What If? Science Fiction/ Fantasy Writers

As a tracker of curse magic, dark artifacts, and forbidden netherwork, Kali Sullivan is one of a kind, and not just as a bounty hunter. They think she’s a demon. What they don’t know can definitely kill them—and worse.It only takes one slip to throw a curse into utter chaos. So when an overconfident target gets himself killed before Kali can take him in, she’s left to pick up the pieces. And to figure out which magical nutjob had the bright idea to start tattooing casting circles on their victims.When staking out another dark-magic suspect reveals far more than who’s behind the attacks on humans, the ghosts of Kali’s past come calling in an unexpected way. Their messages give a whole new meaning to who and what she truly is, and it’s darker than she thought. Especially when the one job Kali refused is the one she really should have taken.Fans of Patricia Briggs and Kim Harrison will love this action-packed Urban Fantasy Adventure from International Bestselling Author Kathrin Hutson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Milton Frederick never had the chance to live out his life as a professional gamer on Earth, mainly because he was abducted by aliens. Unfortunately, he wasn’t returned home after the typical probing associated with such things to tell an unbelievable story to his friends. Instead, he was summarily killed and his consciousness was inserted into a Station Core, a giant metal egg-shaped object that could use technology to create traps, Combat Units, and other defenses to protect not just himself but those he cared about.Despite killing him and sticking his mind in what was essentially a giant computer, the aliens that went by the name “The Collective” weren’t actually a bad group of people. Ultimately, what they had done to Milton had been to save themselves from the incessant attacks of a different group of aliens called Heliothropes; sadly, he never made it to where he was supposed to end up. Rather, his Station Core ended up crash-landing on a foreign planet named Proctus, as far from The Collective as it was possible to get.However, through many difficult scenarios and by adapting to his new form, Milton was eventually able to leave Proctus with some new friends and new ships he had built with the help of his versatile drones. Now bound for Collective space to fulfill a promise to his personal AI guide, ALANNA, Milton and his crew use their trans-dimensional drive to journey there through a strange dimension that cuts down on their travel time.What they find waiting for them when they emerge is not what any of them were expecting Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seventy-five years from today, the human race has been cast from a dying Earth to wander the stars in a vast fleet of arks—each shaped by its inhabitants into a diverse and fascinating new environment, with its own rules and eccentricities.  When her sister disappears while responding to a mysterious alien distress call, Eryn insists on being part of the crew sent to look for her. What she discovers on Candidate-623 is both terrifying and deadly. When the threat follows her back to the fleet and people start dying, she is tasked with seeking out a legendary recluse who may just hold the key to humanity’s survival. Gareth L. Powell’s Embers of War won 2018 BSFA Award for Best Novel and was shortlisted for the 2019 Locus Awards and the 2021 Seiun Awards in Japan. Its sequels, Fleet of Knives and Light of Impossible Stars, were both shortlisted for the BSFA Award for Best Novel, and Fleet of Knives was also shortlisted for the 2020 Locus Awards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A talking cat, a boy genius, missing people, and an untrained Intern for Death. What could possibly go wrong?Did that really happen?There’s no way Death offered me a job. I’m a musician that makes her living as a waitress, with absolutely no training in the supernatural world. This is all a very bad dream.But Bob has been kidnapped, and I can’t possibly lose the only friend I have.Bob, you’d better be alive. Because if I just gave my soul to Death for nothing, I will personally kill you. Not to mention, it seems Death’s Interns have fairly short life expectancies.God, don’t let me die.* Death’s Intern is book one in the humorous Urban Fantasy Series The Intern Diaries. Isis Black is thrown into a supernatural world she didn’t know existed, and learns the hard way the Horsemen are real. Her world will never be the same. If you love quirky characters and action-packed adventure with lots of sass, dive in now!What readers are saying:"Well written … fast-paced … a mix of supernatural and earthly realms where Death resides … loved the humor … hooked from the very beginning … unusual connection to dark themes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shattered by her father’s decision to deny her the throne as the first female heir of Dravidia, Princess Verena makes the worst mistake of her life: She runs away. Her departure, days before her wedding to the heir of the Principality of Aulden, throws her nation into war. In a desperate bid to reverse the consequences of her choice, the princess returns to planet Jorn, anxious to prove herself worthy to rule. But it is too late. The princess finds her kingdom conquered by Prince Amiel ra Aulden. Now, Verena must earn back her birthright as well as the trust of her people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you lose everything you love, the whole world becomes the enemy.After his planet was invaded by ruthless Corporate forces, engineer Logan Twofeathers is trapped on Earth by the authorities, who are more afraid of starting a war than helping their people. He may be safe, but many others are still missing.When security tries to arrest him on trumped-up charges, he must find his own way to return to Kwelengsen. His only option is to seek out someone from his past--a borderline psychotic, who might just be crazy enough to help.Now, he must draw on all his strength and resilience as he undertakes a precarious and violent journey into the unknown, with enemies lurking in every shadow. The outlook is bleak, and all he has is his grit and sense of honor. Will that be enough?The battle is over. But the war is about to begin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It began four years ago with a worldwide uptick of bacterial infections: meningitis in Frankfurt, cholera in Johannesburg, tuberculosis in New Delhi. Although the outbreaks spread aggressively and proved impervious to our drugs of last resort, public health officials initially dismissed them as unrelated. They were wrong. Antibiotic resistance soon roiled across the globe. Diseases long thought beaten came surging back. The death toll skyrocketed. Then New York City was ravaged by the most heinous act of bioterror the world had ever seen, perpetrated by a new brand of extremist bent on pushing humanity to extinction. Detective Jacob Gibson, who lost his wife in the 8/17 attack, is home caring for his sick daughter when his partner summons him to a sprawling shantytown in Central Park, the apparent site of a mass murder. Jake is startled to discover that, despite a life of abject squalor, the victims died in perfect health—and his only hope of finding answers is a twelve-year-old boy on the run from some very dangerous men. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A searing far-future science fiction adventure about a lost human colony struggling to survive on an alien planet--no matter what the cost.Majstro Falchilo Kredo has devoted his life to protecting the abandoned earth colony of Duatero from Malamiko, the indigenous ecosystem that makes their crops fail and whose contamination turns humans into mindless monsters.But Malimiko is changing, becoming more dangerous, more aware, even as the ancient technology they use to combat it fails piece by precious piece. Kredo and his fellow soldiers must risk everything or see all they hold precious wiped away and forgotten.Kredo is prepared to sacrifice himself—and anyone around him—to do his duty. But what if the price demanded is even higher?“Combines power armoured soldiers from the pages of sci-fi pulps, a world as intriguing yet bleak as Mid-World from Stephen King’s Dark Tower, and an evil as terrifying and paranoia inducing as John Carpenter’s The Thing. A descent into the darkness of a failing world and the brutal zealotry of its defenders.” - Matt Moore, Aurora Award-winning author of It’s Not the End and Other Lies Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An unexpected time travel tale. When Carla Thompson falls asleep and doesn't wake up, she isshocked to discover what destiny has in store for her. Suspended between two worlds, she meetsIsambard Brunel, the legendary eighteenth-century civil engineer, who built the CliftonSuspension Bridge in Bristol, England, and who now serves as the guardian of its secrets. Historicalevents intertwine with Carla’s current reality and along the way she discovers a murder,encounters a host of characters, including Jamaican psychic, Matilda, and engages in verbalbanter with literary legend, Ernest Hemingway. Her adventures lead her to a startling revelationabout why she was chosen for her strange new role. In death, Carla realizes she has never feltmore alive.“Suspension takes on a double meaning in this clever story of a woman caught between worlds. This intriguing blend of time travel, the paranormal, and romance come to life through Christians’ vivid cast of well-drawn characters. Christians has added an imaginative and unique spin on time travel, taking Carla Thompson on a journey like no other. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"With the fast-paced first Conradverse urban fantasy, Shvartsman (Eridani’s Crown) delivers a laugh-out-loud, snarky adventure, throwing out pop culture references and wry observations with dizzying frequency....His supernatural New York City is vibrant and authentic, and Conrad fits right in with wisecracking fan favorite heroes like Harry Dresden and Simon Canderous. The result is a thoroughly satisfying romp."—Publishers WeeklyWhat would you do if you lost everything that mattered to you, as well as all means to protect yourself and others, but still had to save the day? Conrad Brent is about to find out.Conrad Brent protects the people of Brooklyn from monsters and magical threats. The snarky, wisecracking guardian also has a dangerous secret: he’s one in a million – literally.Magical ability comes to about one in every 30,000 and can manifest at any age. Conrad is rarer than this, however. He’s a middling, one of the half-gifted and totally despised. Most of the gifted community feels that middlings should be instantly killed. The few who don’t flat out hate them still aren’t excited to be around middlings. Meaning Conrad can’t tell anyone, not even his best friends, what he really is.Conrad hides in plain sight by being a part of the volunteer Watch, those magically gifted who protect their cities from dangerous, arcane threats. And, to pay the bills, Conrad moonlights as a private detective and monster hunter for the gifted community. Which helps him keep up his personal fiction – that he’s a magical version of Batman. Conrad does both jobs thanks to charms, artifacts, and his wits, along with copious amounts of coffee. But little does he know that events are about to change his life…forever.When Conrad discovers the Traveling Fair auction house has another middling who’s just manifested her so-called powers on the auction block, he’s determined to save her, regardless of risk. But what he finds out while doing so is even worse – the winning bidder works for a company that’s just created the most dangerous chemical weapon to ever hit the magical community.Before Conrad can convince anyone at the Watch of the danger, he’s exposed for what he really is. Now, stripped of rank, magical objects, friends and allies, Conrad has to try to save the world with only his wits. Thankfully though, no one’s taken away his coffee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Betrayal brings grave ending to a noble bloodline. Forced to flee, its sole surviving heir is spared this fate by the timely intervention of a haunter of the wilds. In his charge, the maiden embraces the lore of the dark arts and rises to become the watch-keep of the woods. As decades pass, with her legend growing, the ‘witch of root and earth’ weaves subtle deceits in a tangled web of vengeance.But will there be a fairy tale ending, or will poisoned legacies and pacts with dark forces see ambition unravel in her relentless pursuit of power?Bloody, and brilliantly realised, Baird’s dark fantasy nightmare spins a lavish tale of dread, desire, and fantastical fury. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

R-Group – The most connected cyber heroes in the world! Founded after decrypting the German Enigma Machine code for military strategy the three founders of the R-Group decided to help others from the moral high ground. Currently governments and private customers often seek support from the Zurich based team. The Enigma Series stories target relevant technology issues with each story as the R-Group outwits the cyber thugs from the Darknet. A foundation of real technology, a dab of history, world travel, intrigue, mystery, thrills and a splash of humor make these stories a cut above. ICABOD, their leading-edge supercomputer, supports the efforts of the team using bleeding edge programming and machine learning. Individually or in order, these award-winning stories will make you take a second and third look at your security. Available in eBook, paperback, and audible formats! Breakfield and Burkey name-Two of the Top Ten TechnoThriller Writers You Need To Be Reading-Caleb and Linda Pirtle declared in 2020! (https://calebandlindapirtle.com/breakfield-burkey-two-top-ten-techno-thriller-writers-need-reading/) Are your devices holding you captive with Tech·nol·o·gy (tekˈnäləjē) - Today’s weapon of choice… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Millions of years in the future, humanity has been driven out of the Milky Way and now calls the Andromeda Galaxy home. Lost in their murky past are the tales of great knights that held the line against the invasion of a dark force until the rest of humanity could escape their doom. The last and greatest of these knights was Galen Underwood.Long after that heroic stand, a mercenary by the name of Galen Dwyn has been hired to rescue a kidnapped princess. Enticed by a healthy down payment and a chance to settle an old score, Galen accepts the job, only to find out it's a lot more than he bargained for.Soon Galen finds himself weaving and dodging through a web of political intrigue as the very forces that chase him have set in motion plans that will throw the galactic alliance into civil war.To his surprise, he also finds that the rescued princess might not be quite the spoiled brat he rescued from the clutches of her keeper.Accompanied by the princess, his former mentor, and a snarky AI, Galen sets out to find a way to outsmart entire kingdoms, keep the princess alive, and avert the deaths of millions.Of course, he'll also learn the reasons behind his namesake's chosen path, as he realizes that the only way to win is Galen's way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lancaster James is scouring ancient ruins of long lost civilizations on distant planets in search of powerful relics that may unlock the greatest secrets of the galaxy.His ex-wife Mika is also on the search, but she's trying to find her second husband, who has disappeared trying to find one of these artifacts. Lancaster joins her to try to locate this man, and the priceless relic for which he was hunting.But danger awaits them around every corner as corporate spies, criminals, and mercenaries hunt for the same treasures, and sometimes for them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Barely surviving her first expedition to the primordial island, Dr. Tracey Moran joins a mission to rescue those left behind. Better armed and prepared, the new expedition finds the lost world in chaos. Dr. Peter Albanese, having accidentally awoken an extinct reptilian race, must now protect the friendly indigenous tribe from their relentless attacks. A sympathetic reptilian figure reveals some of the island’s history and sets Peter on a quest to awaken an extinct simian race and restore balance. All the while, an evil entity bent on escaping the island stalks Peter and the other survivors. Reunited, Tracey and Peter must contend with hungry dinosaurs, mythical forces, and corporate greed to restore balance and escape with their lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From an Aurora Award-winning author comes a thrilling young-adult outer-space adventure.When the old woman who raised him in a remote village is murdered, Kriss Lemarc finds himself alone on a planet where he’ll always be an outsider.His only link to his long-dead, unknown parents is the touchlyre they bequeathed him, a strange instrument that not only plays music but pours his innermost feelings into the minds of his listeners.When Tevera, a girl of the space-going, nomadic Family, hears Kriss perform, she is drawn to him against her better judgment and the rules of her people. With her help, though mistrusted and even hated by some of her comrades, Kriss seeks to discover the origin of the touchlyre, the fate of his parents, and a place where he truly belongs.But the touchlyre proves to be more than just a musical oddity. Powerful, ruthless people will stop at nothing to get it—and Kriss and Tevera are all that stand in their way Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the Moon’s far side, shielded from Earth’s radio cacophony, Americans are building a radio-astronomy observatory. Russians sift the dust of a lunar “sea” for helium-3 to run future fusion reactors. Commercial robots, remotely operated from Earth, roam the Moon’s near side in a hunt for mineral wealth. Why chase distant asteroids for precious metals? Onetime asteroids must lie close beneath the much-bombarded lunar surface.Then a prospecting robot encounters a desiccated, spacesuited figure. An alien figure ….Americans from the lunar observatory investigate. Near the original find, underground, they discover an alien installation. Lunar Russians, realizing that the Americans are up to something clandestine, send their own small team. Each group distrusts the other … even before the fatal “accidents” begin. By the time anyone suspects what ancient evil they have awakened, it may be too late—For everyone on Earth, too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 When superhumans begin to show up, the US government steps in to...well...govern them. Billy B is one of the most powerful super folk around, leader of a team of similarly endowed characters headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and handled by Uncle Sam. Life is what you might expect for any group of workers put together for a common task, except that these people can pulverize concrete blocks with their bare hands, or fly through steel plate, or melt rock with a glance, or read your mind, or any of dozens of other abilities far beyond those of mortal man. Still, though, things seem to go according to Federal plan until a dozen Roman gods come back to Earth to pick up where they left off a couple of thousand years ago. At that point it's up to Billy B and his super folk to keep the peace. Read it now, for the first time, from the pen of the baddest of the bad: Billy B in the first volume of his fully authorized autobiography.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Out in the darkness of space, something is targeting the Greatships.With their vast cargo holds and a crew that could fill a city, the Greatships are the lifeblood of human occupied space, transporting an unimaginable volume - and value - of goods from City, the greatest human orbital, all the way to Tradepoint at the other, to trade for xenoglas with an unknowable alien species.It has always been Marca Nbaro's dream to achieve the near-impossible: escape her upbringing and venture into space.All it took, to make her way onto the crew of the Greatship Athens was thousands of hours in simulators, dedication, and pawning or selling every scrap of her old life in order to forge a new one. But though she's made her way onboard with faked papers, leaving her old life - and scandals - behind isn't so easy.She may have just combined all the dangers of her former life, with all the perils of the new . .  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By 2047, no crime in America goes unsolved. No wrongdoing goes unseen.When Dray Quintero learns his nineteen-year-old daughter Raven committed a heinous act, he covers it up to save her life. This pits him against the police he’s respected since he was a child and places him in the crosshairs of Kieran, a ruthless federal Agent. To survive, Dray must overcome the surveillance system he helped build and the technology implanted in people’s heads, for everyone has a microcomputer in their brain and computer-screen lenses in their eyes.To protect his family, he turns to a group of fighters who also discovered the government’s secret. But their help isn’t enough, for his adversaries have a level of control he’s unable to escape. That no one can.Hunted and betrayed, with time running out, Dray must choose between saving Raven and dismantling the near-perfect society he helped create. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sean Whittlesea was there when his wife was murdered. He saw the light leave her eyes. He held her dead body in his arms. He knows he wept, but he cannot recollect a single other detail. Tormented by the tragedy, Sean relives the horror over and over again. As he struggles to recall what really happened, his imagination serves up an endless chain of scenarios. The truth, however, remains hidden in the vault of his memory, and the key is nowhere to be found.   Nearly two decades later, Sean, now remarried and a father of two, wins a bizarre contest hosted by his eccentric boss. The prize is the Memory Palace, astate-of-the-art black box that purportedly allows its possessor to relive every moment he has ever experienced, playing out all the memories on a screen.While the small machine at first appears to be the answer to the mystery surrounding the death of his wife, it instead upends Sean’s life. He pushes his family further and further away as the Memory Palace forces him to confront harsh realities and difficult questions that he lacks the strength to face or answer. Spiraling downward, Sean encounters increasingly harrowing challenges that force him to realize that his memory is not the only thing at stake. To recover the truth about his past, Sean must fight for his very life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the age of fourteen Damon Leiter has had a brain-computer interface implanted beneath his skull to correct a neurological disorder. As a teenager, it branded him as an outcast—as an adult it endows him with extraordinary abilities: he may represent the next step in human evolution. When computerized brain augments replace smartphones as the must-have status item, mega-corporations and governments conspire together and marketing becomes mind control. Damon is the only one equipped to lead a global resistance movement. Caught between the fervour of his followers and the tide of rampant consumerism, he can’t be sure he isn’t playing into the hands of the rich and powerful. They may even be in the right. Maybe the real enemy of humankind is Damon Leiter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.