Crafting Fantasy

The day after Hugo gains access to magic, his train explodes. Unknown magic flings him back in time, and he narrowly avoids death this time. While he is trying to unravel the mystery of this unexpected second chance, life goes on. His new gifts lead him to the magic academy. At the school, he will face off against noble students who don’t want him to be there, teachers who expect him to already know everything, and literal monsters that want to kill him.

The great city of Alt Coulumb is in crisis. The moon goddess, Seril, long thought dead, is back - and the people of Alt Coulumb aren't happy. Protests rock the city, and Kos Everburning's creditors attempt a hostile takeover of the fire god's church. Tara Abernathy, the god's in-house Craftswoman, must defend the church against the world's fiercest necromantic firm - and against her old classmate, a rising star in the Craftwork world.

Magic is a gift. A pretty miraculous one, in my opinion. It also comes with responsibilities—things like protecting the town that made this possible. Sadly, that means my last battle with the evil coven may have caused a tiny little problem. The spell that protects this place is fading. My power is fine, but a magical ritual like that takes six wixen to make possible. That means I have two choices: I can either let it fade or work with the assholes I just pissed off. Or, maybe I can find a third option?

Geo thought that the only thing he'd ever be is a miner for SMB... ...but his new best friend is closer than he ever would have thought! While intergalactic space mining might sound like action and adventure, it's pretty much a drag. Geo Statler's job with SMB Mining is the only job he's ever had, which isn't a surprise since there are only three employers left on Earth! It's going nowhere, though, since the 'E' in his job title doesn't stand for 'essential', but rather, 'expendable.' After a gas venting mishap leaves him with a symbiote inside of his brain, Geo finds his life, and loves, ...

A young woman hunts for her wayward shadow at the school where she first learned magic - while another faces a test she never studied for as ice envelopes the world. The tasks assigned a bookish boy lead him to fateful encounters with lizards, owls, trolls, and a feisty, sarcastic cat. A bear wedding is cause for celebration, the spinning wheel and the tower in the briar hedge get to tell their own stories, and a kitchen maid finds out that a lost princess is more than she seems. The sea witch reveals what she hoped to gain when she took the mermaid's voice.

Whether you’re dreaming of galactic empires, magical kingdoms, or dystopian futures, this comprehensive guide will help you bring your imagined worlds to life—and keep readers turning pages. Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy is your essential companion for crafting compelling characters, building immersive settings, and mastering the tools of powerful storytelling. You’ll learn: Worldbuilding Creating magic systems and technologies that feel real Pacing, suspense, and scene structure Character arcs, voice, viewpoint, and more How to write each genre, from time travel to high fantasy...

Included in a Will has Aunt Zelda in the Hot Seat Aunt Zelda is called in for questioning when she's included in the will of a murder victim. Since Steve, Penze's squeeze is in on the questioning at the police station, she's none too pleased that he's putting her aunt through the wringer. The Mazurski women decide that in order to help their aunt, they need to case the murder scene. However, someone beat them to it and doesn't like intruders, putting their lives in danger. Can the women figure out how to help aunt Zelda without getting killed themselves? And why does cousin Madge only come ...

Everyone has secrets—ghosts are no exception… FREE on Kindle Unlimited! Finding her body taken over by a ghost with unfinished business while entertaining a tempting (yet dangerous sounding) invitation from Rick Rowling—her boss—has Amanda Meyer, FBI special assistant and resident ghost whisperer for the Paranormal Cases Division, in a tailspin. Her drag-queen-guardian ghost is acting even stranger than usual, a murder victim holds a clue to finding a stolen sculpture, and a parade of well-meaning family members might just set another murder in motion. What’s the girl nicknamed ...

The end is here—and Alec West holds the fuse. After shattering the Ascension Gate and entering the Core World, Alec—now an Ascendant Warden—stands one irreversible choice away from saving Earth… or severing it forever. The Beacon’s heart is broken. The Void Dragon rules the skies. A one-minute countdown ticks across every reality shard. Worse, Harbinger champion Darius Kane wants the Beacon’s core—and the power to reshape existence—for himself. To stop the collapse, Alec must: Reunite his scattered party—Rina, Virgil, Cole, Mark, Eleanor, and Miranda—within a realm where...

Even if you’ve never played Dungeons & Dragons, you probably know someone who has: the game has had a profound influence on our culture, and 2014 marks the intriguing role-playing phenomenon’s 40th anniversary. Released decades before the Internet and social media, Dungeons & Dragons inspired one of the original nerd subcultures and is still revered by more than 30 million fans. Now, the authoritative history and magic of the game are revealed by an award-winning journalist and lifelong D&D player.

Spooks and magic, a mystic invitation, and an ancient monster on a killing spree… Free on Kindle Unlimited! It’s Halloween in Kyoto—the city of ghosts, fairies, gods and goddesses—where magick rules. Mandy and Rick Rowling are preparing to go back home to New York. But before they go, the god of thunder summons Mandy and Sara Abe, a local detective and sorceress, handing them “a small and easy” assignment to finish before the Rowlings leave this mystic city. A monster strikes during a fundraiser that Rick, Mandy, Sara, and her fiancé are attending. Once the mayhem begins, the ...

On the island of Kavekana, Priestess Kai builds gods to order - sort of. Kai's creations are perfect vehicles for Craftsmen and Craftswomen operating in the Old World. For beyond the ocean, true deities still thrive, untouched by the God Wars that transformed the city-states of Alt Coulumb and Dresediel Lex. When Kai tries to save a friend's dying idol, she's gravely injured - then sidelined from the business, her near-suicidal rescue attempt offered up as proof of her instability.

Mika Marshall is back at the University of Morgana. It is her first fall semester, her first homecoming and Samhain on Morgana’s Island. So much is the same her first day and yet...so much is different. She is no longer the girl who couldn’t do basic magic, but she’s losing control - she’s finding it difficult to rejoin the living after what she had to do to win the challenge. Claire refused to yield, and Mika had to take her life to stay alive.

As soon as Lily opens her recently purchased trunk of old clothes, she feels strange vibrations emanating from a mysterious velvet cloak. When she tries it on, Lily sees awful visions from the past. And when the antiques dealer who sold her the cape is killed, Lily suspects a supernatural force might be behind his death. Then Lily's familiar, Oscar the potbellied pig, disappears. Lily will do anything to get him back - including battling the spirit of a powerful witch reaching out from the past.

Noah's recent departure from Dunbar leads him into places unknown. With newly upgraded powers and items of his own creation, he must navigate a dangerous landscape, facing formidable foes while making unexpected allies. From the dark walls of Karak Hold, Noah mines to uncover unique ores. With his gains he'll develop advanced tools and machinery to improve what he creates. A lot can go wrong because with new levels and skills, comes additional danger.

Jane Madison has a problem. Or two. Or three. She’s unhappily working as a librarian. She has a crush on her oblivious Imaginary Boyfriend. And she just learned she won’t receive a well-deserved raise; instead, she can live for free in a cottage on the library grounds. When Jane settles into her new home, she discovers a hidden chamber lined with ancient books about witchcraft. Her first spell awakens a feline familiar. Her second makes her irresistible to men. Those magical workings attract a sexy magical warder, and Jane’s life is quickly turned upside down.

The God Wars destroyed the city of Alikand. Now, a century and a half and a great many construction contracts later, Agdel Lex rises in its place. Dead deities litter the surrounding desert, streets shift when people aren't looking, a squidlike tower dominates the skyline, and the foreign Iskari Rectification Authority keeps strict order in this once-independent city - while treasure seekers, criminals, combat librarians, nightmare artists, angels, demons, dispossessed knights, grad students, and other fools gather in its ever-changing alleys, hungry for the next big score.

History is filled with stories of women accused of witchcraft, of fearsome girls with arcane knowledge. Toil & Trouble features 15 stories of girls embracing their power, reclaiming their destinies, and using their magic to create, to curse, to cure - and to kill.

Trees decorated, stockings full of presents, and another case to crack! FREE on Kindle Unlimited! The Rowling family is gearing up for another Merry Christmas, and Mandy has her hands full with holiday prep, but how can she get into the spirit of the season when the victim in her latest case isn’t a ghost? Twenty years ago, during a Christmas Eve blackout, Kevin Holt, the husband of a rich heiress, lost his memory in a fall down the stairs of their mansion. Now he’s discovered evidence that someone might have been trying to kill him, and all he wants for Christmas is to find out who. ...

Murder investigation is tricky--especially when the deceased threatens to kill you... FREE on Kindle Unlimited! Former medical student turned FBI special assistant Amanda Meyer isn’t thrilled about her new gig as a ghost whisperer, especially now that she has the spirit of a departed drag queen following her around. But having a pal on the other side may just come in handy when a billionaire’s widow meets her untimely demise and Amanda and her oh so sexy boss, Rick Rowling, head of the Paranormal Cases Division, are called in to find the killer. With nine scandalous suspects, nine ...