Author: Angie

Cresting the Sun A SciFi/ Fantasy Anthology with stories by Nicholas P Adams, Brian C Hailes and Rick Bennett

Cresting the Sun is a science fiction and fantasy anthology compiling twelve award-winning short stories (with a taste of crime and horror mixed in). Each included tale has in recent years earned recognition from the esteemed L Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest judges, with adventures sure to rattle your bones, launch you beyond the stars, and carry you through space and time. Prepare yourself, hold on tight, and enjoy the ride! Roadblock by Brian C Hailes – All Drew really wants is a chance with his high school crush, Lily. But on his way to a party where he plans to give it one last shot, he’s forced to take a detour off Highway 89, where fate has something else waiting in store. The Hubbard Drive by Rick Bennett – I just can’t resist comedy. This time-dilation romp is my little Einsteinian “thought experiment” and tribute to L Ron Hubbard, a sci-fi giant. L.E.A.P. by Nicholas P Adams – A cop with the ability to navigate the timestream puts his skills to the test when a series of murders threatens his freedom and the future of those he’d kill to protect. Sketch Artist by Brian C Hailes – An innocent girl witnesses a murder, and works with a San Francisco Police Department sketch artist who has an uncanny ability to draw portraits based on witnesses’ firsthand accounts with a ninety-five percent facial recognition accuracy rate. However, as they both find themselves caught in the middle of a deadly mob war, can they find the killer or killers before they themselves fall prey to the infamous crime families? The Devil & Woody Harrelson by Rick Bennett – Ever think about selling your soul to the devil? You may already have done just that if you clicked “accept” on the terms and conditions on an online program license agreement. Half Z’s by Nicholas P Adams – A human/alien half-breed, desperate for a connection with either world, travels to the Gya’ol enclave for answers when she discovers a rapidly forming growth inside her body. The Chaser’s Prey by Brian C Hailes – Having been shipped off to alien scout camp, Gareth Stillwater stumbles across the other boys torturing and mutilating a squirrel- like creature called an ehkhoor’n. When he confronts the alpha scout, Morrow Krin, and his accomplices, they bully him into secrecy . . . until he decides to steal Krin’s hoverbike and put the animal out of its misery, placing himself (and everyone else) in harm’s way. Overture to The Opera of The Blades by Rick Bennett – This literal “rock opera” features a computer genius who speaks only in palindromes and shows the effect she has on an immortal being. Uncoiling the Loop by Nicholas P Adams – A temporal manipulator struggles against time, the authorities, and a crotchety barkeep, to prevent his father from going on a killing spree before it happens. The Artist’s Model by Brian C Hailes – An artist’s model with a past veiled in amnesia meets a mysterious visitor who claims to know who and what she really is. But when her most beloved master artist and patron unexpectedly dies, she must find a way to live up to her otherworldly destiny, and fulfill her new role. Elvis, Baby Jesus, and One UFO by Rick Bennett – Most first- contact stories involve a superior alien race ravaging the Earth. Here’s my take on the opposite scenario: A superior alien race gets crippled by a clever Earthman-generated computer virus. Gone are the Light-Wielders by Nicholas P Adams – A shepherd boy holds the fate of the colony in his hands when he must choose between keeping a promise to his mother and his responsibility to the community. Goodreads * Amazon

The Angel’s Secret The Seraphin Chronicles Book 1 by Nicholas Adams Genre: SciFi Fantasy

After her parents mysteriously disappeared at the age of thirteen, Evangeline Evans has been on her own. As a military pilot for Olympus, the most powerful and technologically progressive Citadel of the new world, she keeps her reasons for finding them a secret. Without warning a terrifying disease that could destroy civilization begins to infect citizens across the city. Only the race known as Angels—who brought advanced technology to Earth—seem to be immune to its devastation. Evangeline and her husband Jack, an Artificial Intelligence designer, are swept into a secret war between the Dissidents in the Low Technology Zones and The Quorum of Zeus. The Human race is on the precipice of Extinction. Who will prevail? Angel or Human? High Tech Olympian or Low Tech Dissident? But the better question is… Who SHOULD prevail? 25% of Monthly Net sales are donated to the Wounded Warrior Project! https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ Add to GoodreadsAmazon * B&N Imprint by Nicholas Adams Genre: SciFi

Doctor. Savior. Prisoner. Malcolm Silvestra’s Synthetic Organ Replacement technique saved the lives of thousands of people. Then “The Scald” deformed and killed millions more. Imprisoned above the Arctic Circle in the Canadian Northwest Territories, Malcolm’s only hope to stave off his execution is to find the cure to save not only humanity but more importantly, his beloved wife. Will Malcolm’s brilliance unlock the secret to freeing Cynthiana from her prison of flesh? Or will he watch her die like all the others? Add to GoodreadsAmazon * B&N

Nicholas Adams grew up in the small, rural town of Boring, OR with his six brothers and sisters. After graduating from High School in Gresham, OR he attended BYU-ID and received his Associates Degree in Pre-Med. From there he returned to Portland, OR and attended Portland State University where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Biology/Pre-Med before changing his career track to Architecture. He completed his second Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture at Portland State University before going on to achieve his Master of Architecture Degree from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT. After his graduation he and his wife moved to the Phoenix Arizona area where they adopted four children over the next eight years. Nicholas currently lives in the Salt Lake City area where he is an Associate member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). His other interests include reading, video games, singing and motorcycles. I donate 25% of my Net sales to the Wounded Warrior Project! https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Vampocalypse by E.S. Brown Genre: SciFi Fantasy

Vampires have infiltrated the highest offices of the United States government. Secretly working with top scientists in the CDC and the nation’s most prestigious universities, this clandestine network creates the ultimate weapon for the undead: a particle bomb that, once detonated, transforms any humans within the blast radius into vampires. The world’s human leaders deploy nuclear weapons in a desperate attempt to quell the out-of-control vampire infestation. In their quest for global domination, the vampires propel the world into the greatest of all wars. A nuclear winter envelops the planet, which provides a haven for the vampires to rise up and fully realize their domination over humankind. Prater Saxon, a half-human/half-vampire survivor in the post-apocalyptic aftermath of the war, lives alone in a world in ruins. Despite his efforts to maintain his solitude as he makes his way through the desolate wastelands, Prater finds himself drawn into a new war brewing between the humans and vampires.For millennia, humans ruled the Earth. Their rule…may have finally come to an end. VAMPOCALYPSE is a dark, gritty, post-apocalyptic tale of survival in a land out of resources, high in crime, and overrun with vampires. When the military can’t stop the danger, it’s up to one man to lead the charge against annihilation. Fans of The Walking Dead will love E.S. Brown’s newest novel. Goodreads * Amazon Book Trailers https://youtu.be/9lUlutWb85Y

https://youtu.be/h5Uys3h- GU8

E.S. Brown has lived nearly his entire life in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, which has provided the ideal climate for him to foster his love of writing. He is fueled by an overactive imagination and caffeine – a perfect storm that has translated into many late nights researching and working on any number of fantastical tales waiting to be told. His interests include a love of living a healthy lifestyle, inspiring others, and simply enjoying life and all its wonders. VAMPOCALYPSE is his second novel, following the release of STARPHOENIX in 2014. He is also a poet and is working on a self-help book (a journey of healing following his divorce in 2014). Other works in progress include sequels to Starphoenix and Vampocalypse, as well as a supernatural spy-thriller tentatively titled CODENAME: SCARLETT. E.S. Brown lives in Puyallup, Washington, where he balances writing with his day job and his cat and his two amazing kiddos. Website * Facebook * Vampocalypse * Twitter * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

PRATER

I fucking hate vampires.
They’re vile, disgusting creatures. And they’re everywhere.
I see what the world has become. My gray eyes take in the world around me as I walk
among death. The never-changing monochrome skies – the result of the ensuing war that took
place after the Great Turn – blanket each day with a gloomy hue. I wear sunglasses to filter out
the sickening tone, to put a damper on the dead sunrays that have been all but dispelled through
the damaged atmosphere.
True sunlight no longer touches the earth. And the world is all the worse for it. Without
the sun to shine through, the vampires no longer just rule the night; they rule the day, too.
A putrid odor permeates the air and saturates everything. Some may grow immune to the
smell, but not me. I remain acutely aware of what has become of our world. Adaptation is for the
weak, for those whose only means of survival is conformity.
The roads are long and the land is desolate. I spend much of my time wandering. There
are cities and towns, but I try to avoid them. I occasionally come across other wanderers. Some
travel alone, others in groups. Or if they’re vampires, they’re usually – though not always – in
packs.
Those in charge of this…new world…play a dangerous game no better or worse than
when humans ruled. A precarious existence has developed between vampires and humans,
though there’s no mistaking the vampires are in control.
Human or not, you never truly know who to trust. For most that’s a problem. For me it’s

E.S.Brown VAMPOCALYPSE
easy.
I trust no one.
Not even the boy – I lowered my sunglasses to get a better look…what was he, five years
old? – who limped toward me that afternoon. He approached from one of the long, dust covered
driveways that led to the occasional house branching off the barren road I roamed. I kept my eye
on him as he drew closer. He was pale and a bit unnaturally thin, and was hunched forward a
little to his right.
There was a “Stop” sign on my right. Someone had written “Beware! Vampires!” on it.
An effort in futility. I quickly surveyed the area around me. From where I stood I saw half a
dozen scattered homes with no one else around. Rolling hills blurry in a fog of dust-filled air
were in the far distance off one side of the straight road. The other side was bleak and flat. Just
like pretty much everyplace else. I wasn’t exactly sure what part of the country I was in, but it
wouldn’t have mattered. Outside of the cities, from what I had seen, the entire United States was
one giant, dry dust bowl.
I stood at the end of the driveway and stared at the boy as he continued to walk toward
me. He was about twenty feet away. I pushed my sunglasses back up.
“Stop.”
The boy stopped. We stood there for a few moments, neither of us saying anything, as I
slowly raised my hand behind my head…and grasped the hilt of one of the two swords strapped
in an “X” across my back.
The boy stretched a hand out toward me.
“Mister?”
He started to move forward.

E.S.Brown VAMPOCALYPSE
“Stay right there,” I warned.
He stopped again.
“What do you want?”
The boy swallowed hard. Even at that distance I could see his lips were heavily chapped.
“I’m hungry, mister. Do you have anything to eat?”
“No. I don’t.”
The boy cocked his head to one side. “I’m so hungry and I haven’t eaten in days.”
The boy started walking forward again.
Dammit. I didn’t want this to turn into something it wasn’t. But I had the feeling I wasn’t
going to get my way.
I shifted my stance and redistributed my weight as I pulled the sword partway out of its
sheath.
Trust no one.
The boy pointed at the satchel hanging at my left side as he continued to limp toward me.
“You got some food in there? Just…a bite? Anything, sir, please…”
I drew the sword completely and held it with both hands in front of me.
“I don’t know you, boy. I’m telling you to stay back.”
The boy stopped – again – about ten feet away. He gave me a curious look then stood up
straight as if his physical ailments were suddenly gone. A crooked boy no more. I held my sword
steady.
The boy raised his arms as he sneered at me. His fingertips had transformed into sharp
talons and his snarl exposed a mouthful of razors.
I knew it. A fucking vampire.

E.S.Brown VAMPOCALYPSE
The boy – he, it – leapt at me, right at my head. The boy-creature abruptly somersaulted
midair and dropped – my blade sliced empty air, missing due to his sudden airborne maneuver –
and his feet landed squarely into my groin. Sonofabitch.
I keeled forward, the pain reverberating through every nerve ending in my body. The boy
scrambled around and was on my back before I knew it. He grasped at my head, knocking off my
sunglasses, and covering my eyes with his forearms. I tried to stab the sword blindly over my
head. Despite his small size the boy’s grip was strong and he started twisting my head sideways
as I continued my random jabs. Pain shot through my neck as it felt like it was about to be
twisted off.
One of my stabs finally nicked the boy on top of his head. He screeched and loosened his
grip. I reached back with a free hand, grabbed him and flung him forward.
The boy twisted in the air, landing in a three-point stance facing me. Saliva dripped from
his fangs as he bared them. I displayed my sword high, ready to strike.
“Stop now, boy, while you have your life.”
The boy-creature ran at me on all fours, snapping and snarling like some sort of feral
animal. Just as he was within reach of my blade he jumped over me, bounced when he landed,
went up and over me again, and bounced again. Over and over this went, faster and faster as it
progressed. It was almost as if there was more than just the one of him. Sometimes he landed
real close, and I would swing and slash but always missed.
I was growing increasingly frustrated. Most vampires I’d faced were relatively easy to
dispose of…but once in awhile I would come across one of exceptional speed and agility that
provided me a life-or-death workout I appreciated but never enjoyed.
At one point the boy cartwheeled in the air over me, close enough to where he dug the

E.S.Brown VAMPOCALYPSE
claws of one of his hands into my face as he went overhead. His razor-like fingers scratched
from my right cheek, over my eye, and partway up my forehead. Warm blood flowed into my
eyes.
The boy landed on the other side of me and hissed. I wiped the blood away and rushed at
him. Every thrust, stab, and slice of my sword was evaded through a complex series of inhuman
twists and turns. It didn’t help that he was much smaller than me. Good against an adult was one
thing…good against a child with speed and agility as if he was in the prime of adulthood was
something else. And I didn’t know how old this “boy” actually was. He could have been decades
old for all I knew…an aging soul forever trapped in the body of a child.
This was definitely no mere youth, as I was reminded when he dropped low under my
blade and swiped at my feet with one of his legs. I fell flat on my back. The wind was knocked out
of me but I was able to maintain grip of my sword.
The boy was on me in an instant. I brought my sword up just as he bore his claws down
at my face. He grabbed the blade with his hands. I pushed up as hard as I could, trying to get the
blade’s edge closer to the boy’s face, but he seemed to have the strength of five men. He gripped
the blade tighter. The sword began to cut into his palms and blood dripped from his hands and
onto my face.
For a moment I tasted the cold, dead vampire blood.
With a final push, I thrust the sword up. The flat side of the blade smacked against the
bridge of the boy-creature’s nose. His head recoiled back. I took advantage of the moment and
shoved him off me.
I rolled up onto my feet and raised my sword for the final blow. I swung down hard and
fast…but the boy was just as fast. A well-placed swift kick sent the sword flying out of my hands.

E.S.Brown VAMPOCALYPSE
To the boy’s surprise I continued my downward motion, grabbing him by one arm and
one leg. I lifted him up while he writhed and screeched. Holding him in front of me I spun
around twice. With a final grunt I released him high into the air with all my might.
The boy soared up and away from me. That is, until he twisted around into an upright
position…flight. Damn. Thankfully, not all of them are capable of flight. But it’s worse when they
are.
The boy’s arms were outstretched at his sides, and he glared down at me with a
combination of hatred and exasperation. I could only imagine that I had that same look towards
him.
The boy dove at me, claws first. Just as he was almost upon me I stooped low, reached
back and grabbed the other sword that was strapped to my back and swung it. The boy’s body
fell to one side of me…while his head fell to the other.
With the adrenaline in me receding I realized how heavy I was breathing. I shook off any
loose blood and replaced the blade into its sheath on my back.
I slumped down onto my knees next to the body and brought my breathing under control.
I put my hand to my mouth and carefully removed the set of false teeth I was wearing and placed
them in my satchel. My body tensed in anticipation of what was to come. Even though I’d dealt
with this for thirty years, it never got any easier.
The pain was no longer excruciating but was there nonetheless. The sharp points of my
real teeth broke through my gums and extended out about half an inch before stopping. At least
my gums didn’t bleed anymore whenever this happened.
I looked at the lifeless body lying in front of me. I didn’t even pause as I dropped on top
of the boy-creature and sunk my teeth into the open flesh of the headless neck – sucking and

E.S.Brown VAMPOCALYPSE
taking in his blood. Human blood was good, but vampire blood was always better. My body felt
reenergized as the nectar began to course through me…
I wished there was another way, especially when it came to children. But this was what
the world had become. Survival of the fittest. Dog eat dog.
Or, more accurately, vampire eat vampire.
‘cause, you know, we all gotta eat.
Just because I don’t like what I am doesn’t mean I don’t deny what I am.
Just because you are what you hate doesn’t mean you don’t have the right to hate. I
didn’t choose to be this way. I was born this way.
After I finished feeding, I got up and retrieved my other sword and put it away. I then
headed back to the street where our fight started.
And there they were. My sunglasses. I picked them up and – dammit – the earpieces were
bent. Again. I hate it when that happens. I gingerly straightened them back out. I’ve done that
way too much. Only a matter of time before they finally…
{{{SNAP}}}
One of the earpieces broke off.
I fucking hate vampires.

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Mermaidia A Limited Edition Anthology Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal

Love mermaids and all creatures aquatic? This limited time anthology is just for you! With more than 700 pages of captivating fiction, you’ll be enchanted by sirens, dive the depths with a mermaid, and fear whether the sea witch is friend or foe. With stories from: Catherine Banks Kai Ellory Viola Mia Ellas Anthea Sharp Kristi Lea LA Fox Nicole Zoltack Mara Amberly Raine English Margo Bond Collins Sara Elizabeth Mikayla Symonett Tricia Schneider Merrie Destefano Bokerah Brumley Rachel A. Marks and Pauline Creeden Are you ready to dive in before your chance is lost forever? Then order this limited-edition collection of exclusive material from USA Today and award-winning authors Including the following stories and more! Queen of the Island by Bokerah Brumley Fated to be together, Calder and his mate must overcome the evil nymph that would keep them apart. Seize the Storm by Kristi Lea An Isyre hides from the hunters who killed her family, as far from any ocean as she can be. The fire mage who discovers her secrets has a few of his own. Can they trust each other to face their pasts Touched by a Mermaid by Raine English A secret society. A sea witch bent on revenge. An ancient world in peril. Paranormal Maritime War by Nicole Zoltack A stolen selkie skin just might start a war between the merfolk, the selkies, and the sirens. Racing the Clock by Catherine Banks “You will seduce the prince and convince him to give you his soul. If you fail, you will give me your soul for eternity.” The Church of Moon and Sea by Sara Elizabeth She must choose between two loves – the sea or the land. Fury by Merrie Destefano To survive, she made a secret deal in the Underworld. Soul’s Reef – Kai Ellory Viola A mysterious phenomenon. A weird cult. Vaccines needed at the end of the universe – Captain Holloway just needs to get through the reefs. The Sea of Time and Stars by Mara Amberly “A woman watched from just above the water line, her sleek blue hair drifting in the water around her. One moment she was there and the next she was gone; so quickly I could’ve put it down to my imagination or a hallucination from my injuries.” **Only 99 cents until March 8th! **Goodreads * Amazon

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The palace corridors felt cold and hollow, my footsteps echoed off polished granite walls. From
time to time, a familiar face nodded and spoke a greeting, but I never heard their words.
I felt like I was caught in a whirlpool.
Because no matter how far I walked, I couldn’t shake off the warmth of Riley’s kiss.
It didn’t make sense. She wasn’t my type. She was too young and too feisty and too much like
me. I hated to admit it, but I preferred girls who were easy to manipulate and who weren’t all
that bright.
Riley was neither one of those.
The sooner I got her out of Rìoghachd, the better. Then I could get back to my regular life. I
pulled my shoulders back as I picked up my pace, walking faster, remembering how I used to
spend my days and nights. Gambling with Sea Warriors who sank and plundered human ships.
Taking midnight strolls through Scottish villages where the girls didn’t notice my blue skin.

Dining at the King’s table from golden plates and drinking salty seawine from diamond-
embellished goblets.

Everything about my life had been off-kilter since that wretched Selkie arrived.
It felt empty.
I hated it.

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