.
What readers are saying:
“A beautiful novel about three vibrant, memorable women who refuse to abandon their passion for music despite their struggles with aging, caretaking, and the frustration of thwarted dreams. Gloria, Honey, and Sian are an inspiring reminder that nothing is over until it’s over.”
Jane Delury, Author of Hedge
“Drop the needle on this power chord of a novel and feel it pull you in. A resonant story about friendship, songwriting, and serendipity, and about how all of us, even aging country stars, can reinvent ourselves.” — Elisabeth Cohen, author of The Glitch.
Meri Robie is a writer and editor living in Baltimore. Her novel Wildflowers will be published by Watertower Press in 2025. Her play, “Light Strikes a Deal” was included in the Rapid Lemon Theater’s Variations on Night festival (2025), and she earned Honorable Mention for the 2023 Page One Contest by Gutsy Great Novelist (gutsygreatnovelist.com).
She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars. You can find her volunteering as an usher for various Baltimore theater productions, driving Baltimore School for the Arts students to local art events, or scribbling away notes in the front seat of her car at stop lights.
Love, laughter, and a little kitchen chaos are on the menu in Recipe for Love!
When a sous chef with secrets clashes with a showrunner chasing a viral hit, sparks fly hotter than the stove.
Recipe For Love
A Cat’s Paw Cove Book 24
by Sharon Buchbinder
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Comedy
When it comes to love, all bets are off…
Karmen Artos, a sous chef at Feline Fine Retirement Home, is horrified when two of the residents hijack her kitchen. Worse yet, they’ve created an Internet cooking show that has gone viral. The recipes are revolting, but viewers are wild for ‘Grandma’s Witchin’ Kitchen!’
Devon Winger, a down-on-his-luck showrunner, arrives in Cat’s Paw Cove to convince the eccentric elderly Internet stars to take the show to the next level — a ShowFlix series. The magical stars are tickled at the idea, but Karmen is dead set against revealing the sanctuary for supernaturals to the world.
Can Karmen convince the sexy Devon that the show will be a dud? Or will Devon realize there’s more to the quirky retirement home than meets the camera’s eye?
Sharon Buchbinder has been writing fiction since middle school and has the rejection slips to prove it. A retired RN and professor, she is the author of the Hotel LaBelle Series, the Jinni Hunter Series, and the Obsession Series.
She also has seven books in the Cats Paw Cove Series, a magical place where anything can happen–and does! When not writing, she can be found walking her dogs, herding cats, or breaking bread and laughing with family and friends.
She trusted the system to keep her safe. Now it might get her killed.
Hideout
The FBI Tampa Mystery Series Book 2
by A.M. Holloway
Genre: Clean Romantic Suspense, Mystery Thriller
She trusted the system to keep her safe. Now it might get her killed.
She vanished into Witness Protection. Now, she’s running for her life.
When FBI Agent Ray Smithson gets a frantic call in the dead of night, he knows exactly who it is—Mary Beth, the woman he once swore to protect. It’s been over two years since she disappeared under a new identity, but her terrified voice rips open feelings Ray thought he’d buried for good.
With his trusted partner, Micah French, Ray races across Florida to find her before the people hunting her close in. But nothing makes sense—how did they track her down? Why has her former handler gone missing? And could Mary Beth unknowingly be holding the key to something even more dangerous?
As long-hidden truths surface, Ray must face his past and protect the woman who never left his heart. Enemies are closing in, trust is fragile, and the only chance at survival may be a hideout in Tampa—if they can reach it in time.
Hideout in Tampa delivers gripping Christian suspense packed with danger, loyalty, and second chances—perfect for fans of fast-paced FBI thrillers with clean romance and enduring faith.
Love, Bullets, and a Second Chance — Will They Survive the Crossfire?
When FBI Special Agent Micah French joins a high-risk pursuit through the streets of Tampa, he never expects the day to end with his partner shot and the woman he once loved holding his partner’s life in her hands.
Finley Herald, the surgeon who broke his heart a decade ago, now lives in Tampa. She’s saving lives at Tampa General and possibly risking her own when a vengeful cartel leader wages war against the agents involved in his brother’s death.
As bullets fly, allies fall, and a trail of revenge stretches from Mexico to Florida, Micah must navigate a storm of violence, betrayal, and second chances.
Every decision could be his last, and Finley’s reappearance threatens to shatter the emotional defenses he’s spent years building.
This book is a gripping blend of action, faith, and romance, where love may be the deadliest risk of all.
A.M. Holloway is an author of clean murder mysteries where crime and suspense take hold. Her catalog spans five series. A.M., who is married, relies on her husband’s expertise in the CSI field to ensure accuracy in her books.
She was born and raised in Georgia but now lives in Central Florida. When not writing, you will find her with her family, enjoying the outdoors, or sitting in her favorite chair, daydreaming about her next book.
“If you ever leave me, I will kill the kids then I will kill you.”
“I can’t help but think of other women who may be facing similar situations, even now in a time and generation when these events can easily be exposed as much as they could be hidden. I wish I could reach each one of them, look into their eyes and tell them: you don’t have to live like this. Life can be better; you can choose a different path. It’s not easy, trust me, I know that more than most people do, BUT IT’S WORTH IT.”
This book is an autobiography about a woman raised on a large farm who learned to drive a large tractor at the age of seven, then spent many years plowing, planting and harvesting crops and taking care of the farm animals.
After three years in the Marine Corps, she married her college sweetheart who became a drunk and abused her for seven horrible years before he almost killed her then disappeared. After she recovered she and her three kids fled to Florida to hide so he wouldn’t find them and finish the job.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:
The familiar sound of Brooke’s whimpers pulled me back from my reverie.
I had been lost in thought, absorbed by the gentle curves of the crescent moon above me, imagining myself perched on its silvery edge, far removed from my vulnerable and endangered earthly existence.
Up there, I thought, the silence must be golden—no echoes of the chaos in the world down below, just the serene sights and sounds of the stars whispering the secrets of the universe amongst themselves.
Down here, the silence was fleeting, often shattered by the cries of my youngest, the shouts of her older siblings, the barks of their father, and the relentless dinning of my own tormented thoughts.
Everything I’d done and endured in the past few years had been driven by a need to escape the noise, to find a sanctuary not just for myself but for my three kids: Bailey, Ryan, and Brooke.
That was the least I could do for them; after all, I brought them into this tumultuous world. I made them the kids to a father who found joy at the bottom of a bottle and loved to vent his fury with a raised fist and cruel words—a man whose presence filled our home not with love but with dread and anxiety.
This night, like many nights in recent weeks, the cornfield was our little haven. I lay there with my three kids, all wrapped in duvets and blankets and shaded by the towering stalks that swayed gently above us, glancing at my wristwatch and wishing the night would age faster.
We were within the hour when Phil typically returned home. His truck’s headlights were usually unmistakable. Had they slipped past while I was lost moon-gazing? If he were back home, I would have seen them piercing through the pitch darkness as he drove along the gravel road leading up to the house. And if I didn’t see them, I would have heard the truck.
Some nights, Phil would leave the truck idling in the driveway before stumbling into the house and carelessly toppling anything in his path until he reached our bedroom upstairs, ready to unleash his drunken fury on me.
On some other nights, he would fall asleep at the wheel after parking the truck and leave the headlights blazing until dawn. The latter was usually the best-case scenario for me and the kids, barring the nights when he simply didn’t come home. Each night spent in our household was like a scene out of a suspense thriller; I never knew which version of Phil would come through the door, if at all.
About The Author:
Born and raised on an Indiana farm, Linda Beason was steeped in the rhythms of rural life and nurtured by the enduring love of a close-knit family.
From an early age, she embraced responsibility and excelled throughout her school years. As an alumna of Purdue University— where she earned degrees in both agriculture and accounting—Linda distinguished herself academically and professionally, later working for several corporate companies, most notably the Green Giant Company, and serving honorably in the Marine Corps.
Yet despite a childhood filled with warmth and promise, Linda’s adult life took a harrowing turn when she entered a marriage that would test the very limits of her strength.
For nearly a decade, she endured domestic abuse at the hands of a dangerous man whose fury was fueled by alcohol and an insatiable need for control. That turbulent period sent her racing through a whirlwind of experiences that would forever alter her path.
Even in the darkest moments, however, Linda clung to her faith in God and the quiet confidence of a Midwesterner.
Linda passed away in 2024 while writing this book. Through these pages, she hoped to inspire women to overcome the challenges of toxic relationships and the hardships of motherhood, reminding them that even the deepest wounds can heal and that the promise of a brighter tomorrow is always within reach.
Face zombies, uncover ancient secrets, and battle sinister forces in thrilling adventures across the galaxy!
The Amazing Adventures of Hunter Caine, Soldier of Fortune
Volumes 1-3
by JP Wilder
Genre: Supernatural Sci-Fi Action Thriller
Treasure Hunter. Soldier of Fortune. Smuggler.
The Amazing Adventures of Hunter Caine, Soldier of Fortune: Volumes 1–3 by JP Wilder is a high-octane sci-fi pulp collection following Hunter Caine—a fearless, sharp-tongued mercenary who takes on the dirtiest, deadliest jobs across the galaxy.
Whether treasure hunting, bodyguarding, or battling zombies, Hunter operates strictly freelance, answering to no one but her own code. With fast-paced action, gritty humor, and a dash of lust and laser fire, this trilogy delivers a wild ride through corporate space and beyond.
“I’m Hunter Caine. Treasure Hunter. Soldier of Fortune. Smuggler. I’m kind of a bad bitch, you might say. I do what the chicken-shit Corporation, or the Holier-than-thou Collective are afraid to do. What they don’t want to do. And I do it anywhere. When stuff gets ugly, and things need doin’, I get it done. I don’t play favorites. Strictly Freelance. But, I do it all. And more. You want something done? Something dirty? Something dangerous? Something distasteful? Call Hunter. You got the cash. I got the flash.”
What readers are saying:
“a monstrously entertaining short story that can be devoured in one sitting – which, coincidentally – is what would happen to you if you were to fall prey of one of the zombified shamblers spawned by the fiendish Dr. Z. Hot chicks; alpha males; guns and gore aplenty; unstoppable ghouls; and witty – gritty dialogue that makes you smile all the way through. What can I say, it’s rip-roaring fun! And Hunter Caine is a whole different ball game to your usual lead character; someone who doesn’t care how the job gets done as long as there’s a pay check at the end of it! If you like your action with graphic novel hotitude, then this adventure is for you.”
– Goodreads Reviewer
“Wow – I didn’t quite know what to expect and I liked this so much more than I thought I would. Never have I read zombie-sci-fi-pulp…a fun romp.” – Goodreads Reviewer
A form lurched out of the foggy darkness, a black and deformed body illuminated by Planet #17’s weird green moon behind it. It swayed first left, then right, each step little more than a mindless flailing of limbs. Its arms draped at its side, hands twitching and shaking. An eerie moan slid out of its hidden face.
It was too dark to tell what in the hell it was—other than human.
Well, maybe human. Maybe native.
Why in hell does this shit always happen to me?
I’d spent two days driving around this shit-hole planet looking for the hidden lab of some dude named Professor Zorsky (I took to calling him Doctor Z), before I found this crummy road. I’d spent the prior two days seeking information on the same, paying off the local gangsters for intel, holding up nasty informants at blade point, even fornicating with one loathsome three-armed guy, feeling the entire time like someone was stalking me.
And here I was.
Almost to the target, and this shit happens. Basic damn job, I’d thought. No fighting monsters or mercenaries or government men. No killing.
A thousand easy damn chits.
Yeah right.
Just when payday is right down the road, this freaky shit wanders out of the swamp. Figures. Just my damn luck.
I stepped from the old Willy’s hover jeep that I’d acquired (through nefarious channels, I might add) back in New Cape Town, and side-straddled away, sliding my Colt particle automatic from its holster on my hip. If whatever-the-shit it was decided to fight, I didn’t want any harm coming to the sexy blonde in the passenger seat. No way. That was prime tail.
And flush with Corporation cash.
I remember meeting her at the Palace Saloon in Perdition outside New Bisbee, on the edge of the Frontier. She had a job. Looking for help. She flashed her creds. I harrumphed and she laid out the story of her kidnapped scientist—taken by the damn Collectivists for some unseemly reason, no doubt. I don’t do politics. But I do cold cash. And I do blue eyes and a pretty smile.
Now, I’m no homecoming queen type, but I am stone-cold sexy, I don’t mind sayin’. The girls and boys get a bit of a rush from my hard body, tats, wicked grin and crazy dreads. Still, despite my hot-itude, I’m weak in the knees for the baby blues.
So, I took the job. Didn’t ask a single damn question, other than who, where, what, when. Didn’t care about the why. That was for more noble folks.
About the Author
JP Wilder, also known as JP Vile and Jim Pitrat, is a versatile author whose works span fantasy, science fiction, and pulp genres. He’s recognized for the “Hunter Caine Series,” contributions to “Realms of the Dragons II” for Wizards of the Coast, and “The Crusader” series.
His storytelling, marked by action and adventure, reflects his diverse experiences as a soldier, wrangler, and professor. Wilder’s narratives often explore chaos, with a writing style that keeps readers engaged and entertained.
