New Age Crime Thriller That Will Leave You Breathless From Shock And Excitement!
‘Sci-fi and mystery readers shouldn’t miss this one!’
– Readers Favorite
Persephone’s Pool
by Marie Montine
Genre: SciFi Crime Thriller
“The settings and the unusual killings make for compelling, often unexpected material…A detailed, futuristic detective story that is anything but typical.” – Kirkus Reviews
“A scrumptious mix of suspense, mystery, and intrigue makes Persephone’s Pool a delightful treat that sci-fi and crime lovers will relish.” – Pikasho Deka for Readers’ Favorite
Seven meets Lucy in this New Age Crime Thriller that takes investigators to different crime scenes on multiple planets on a dangerous, mythological game of cat and mouse!
A hundred years from now people can visit any planet in the solar system and take a vacation. Despite all of the technological advancements, a new craving emerges: spirituality.
With the Age of Aquarius on the threshold, intergalactic murders involving mythology begin. And it’s up to two investigators to find out why.
But the further they get into their investigation, the more dangerous the game becomes.
‘Author Marie Montine repeatedly pulls the rug out from under your feet with a plot featuring multiple twists and turns you never see coming. The reveals are unexpected and shocking. What impressed me is how Montine provides each character with enough urgency and distinct personality traits so that the reader is completely invested in their story arcs. The setting feels believably futuristic, which makes the story very immersive. You don’t know if your favorite characters will make it out alive, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Sci-fi and mystery readers shouldn’t miss this one!’ – Readers Favorite
Marie Montine’s work includes paranormal horror, supernatural sci-fi, and dark fantasy. But there’s always one major theme in her stories: the power of love.
Many readers and reviewers have claimed Marie Montine is an author to watch for.
Red River won an award for best romantic suspense with ChickLit Cafe.
She recently finished writing Persephone’s Pool, an intergalactic crime thriller released on April 8, 2025.
The author is also a level one student with CAAE and you can find her love of astrology woven into stories like Midnight on Mars and Persephone’s Pool.
Marie lives and works in northern Canada with her husband and poet, Alvin J Beck, and their dogs, Luna and Mya. When she is not working or writing, she enjoys gaming and getting cozied up with her husband and dogs watching movies or tv series.
Dystopian. Biology shapes reality… One woman’s mythic search for self-realization in a distant tomorrow… Her sensuality was at the core of her world, her quest beyond the civilized stars. Aristocrat. Outcast. Picara. Slave. Ruler.
High Couch of Silistra
The Silistra Quartet Book 1
By Janet Morris
Genre: Epic Dystopian SciFi Fantasy
“Engrossing characters in a marvelous adventure.” – Charles N. Brown, Locus Magazine
“The amazing and erotic adventures of the most beautiful courtesan in tomorrow’s universe” – Frederik Pohl
I was high-couch in the greatest house of pleasure in the civilized stars.
“We are all bound,” is the great truth of Silistra: Bound by biological necessity and genetics, the men and women of Silistra struggle to sort Nature from Nurture – where Nature always wins. Welcome to Silistra, a glimpse of a far distant future wherein a civilization proclaims the greatest feat an individual can perform is to produce one child, yet distrusts the sciences that brought them to verge of extinction.
Here women and men coexist uneasily in a society ravaged by war, technology, and infertility, each vying for power, each seeking dominion over one another. Be warned, if your tastes run to simplistic plots, throbbing organs, swooning damsels or kick-boxing women in men’s armor, Silistra may be too challenging. Feminists, misogynists, misanthropes, or fans of political diatribe, this is not the book for you.
High Couch of Silistra, first of the notorious Silistra Quartet, brings us to a realm where thought alters probability, where creativity is inextricably linked to the urge to own and dominate, and where the universe itself is amenable to a focused mind.
Rooted deeply in humanity’s mythic past yet unaware of the planet Earth, High Couch of Silistra begins one woman’s mythic quest for self-knowledge – with surprising results.
Best selling author Janet Morris began writing in 1976 and published more than 30 novels, many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others.
She contributed short fiction to the shared universe fantasy series Thieves World, in which she created the Sacred Band of Stepsons, a mythical unit of ancient fighters modeled on the Sacred Band of Thebes.
She created, orchestrated, and edited the Bangsian fantasy series Heroes in Hell, writing stories for the series as well as co-writing the related novel, The Little Helliad, with Chris Morris. She wrote the bestselling Silistra Quartet in the 1970s, including High Couch of Silistra, The Golden Sword, Wind from the Abyss, and The Carnelian Throne.
This quartet had more than four million copies in Bantam print alone, and was translated into German, French, Italian, Russian and other languages. In the 1980s, Baen Books released a second edition of this landmark series.
The third edition is the Author’s Cut edition, newly revised by the author for Perseid Press. Most of her fiction work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also written historical and other novels.
Morris has written, contributed to, or edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and national security topics.
Janet said: ‘People often ask what book to read first. I recommend “I, the Sun” if you like ancient history; “The Sacred Band,” a novel, if you like heroic fantasy; “Lawyers in Hell” if you like historical fantasy set in hell; “Outpassage” if you like hard science fiction; “High Couch of Silistra” if you like far-future dystopian or philosophical novels.
I am most enthusiastic about the definitive Perseid Press Author’s Cut editions, which I revised and expanded.’
Alina Riley, Robin O’Connor, Sky Robert, Lola Blix
Discover passion among the stars…
Blast off to the future with this limited edition collection of sizzling, science fiction romance stories!
Otherworldly seduction and intergalactic adventures await you in these high-heat, open-door tales from a diverse group of authors. Meet alien gladiators, cyborgs, AI lifeforms, psychic aliens, interstellar royalty, psy-changelings, fearless humans, and more. Visit alien worlds, travel on high-tech vessels, and immerse yourself in red-hot seduction blazing brighter than any quasar.
The Beyond Earth anthology is a pulse-pounding, toe-curling journey into the cosmos. If you enjoy out-of-this-world romance with guaranteed happily ever afters, lovers from different worlds, fated mates, enemies to lovers, grumpy-sunshine, rescue romance, and more, then you’ll love this treasure trove of spicy, steamy, futuristic stories.
Order your copy of Beyond Earth to begin your passion-filled voyage into the galaxy today!
Including stories by:
Candice Gilmer – NY Times and USA Today bestselling author
Sparks fly when a battle-hardened cyborg rescues a sassy human lost in the cosmos…
Earth-girl Calie is out of hope. Kidnapped, enslaved, then abandoned by aliens, she’s sure to suffer a slow death on their stupid space station. Then new trouble arrives, claiming her as their property, but hot on their heels is a grumpy guy with a big hot bod and blazing eyes… The thrill setting her skin afire has less to do with potential rescue or New Guy’s battle prowess, and everything to do with the way he looks at her.
Cyborg soldier Kaden is unamused by his enemy’s unhealthy interest in the vulnerable lone female with a sharp tongue and wild braids. Her terrible aim is complicating his rescue attempts, but her bravery, stubbornness, and velvet voice send electric need through both his human and cybernetic systems. He’ll do anything to save her.
Kaden wants to explore his attraction to Calie and claim her as his, but his sworn enemy’s relentless pursuit and Calie’s own skittishness challenge his goal. Calie appreciates all the cyborg has done for her, but she’s homesick and unsure about diving into a relationship, even if the hunky cyborg is the nicest man and best kisser in the universe.
While the enemy horde stalks them across the galaxy, can they learn to trust each other with both their lives and their hearts?
CLAIMING KADEN is a spicy, open-door, Fated Mates Rescue Romance, and the first installment in Celia Breslin’s CYBORG GUARDIANS OF THE AURORA science fiction romance series. If you like take-no-prisoners cyborgs and sassy heroines, sizzling seduction and intergalactic adventure, check out CLAIMING KADEN today!
Excerpt from “Claiming Kaden” by Celia Breslin
The station’s vid screen flared to life, blocking her view. A handsome and angry male face filled the space. The brightest amber eyes she’d ever seen glared at her.
“Stop shooting,” the man growled.
The face disappeared.
“Who the hell was that, Athena?” A Zyphorran? She ignored the gorgeous stranger and kept firing at the battleship.
The face reappeared. Dark brows furrowed over his blazing whiskey eyes. “Desist, woman!”
“Desist this, you jerk!” She shot at the enemy. Continued to miss. “Ugh!”
She didn’t care how handsome he seemed, with his pale, silvery blue skin and spiky dark hair, and those glowing eyes which looked like they could melt a girl’s panties.
No one told her what to do, and no one would force her into servitude.
Never again.
The green vessel took out two enemy ships before it planted itself in front of Calie’s station.
Angry Guy’s face filled her screen. “I’m trying to help you. Stop firing!”
Oh… Cranky Guy was the pilot of the green ship. Possibly a good guy? Calie lifted her hands away from the controls.
As she watched, he took out every single destroyer then turned his attention to the warship.
“Shield at eight point seven percent,” Athena announced. “Hm…”
“What do you mean, hm? Should we head for an escape pod?”
“This is most intriguing. And disconcerting,” Athena murmured, not answering her escape question.
“What, that guy’s amazing battle prowess?”
“No. He infiltrated and took over my communication system to speak with you.”
Okay, now Calie was doubly impressed with good-looking Mister Frowny, because Athena was a powerful genius. No one bested her.
Calie plastered her palms on the controls. “Let’s help him kick that warship’s ass.”
“Don’t you dare,” their unknown ally barked, audio only.
“Are you eavesdropping on us? Rude!”
“The unknown male is attempting to take control of all station systems, Calie.”
“Cut it out, whoever you are,” Calie warned him. She aimed one of the station laser cannons at his ship.
“Who I am? I’m the male who’s going to disable and commandeer the warship, then eliminate everyone on board it while you sit on your pretty ass and stay out of my way.”
He thinks I’m pretty? She shook off the frisson skating down her spine. “Screw you. I’m blowing up that warship. Athena, take it out.”
Giveaway
$15 Amazon
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Celia Breslin lives in San Francisco, California, USA, with her family, which includes three feisty felines who like to stalk across her keyboard while she’s hard at work crafting urban fantasy, sci-fi and paranormal romances.
Her current creature obsessions are cyborgs, the Fae, vampires, wolf shifters, and warrior-class angels, and her action-packed stories include some of her favorite tropes: fated mates, second chances, rescue romance, opposites attract, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, and more.
When not glued to her laptop, Celia likes to work out, read books (of course!), hang with her family, and binge-watch sci-fi and fantasy TV shows and movies. Matcha lattes keep her fueled for All The Life Stuff!
The Starlight Contingency is Titan AE meets Nikita!
The Starlight Contingency
Book 1
by Kyoko M.
Genre: SciFi Romantic Adventure, Space Opera
Orphaned siblings Scarlett and Duke Nam have had it rough. Cast aside by society, they’ve managed to stay afloat as thieves on the streets of Alexandria, Virginia.
Things plunge straight to hell when a heist goes wrong and they’re on the run from the cops, but after they stumble into a nearby home to escape, something seemingly impossible happens – the house transforms into a spacecraft and leaves the Earth’s orbit.
Scarlett and Duke awaken to find that they are now prisoners aboard the Titan International Spaceship. The Earth has been destroyed by the Bergleute des Todes, AKA The Miners of Death. Scarlett and Duke are given the chance to become soldiers to fight the aliens who destroyed the world.
The only thing left for them is the hardest thing of all: Survival.
The Starlight Contingency is the new space opera from USA Today best selling author Kyoko M. (She Who Fights Monsters, Of Cinder and Bone).
There were windows at least twenty feet high in front of us, and beyond them was a sky so black that it felt like night itself stretched across my vision. There was only one thing breaking up the blanket of darkness.
To the right, I could see the atmosphere of a moon of some sort—its surface a pale orange. I had never seen anything like it. Stars sparkled out in the distance, but none of it looked familiar.
These were not our stars. I had seen them as a child, studying charts in my science classes and naming their patterns while my mother hovered over me, smiling.
“Hey, Duke,” Scarlett said next to me in an alarmingly detached sort of voice.
“Yeah?” I whispered.
“This looks kind of…real.”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. I thought it was just me.”
Then Scarlett went limp and started to fall. The guards reached for her, but Captain Hallstead caught her with an expression on his face between surprise and pity. She had actually fainted. Not that I blamed her. The blood had retreated from my face, and I could feel dread filling my stomach like cold poison.
“Take her to the infirmary,” General Bridgewater said impassively. “Let me know when she revives.” He might have been used to seeing reactions like this, especially if this wasn’t an illusion.
Captain Hallstead handed my sister over to one of the guards, his eyes lingering as the man carried her out. I tried to read his expression, but it was like taking impression from stone: flat, lifeless, cold. But there was something there. I just didn’t know what.
“Do you have any questions, son?”
I glanced up at General Bridgewater and had to swallow before I could answer. Even then, my voice wavered. “Do you have…footage of Earth’s destruction? I’ll admit that I am starting to believe you, but this could still be some sort of elaborate ruse.”
The general turned and motioned to a wide circular console different from the ones the crewmembers were using. He touched his fingertip to the surface, and an enormous 3D digital map appeared. Briefly, I saw the coordinates for where we were in space and then he switched to a feed from a satellite.
“This is the last footage we received before it happened. It’s from one of our satellites. I’m sure other countries have their own versions of it as well. By the time the Bergleute entered the solar system, the ships including the Starlight Contingency had already evacuated the Earth.”
The satellite showed the surface of the Earth as I always remembered it—seeming to hang in the darkness of space like a sapphire. The upper corner of the globe began to darken, confusing me until I realized it was a shadow from the alien cruiser.
The satellite wasn’t facing it so I couldn’t catch a glimpse, but I knew it was there. I saw a bright flash and then a red beam burrowed into one side of the planet.
My stomach jerked inside me at the sight of the land crumbling and the seas boiling in its wake. It had disintegrated part of Asia already, and there were burning waves climbing outward from the entry point.
After a few minutes, the beam burst out the other side of the planet and the tectonic plates of the Earth’s surface began to crack apart.
Bright yellow and orange spurted from the cracks, evidence of the planet’s core peeking through as the weapon ripped it apart from the inside. At last, it exploded, and the satellite feed went to static.
General Bridgewater closed the feed. He showed no emotion at seeing it. I got the feeling he had watched it a hundred times, his pale eyes filling the world just before it turned into nothing more than rocks and dust.
“General Bridgewater,” I said. “If this is some sort of trick, understand that I will do everything in my power to end your life.”
He nodded. I wiped my eyes and straightened my posture. “Then consider this my agreement to cooperate with your operation. I can’t say the same thing for my sister, but I will do what is needed as long as I am on this vessel.”
“Good man. Escort him to the barracks.”
The guard reached for me, but I held up my hands. “What is going to happen to Scarlett?”
General Bridgewater glanced at Captain Hallstead, and he answered instead. “She needs to be examined for psychological damage, and if she chooses to play ball, she’ll be placed in the women’s division aboard this ship. You’re both going to become soldiers.”
“I need to be able to see her. She won’t recover as quickly without me.”
Captain Hallstead paused, seeming unsure. “We’ll see if we can make arrangements, but as of now she won’t be released until we’re sure she’s stable. A lot of people suffer from PTSD after seeing the world destroyed. We’ll keep her safe.”
I stepped forward, unafraid. “I want your word on that, Captain.”
He met my eyes. “You have my word.”
I let the guard take me back to the elevator and lead me to my new home. The only home I had left.
God help us.
Giveaway
Print Copy of The Starlight Contingency,
$10 Amazon giftcard
– 1 winner each!
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Kyoko M is a USA Today bestselling author and a fangirl. She is the author of The Black Parade urban fantasy series, the Of Cinder and Bone science-fiction series, and the Starlight Contingency space opera series with Falstaff Books.
The Black Parade has been reviewed by Publishers Weekly and New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews. Of Cinder and Bone placed in the Top 30 Books in Hugh Howey’s 2021 Self Published Science Fiction Contest.
Kyoko M has appeared as a guest and panelist at such conventions as Geek Girl Con, DragonCon, Blacktasticon, Momocon, JordanCon, ConCarolinas, and MultiverseCon.
She is also a contributor to Marvel Comics’ Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda (2021) anthology as well as the Captain America: The Shield of Sam Wilson (2025) anthology.
She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Lit degree from the University of Georgia, which gave her every valid excuse to devour book after book with a concentration in Greek mythology and Christian mythology.
She is currently working on a science fiction trilogy with Falstaff Books and her debut novel, The Starlight Contingency, released October 29th, 2024.
