Inflicted:
Explorative Tales of
What Breaks and Binds Us
“Pain is pain. It all hurts the same.”
Inflicted with dark desire, one man chooses between idyllic pretense and disturbing reality. Haunted by the silence of deep space, an engineer chases an eerie melody. Torn between penance and pride, a dishonored prince challenges the course of history.
Suffering cracks our hearts and splinters our minds. It scars and alters us in irreversible ways. Yet while pain breaks us apart, it also binds us together. Our broken pieces can never rejoin as they once were, but they fit together to create new and distinctive wholes. Like the Japanese art of kintsugi, we can fill the velvety darkness of our scars with gold.
Inflicted with life, an intelligent machine questions the illogic of family. Tempted by the desire to die, a shop clerk confronts the promise of his life. Offered the chance to transform his disfigurement, a ruined being looks to the smallest of lives for acceptance.
An amalgamation of science fiction and fantasy subgenres, Inflicted invites you to peer into your own pain, examine your scars, and remember you are not alone. Pain binds us all, and how we face our brokenness redefines us. Immerse yourself in the brokenness of others and come away with a new understanding of self.
Cover Art by
Introduction by
Stories by
Hayley Green, Kristine Haecker,
Shannon McRoberts, Finn O'Malley,
Leo Otherland, D. Marie Prokop,
Deana Rose Wilson, and
Dragons Within:
Guarding Her Own
“I am dragon. I am free. You are mine to protect.”
A truth-seeker becomes imbued with the power to tip the scales of justice. A headstrong privateer tempers her courage in the heart of a violent storm. A pair of mittens leads to a family history rich with dragons. Sparks fly when a chronically single pilot finally meets her match.
Enter the world of Dragons Within: a place where woman and dragon are one in the same: reigning strong, fierce, and free. Forging bonds with the world of mankind, these unconquerable beings discover a love for the vulnerable, the fragile, the broken.
A pregnant goddess seeks refuge for her children during war. A telepathic soldier finds the courage to claim her humanity. A dragon in human form uses her gifts to protect abuse victims in need. A girl chases a soldier through a desert wasteland to find her missing brother.
Featuring twelve new and emerging speculative fiction writers, this power-driven book delves deep into the journey from treasure hunter to guardian, mercenary to savior, fire-breather to martyr. Transforming rage into righteousness, the women of Dragons Within claim their people, pledging their lives to... guard their own.
Cover Art by
Introduction by
Leo Otherland
Stories by
C. D. Lombardi, Chaz Beebe, D.B. Smyth, Jaumarro "Joy" Cuffee, JoAnne Turner,
K. A. Moore, L. C. Jenkins, Lex Night,
Dragons Within:
Embracing Her Fire
“People who only see the bad call us cursed. Now I have a chance to change that narrative.”
A noblewoman struggles to mind her manners when a pack of brutes manhandles her silks. A strategist weighs the growth of her career against the fate of her humanity. A deadly huntress questions her ability to serve as a kind, gentle leader. Fearing execution, a sweet-natured jeweler hides a dark secret.
Journey into the world of Dragons Within and dance with a fire that flows through the veins of powerful women. Often viewed as evil and destructive, dragons lend their strength to aid their friends and loved ones. Similarly, certain traits in women are touted as unacceptable or taboo, but the women in this anthology claim those traits for their own good and the good of those around them.
A lonely healer takes on the burdens of a troubled lake and the sorrowful spirits therein. A hapless lady taken to sea turns the tide from victim to victor. A self-conscious accountant dares to delve into desires that break the rules. A puppy lover with a short fuse takes on the Underworld with a quirky conviction.
Powerfully crafted by twelve new and emerging speculative fiction authors, these tales shine a beacon of hope in the face of condemnation, giving others the courage to chase their dreams with scorching determination and impenetrable resolve. Shedding their fear, the women of Dragons Within approach the all-consuming black blaze and. . . embrace their fire.
Cover Art by
Introductions by
Rue Sparks and Sppahic Sweets and Reads
Stories by
Nyri A. Bakkalian, Alex Bauer,
F. Zoe Blackheart, K.B. Creech, Lex Night, Leo Otherland, Emerson Seipel,
Queer for the New Year:
Nine Stories of New Beginnings
“Now is the time to release the burdens you have been carrying.”
The holiday season is traditionally one of reunions, homecomings, and family gatherings, but for the LGBTQIA+ community, it can be a time of anxiety and dread—a time we must hide our true selves in order to feel welcome. Too often, the holidays bring about loneliness and pain—a longing to be unequivocally accepted, seen, and loved for who we are.
This season, we invite you to be Queer for the New Year! Enter nine fantastical worlds and witness rebirth and release as individuals let go of the past and welcome the new year with open arms and fearless hearts. In the final minutes to midnight, journey with us as we discover that acceptance can be found in the most unlikely of places, pain is not forever, and if nothing feels okay, then it is not the end.
Move from the heartaches of old, make a fresh start with hope and renewal in your heart, and join us in being—
queer for the new year.
Cover Art by
Stories by
Alex Hernandez, Jenni Meade,
Gabriel Ertsgaard, Leo Otherland,
Nathan Waddell, Havi Navarro,
Taylor Rae, L. P. Melling,
Kayla J. Espinoza, asch, Evergreen Lee, Carina Bissett, Lex T. Lindsay,
Milton Rookwood, Sam Muller,
Sarah Lyn Eaton, Lark Cerulean,
Rebecca Hardy, and Bettina Juszak
Upon A Twice Time
A gathering of a diverse array of authors who bring new focus to fairy tales by combining two well known stories with a literary genre of their choice.
Upon a Twice Time contains the following tales re-imagined: The Adventures of Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, Bearskin, Beauty and the Beast, The Boy Who Drew Cats, The Bronze Ring, Chang'e - Goddess of the Moon, Cinderella, The Elder-Tree Mother, The Fisherman and His Wife, Frau Holle, The Frog Prince, The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body, Godfather Death, Goldilocks and The Three Bears, Grandaunt Tiger, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk, The King of the Cats, The Little Mermaid, Little Red Riding Hood, Maid Maleen, The Nightingale and the Rose, The Nue Who Stole the Emperor's Sleep, Petrosinella, The Princess and the Pea, The Princess Who Was Hidden Underground, The Queen Bee, The Queen of Planets, Rapunzel, The Selfish Giant, The Shadow, Sinbad the Sailor, The Six Swans, Snow White, The Story of the Eagles, Tanglewood Tales, The Three Little Pigs, The Twa Sisters, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and The Water Nixie.
Cover Art by
Stories by
Azlïn Auckburally, E J Delaney,
Jane Doring,
Laurel Doud and Katrice Marroquin, Indigo Emmerson,
J.D. Harlock, C.L. Hart,
A.P. Hawkins, Henry Herz,
Storm Humbert, Larry Ivkovich,
Carter Lappin, Kenzie Lappin,
Anya Markov, Katrina Middelburg,
Sean Monaghan, Waverly X. Night,
Leo Otherland, D.G.P. Rector,
Zachary Rosenberg, Elizabeth Snow,
Ana Sun, Michael Teasdale,
and Nathan Waddell
The Librarian
A collection of speculative fiction stories about one Librarian's adventures roving the multiverse, getting in and out of trouble, and paying people's library fines.
The Librarian features the following stories:
Small Promises, Where Stories Meet, Rubble At Dawn, Dr. Strangefrog And The Doomsday Device, The Girl And The Mouse, All The Things You Will Do, More Than Color, Stolen History, Libbie and Dewey's Excellent Adventure, Proof Of Magic, A Light In The Fair, Book Circulation, Old Haunts, Rhyme Time, The Arrival, Farewell Kelary, Farewell, The Bar At The End Of The World, The Haunting Of Branch 19, A Light Unmatched In All Depths, The Unbroken Chain, The Anamatra, La bibliothèque d'objets quotidiens, Tree Of Knowledge, and The Art Of Seeing
Cover Design by
Introduction and Interior Formatting by
Stories by
Kristine Haecker, Virginia Elizabeth Hayes, Sarah V. Hines, D. Gabrielle Jensen, Allorianna Matsourani, Leo Otherland,
Fractured Realities:
A Write of Passion
Literary Journal Anthology
“The worlds were remade; everything was new.”
Sirens and Cupids. Half-demons and aliens. Prophets and ancient gods. Treasons and vindicated rebellions. Santa’s elves and the thoughts of Christmas trees. The wishes of children and marriage proposals. Love that takes its first tentative steps and goes on through separation, transcending boundaries and misunderstandings.
Experience the worlds of Fractured Realities: existences that intermingle the light of love and the darkness that hides behind stars and in the hearts of men. Other realms where magic and old powers blend. Places where men born of the mist, selkies, mysteries, and simple humans walk, trying to find truth and meaning in life and those around them.
Combining the voices of twelve writers, spanning four themes, this dark and whimsical book invites you to remember, in worlds where nothing is promised and cracks often mar the surface, all things carry on, beauty remains, and light shines through the fractures of reality.
Cover Design and Interior Formatting by
Leo Otherland
Introduction by
Stories by
Avery Graycastle, Allorianna Matsourani, Ben Ray, Brad Short, Chaz Beebe,
C. J. Dotson, Deana Rose Wilson,
Iren Adams, K. T. Seto, Kristine Haecker,
Leo Otherland, Lex Night, Renee Christian, and Sarah Ockershausen Delp
Shadows Redefined:
A Write of Passion
Literary Journal Anthology
“You cannot peel back the veneer of evil and expect to find goodness. Can an act of violence redeem a sinner?”
Valkyrja falling from grace, immortal druids embracing self-definition, tricksters devising auspicious opportunities. Deities of the night personified, facilitators of nightmares overcoming their own fears, forcefully-retired sorceresses plotting devious devices, and villains. . . giving all for the sake of their heroes.
Shadows are not always what they seem and evil is not always done unrighteously. Enter a place where appearances are only skin deep and nothing is what the eye first beholds.
Join witches at their Yule celebration, learn the secrets of the gourmet, and find the courage to say life-changing words. Feel the eternal regret of the psychic who misspoke, hear the nightingale’s song and the echoes of what we remember when all is lost. Dare to claim your name and discover what it means to be fated mates, even as you remember death is not always to be feared and first impressions are false.
Fourteen new and diverse voices combine in this dark and thought-provoking book, to prove shadows can be redefined, roles reversed, and villains. . . can play the hero.