One Step At a Time

 Buck Fever: It’s the week before deer hunting season, as close to a statewide holiday as you get in Texas, and the locals are getting restless. Game Warden John Marlin has his hands full with poaching complaints coming in faster than he can write out-of-season tickets. Then a call of a different sort comes in. A man dressed up in some sort of deer costume has been shot at the Circle S ranch, and witnesses are reporting a massive wild-eyed buck prancing about the pasture in a lovesick frenzy. Marlin’s seen a lot in his years, but this is wilder than he could have imagined: the man in the deer suit is a good friend, and the whacked-out whitetail isn’t exactly a stranger either. It’s the beginning of a mad, frantic weekend in Blanco County, one that will see a few more men shot, an invasion by Colombians with more than hunting on their minds, and damn near the end of Marlin’s life.

Discover Ànifa’s thrilling tale in the first book of the Rebalancing the Cosmos series.

Eklatros is a peaceful planet, untouched by war for thousands of years. Throughout the ages since the back-to-back conflicts known as the War for Equality and the Dark War, humans have become soft. Their history has become myth, and the magic that was once abundant is fading away.

Now, Eklatros faces its gravest threat yet from an alien horde known as the Gnusar. Cities are being ravaged while the Gnusar’s all-powerful leader slowly corrupts the animals and gods of Eklatros. The planet’s only hope for survival rests in a mysterious elvish woman, simply known as Ànifa. Without any memory of who she is or where she comes from, Ànifa must journey across Eklatros to reclaim her memories while reviving and awakening the planet. Aided by her newfound friends and companions — an elderly sorcerer, a drunken knight, a mysterious man out of time, a foul-mouthed privateer, and others — can Ànifa’s party come together in time to save Eklatros?

Donora, Pennsylvania — December, 1923

It’s Christmastime and twenty-four-year-old Socialite, Wrenly Hawthorne, is teetering between the comfort of family wealth and her risky drive for independence. Feeling estranged from friends and at odds with her parents, she is searching for “something more.” With keen interest in the freedom that the women’s right to vote should have brought, she studies the stock market and plans to attend school. She is sure she can build the life she wants, but will she risk everything to do it?

Enter boxer Cyril Mankovic. He returns to Donora after his mother dies while giving birth to his one and only sister, Olive. He is unprepared for what she and his seven younger brothers need and he is shocked that his father has no plan to care for them. Cyril’s quest to make fast money for his family brings him face-to-face with Wrenly at the moment she is firmly declining the proposal of a very “suitable man.” A WWI veteran, Cyril earns money barnstorming the country, living a life where only his needs matter. But the longer Cyril is home the more his sense of responsibility develops.

Family secrets, a Boxing Day boxing match, an exclusive women’s investment club, and the magic of the Donora holiday season merge Wrenly and Cyril’s paths in unforeseen ways. Is their growing affection enough to overcome their differences? Join them as the wonder of love and family challenges everything they thought they knew.

‘A perfectly fun book to read as part of your family’s Christmas traditions.’

For children aged 3 to 8

Last year Santa was hungry and thirsty by the time he delivered all the presents. But when he came home there was no food and drink left! This year Santa decides things are going to be different.

‘Lily Lawson has delivered a special gift in this book, just like Santa does himself… ‘

‘It’s very worth purchasing as it’s something that you could read year upon year.’

‘This is a beautiful book and a welcome addition to any child’s pile of Christmas books.’

‘A brilliant Christmas read to get the kids giggling!’

Classic horror from the prolific author of ghost stories and supernatural fiction, and thought by H. P. Lovecraft to be the best “weird tale” of all time.

“Algernon Blackwood’s novella The Willows uses setting like a master. This story is considered by Lovecraft and others to be one of the greatest horror short stories of all time… I can tell you it creeped me out more than I thought it would. It’s a simple tale: two men traveling the Danube by boat end up stopping at an island of willows to pass the night, and they begin to realize that they have trespassed upon a land that does not welcome them, and isn’t really a part of our own world. I went in knowing that it greatly influenced Lovecraft, and the parallels in ideas and style are readily apparent in the last half of the story… A beautifully written, enjoyably creepy novella.” — ChicagoNow

“Represents a high point in the development of the horror genre — in fact, horror master H. P. Lovecraft regarded it as the best supernatural tale ever written. More thought-provoking than gory or terrifying, The Willows is a must-read for fans of classic ghost stories.” — NPR.org

“Mind-blowing eeriness… [a] slow-thickening, vibrating, vegetable atmosphere of dread.” — Tor.com

“It’s easy to see why this story was revered by Lovecraft and others. It is a textbook example of the classic weird tale, evocatively conjuring the mystery and otherworldly dread that are the hallmarks of such fiction. It moves a little slowly, but patient readers will be well-rewarded with a deeply unsettling slice of cosmic horror.” — My Weird Life

Previously published as Stollen Kisses by Huni, Lia (AUTHOR).

Jamie O’Callaghan might have bitten off more than she can chew…

When her boyfriend cheated, Jamie did what any rational math teacher would do: she moved three thousand miles to Rotheberg, the “Alpine Jewel of Oregon.” She can live with the town’s weird obsession with The Sound of Music, and Mrs. Fogelhaus’s stollen is to die for, but when her principal assigns her a baking class, she needs help. She teaches calculations, not cooking.

Rotheberg’s golden boy, Dylan Mead, should be the solution to her equation. The culinary genius is handsome, loaded, and would do anything for his hometown. Helping Jamie teach a bunch of kids to bake brownies should be a piece of cake. Except he wants to demolish her classroom to build his bakery.

But Jamie’s not about to throw in the towel and return to Virginia. She’s not going to let a silver-spooned pastry chef torch her class. And she’s definitely not going to let him melt her heart.

Watch out, Dylan Mead–this mathematician’s got your number.

When You Bake with the Enemy is a sweet, closed-door, enemies-to-more, small-town romantic comedy with plenty of chemistry, a dash of kitschy “Bavarian” atmosphere, and a side order of delicious pastry. Plus a guaranteed happily ever after.