by admin | Jun 10, 2025 | Dystopian & Apocalyptic |
The world was ready to defend against an asteroid of epic proportions… but nobody was ready for what came after.
On the last day of normality in Mackinaw, Illinois, Oliver McCallister thinks his worst problem is figuring out how to come clean to his wife about the secret he’s been keeping from her. Zoe McCallister thinks her worst problem is squeezing in an errand at the courthouse before another long day of nursing classes—and worrying about whatever Oliver is hiding from her.
Oliver has just started his garbage route when an emergency broadcast announces the arrival of a ten-kilometer-long asteroid. A nuclear strike successfully destroys the asteroid and turns the sky into a canvas of crimson clouds. People cheer. They dance in the rust-colored rain falling from the clouds. It seems the apocalypse has been avoided.
But the apocalypse isn’t happening to people, it’s happening inside them.
First their eyes bleed. A ravenous hunger consumes them. Their sanity breaks. Then they become… the undead.
As the apocalypse unfolds, Oliver battles the undead to rescue a wise-beyond-her-years six-year-old named Jurnee and make his way back home, where he hopes he’ll find Zoe and safety. Before they can be reunited, Zoe must band together with a group of survivors to dodge the infectious red rains and escape a zombie-infested courthouse.
Will Zoe’s medical knowledge, Oliver’s protective instincts, and Jurnee’s indomitable spirit be enough for them to find safe refuge in this new and frightening world? Will Oliver and Zoe be able to repair their strained marriage, or will this dire situation push them further apart?
Rust-Colored Rain is the first book in a thrilling new science fiction zombie series from the author of the award-winning God Stones series. If you’re yearning for a character-driven thrill ride, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and brain-craving zombies, then you’ll love Otto Schafer’s Rust-Colored Rain.
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by admin | Jun 10, 2025 | Horror & Paranormal |
An action-packed, coming of age horror tale, full of twists, turns and unexpected adventures. Zak and Wendy are a couple of horror buffs who love Halloween. In their sleepy, run-down little town, an exciting attraction promises to inject some life into the place for one special night only. A travelling carnival, making its debut on Halloween. Anticipation builds, and the mysterious ‘Halloween Land’ carnival is the talk of the town; the calliope music, bright lights, and sweet and savoury smells from the pop-up carnival lure in the crowds flocking to the pier. The two teenage friends Zak and Wendy are eager to be among the first. Revelations unfold, mysteries peek from the outer limits. The kids have to think and act fast to defeat the evil that’s come to town and it’s nothing like in the movies! This tale is full of mystery, fun, magic, tension and dread. Step up for the ride, give your ticket to the clown, she’ll show you a good time; no one can say where you will end up, but it’ll be a wicked ride! PRAISE FOR HALLOWEEN LAND “A fun, spook-filled throwback that evokes Laymon and R. L. Stein in equal measure… imbued with a real sense of adventure.” — Kyle M. Scott, author of The Club and Dark Island Kennedy has given us a great tale, reminiscent of Bradbury. Halloween Land was truly a joy to read. — Andrew Lennon, author of A Life to Waste “Kevin J. Kennedy’s Halloween Land peeled back the years of adulthood and revived the youthful lover of All Hallows’ Eve inside me. This fun and frightening tale of a Halloween carnival with sinister intentions captivated and entertained me from beginning to end. Buy your ticket now… but beware of the Funhouse!” — Ronald Kelly, author of Fear, Undertaker’s Moon, and Irish Gothic “A genuinely creepy, nostalgic romp from light into deepest darkness.” — Christopher Motz, author of Pine Lakes and A Hostile Takeover “Kennedy’s ‘Halloween Land’ comes at you a million miles an hour. Filled with as much emotional depth as carnage. This one will have you hooked from page one!” — Steve Stred, author of Ritual If the thought of crazed clowns and killer carnivals have you trembling from both fear and anticipation, then Kevin Kennedy’s Halloweenland is the nightmarish novella that you need. — J.C. Michael, author of Pandemonium and You Only Get One Shot “Old school horror clashes with new in this surgically-lean coming of age tale. Lean, hip, and well-seasoned with blood and carnage, just the thing to get you in the Halloween spirit.” — Tim Curran, author of Clownflesh and Bioterror “Part Bradbury, part Laymon, Halloween Land is something straight off the paperback horror rack! Classic horror fans need to check this out.” — Glenn Rolfe, author of August’s Eyes and Until Summer Comes Around “Halloween Land may be dripping festive themes, but you do not need to wait for Fall to get your ticket to the dark carnival. The wonderful blend of Halloween, carnival, and coming-of-age tropes blend perfectly into a fun and enthralling novella. Halloween Land is horror comfort food to be consumed in one sitting, perhaps by a fire with a stiff drink and some leftover candy. The story starts in a Halloween carnival to tickle your inner child before powering into adult badassery. The adventure is full of the barrage of monsters and battles you come to expect from Kevin J. Kennedy. Get in line to see if you survive the Fun House!” — Christine Bergling, author of Savages and The Rest Will Come
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by admin | Jun 9, 2025 | History, Politics & Culture |
“This Will Change Everything offers seemingly radical but actually feasible ideas with the potential to change the world.”—Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel
Editor John Brockman continues in the same vein as his popular compilations What Are You Optimistic About and What Have You Changed Your Mind About with This Will Change Everything. Brockman asks 150 intellectual superstars “what game-changing scientific ideas and developments do you expect to live to see?” Their fascinating responses are collected here, from bestselling author of Atonement Ian McEwan to Nobel Prize-winning physicist Frank Wilczek to electronic music pioneer Brian Eno to writer, actor, director, and activist Alan Alda.
by admin | Jun 9, 2025 | Fantasy |
Set in an alternate Europe, the first Crown of Stars epic fantasy chronicles a world-shaking conflict for the survival of humanity.
“A complex fantasy world with intriguing parallels to European history, colorful characters, and plenty of action and magic.” —Locus
It begins with civil war . . .
For though King Henry still holds the crown of Wendar, his reign has long been contested by his sister Sabella. There are many eager to flock to her banner, and there are ways to make even the most unwilling lord into a weapon pointed at the heart of Henry’s realm.
Torn by internal strife, Wendar also faces deadly raids from the north by an inhuman race, the Eika. And now terrifying portents are being seen; old ruins restored to life under the light of the full moon and peopled by the long-vanished Lost Ones; dark spirits walking the land in broad daylight. And suddenly two innocents are about to be thrust into the middle of the conflict.
Liath, who has spent her early years fleeing from unknown enemies, is a young woman with the power to change the course of history if she can only learn to master her fear and seize what is rightfully hers.
While Alain, a young man who may find his future in a vision granted by the Lady of Battles, must first unravel the mystery of who he is—whether the bastard son of a noble father, the half-breed child of an elfin lord, the unwanted get of a whore, or the heir to a proud and ancient lineage. For only when he discovers the truth can he accept the destiny for which he was born.
Liath and Alain, each trapped in a personal struggle for survival, both helplessly being drawn into a far greater battle, a war in which sorcery not swords will determine the final outcome, and the land itself may be irrevocably reshaped by the forces unleashed . . .
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by admin | Jun 9, 2025 | Science Fiction |
Ash would have given her life to save her teammates.
Instead, they gave their lives to save hers.
Lieutenant Ramie Ashdyn is an anomaly, a person whose genetics makes her stronger and smarter than the average human. She’s pledged her life to protect the Coalition, an alliance of thirteen planetary systems, but when a top secret operation turns bloody, she’s charged with treason and the brutal executions of her teammates.
The Coalition needs the information Ash’s team stole on their last mission, so they send in Commander Rhys “Rest in Peace” Rykus to get it. He’s the man who’s responsible for turning Ash into an elite soldier… and he’s a man who isn’t, never was, and never will be in love with the woman he trained. Or so he tells himself.
Ash wants nothing more than to clear her name and be the woman her former instructor wants her to be, but the enemy who killed her teammates did more than frame her for treason and murder: they telepathically silenced her mind, preventing her from saying anything that might point to the truth about what happened.
Now Ash is trapped and set to be executed, the truth dying with her. Unless she can prove her innocence. But taking that path could destroy the Coalition she’s sworn to preserve and protect…
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