New Release - Spirits in the Water #shortstories #sciencefiction #fantasy

The fourth anthology in our Elements of Untethered Realms series, Spirits in the Water is now available.

A haunted journey on a riverboat, water sprites borne of pennies, preternatural creatures, ancient serpents, and the Lady of the Lake lurk in dark waters. Raging storms and magical rainbow fountains. Water is spectacularly beautiful but also treacherous.

Gwen Gardner gives us Shake, Rattle and Row. Harlow Grayson has the chance to rid herself of a pesky ghost but she must first brave a haunted riverboat and recover a family heirloom. What she finds might be more than she can handle.

Jeff Chapman offers The Water Wight. When a drowned girl changes her mind about suicide, Merliss and her associates face a fearsome, preternatural creature.

M. Pax presents The Wallows. Evernee Weems wants to escape this world in the worst way. Her daughter needs everything, the rent is being raised, Evernee’s job barely pays minimum wage, and she has little hope for better. Inside a puddle is a different reality. She jumps in, happy to trade her problems for a life in which worries don’t exist. Or do they?

Angela Brown gives us Extraordinary. Puberty hits Angelique like a gut punch and brings about a change, forcing an unexpected revelation about her past. All seems well until a vicious storm tears through her Texas community, and Angelique learns there are worse things than a little change.

River Fairchild presents You Can’t Go Home Again. A young woman, filled with regret about the past, goes on a journey and discovers more than she bargained for.

Simon Kewin offers us The Waters, Dividing the Land. Hyrn the horned god of the woodlands is learning the meaning of fear. Death magic blights the land, threatening everyone and everything. To save what he can from spreading corruption, he turns to the ancient river serpents, but they’ve grown old and distant and may not hear his call at all.

Christine Rains gives us Frozen. A necromancer is on the frozen moon of Saturn where the dead do scream.

Meradeth Houston presents The Flood. Sometimes a flooded kitchen isn’t the unluckiest thing to happen to you.

Catherine Stine offers Maizy of Bellagio. April still searches for her mother who vanished nineteen years ago from the fountain at Hotel Bellagio in Vegas. Can Maizy, a water sprite who works the fountain’s pink colors, begin to help the three generations of eccentric women tortured by this tragedy?

M. Gerrick gives us The One Who Would Wield the Sword. Nikka is supposed to be nothing more than dragon bait so a real dragon hunter can do his job, but the Lady in the Lake has other plans for her.

Cherie Reich presents The Folding Point. Aimee’s fight against those who banned paper magics has begun.

From USA Today, Amazon bestselling, and popular science fiction and fantasy authors comes Spirits in the Water, a supernatural anthology of eleven thrilling tales. Spirits in the Water is the fourth, long-awaited Elements story collection from the dynamic and inventive Untethered Realms group.

 

Amazon | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo | Nook | Smashwords

Add on Goodreads!

Read some excerpts from Spirits in the Water.

To celebrate the release for Spirits in the Water, the first Elements of Untethered Realms anthology Twisted Earths is free on all major retailers. Pick up your copy today!

Amazon | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo | Nook | Smashwords

9 Twisted Tales Set in 9 Twisted Worlds #SpeculativeFiction #Giveaway

Untethered Realms is celebrating the upcoming release of the 4th collection in our elemental story series: Spirits on the Water. We're celebrating by making the first in the series, Twisted Earths, FREE!

That's right, 9 outstanding, fantastical stories for the price of free.

Twisted Earths Available at:

Amazon / AmazonUK / Google Play / Smashwords / iTunes / B&N / Kobo

Here's what you get:

Twisted Earths is a collection of tales from Untethered Realms, a group of speculative fiction authors. The stories are as varied and rich as the types of soil on this and other planets—sandy loam, clay, knotted with roots and vines, dreaded paths through unexplored planets, and in enchanted forests, lit by candlelight and two moons. 

M. Pax, author of the series, The Backworlds and The Rifters spins a tale called Patchworker 2.0. Specialists with digital interfaces are the only ones who can distinguish between biological energy and mechanical pulses, and “patch” AIs, which hold the world together. Patchworker Evalyn Shore meets up with an AI with deadly intent.

Cherie Reich, known for her epic fantasy series The Fate Challenges and The Foxwick Chronicles, presents Lady Death. Umbria, a beautiful and powerful swordsmith, is given an impossible task by her brother Leon when he asks, “You are the assassin. Are you scared to destroy Death when you are up to your elbows in it?”

Angela Brown is the author of the paranormal Shadow Jumpers and NEO Chronicles series. In her story, In The Know, Jacob, a loyal family man is struggling to stay out of debt when he’s hired to report on big plans for a future Detroit. He’s given a mysterious manila envelope with instructions to “open it alone” or pay the price. With switchback twists you won’t see coming, a debt of a much steeper cost is what he just might end up paying for his involvement.

Catherine Stine, author of the futuristic thrillers, Fireseed One and Ruby’s Fire, offers The Day of The Flying Dogs, a sinister tale of brilliant, troubled NYC high-school student, Theo. He experiences a day at Coney Island that includes drugs, delusions, a lonely capybara, Nathan’s hotdogs and a mind-bending lesson in our very twisted universe.

Christine Rains, known best for her paranormal series The Thirteenth Floor, gives us The Ole Saint, a story at once sweet, horrific and heartrending. Ezra longs to fit in and have boys stop calling him witch and freak, yet his unique supernatural skill sets him apart, and the last gift from The Ole Saint cinches the deal.

Graeme Ing, known for his young adult fantasy, Ocean of Dust presents The Malachite Mine, a gripping, scream-inducing ride. Whatever was Mary thinking when she accepted her husband’s gift of a most terrifying twenty-first birthday celebration in an abandoned Russian mine?

River Fairchild, author of her Jewels of Chandra series, presents A Grand Purpose. Rosaya and her cousin, Drianna are soon to be married off, but Rosaya is unhappy with her assigned match. She’s much more intoxicated by the older Firrandor, a wizard she hardly knows. When Rosaya is accused of killing an oracle boy, all bets are off, not only for her love, but her freedom.

Gwen Gardner, who pens the cozy paranormal mystery series, Indigo Eady, adds to her collection with Ghostly Guardian. Indigo and her rib-tickling ghost-busters must travel to a dangerous pirate-laden past in order to unearth a curmudgeonly eighteenth century spirit that is plaguing the Blind Badger Pub.

Misha Gerrick, whose War of Six Crowns series is forthcoming, gives us a story called Red Earth and White Light. Emily, a young ghost bride has long haunted a house. She longs to cross over into the afterlife, but she’s trapped in memories of lilies and betrayal.

The stories in this collection are marvelous, strange, frightening, and otherworldly. And we know you're ready for more. They're coming in Spirits of the Water! Huzzah!

A to Z Challenge - Q is for Quiet

The A to Z Blogging Challenge is going strong!

If you haven't heard of it, check out the A to Z blog and join in the fun.

Here at Untethered Realms, we're taking on the Challenge as a group. Each day, one of us will share a teaser from one of our books.

Today is Q day!

From They All Fall Down by Angela Brown

A to Z Challenge - B is for Broken

The A to Z Blogging Challenge is chugging along!

If you haven't heard of it, check out the A to Z blog and join in the fun.

Here at Untethered Realms, we're taking on the Challenge as a group. Each day, one of us will be sharing a teaser from one of our books. Today's is from They All Fall Down.

Join us for #SpecFicChat:

What happened to the future? It's not Star Trek or 2001. Next #SpecFicChat Fri. April 17th, Noon EDT. Hosted by @UnRealms & @EllieMGarratt 

Tuesday Tea with Mistress Snark

Welcome to the Untethered Realms edition of Mistress Snark's Tuesday Tea. Afternoon tea is a most civilized British invention – an opportunity to snack with impunity. However, in Mistress Snark's parlor, you never know what might be floating in your tea or what those cute little sandwiches are hiding under the bread.

As full disclosure, any guest appearing here must sign the usual waivers regarding food poisoning, bodily harm caused by Jezebel, random attacks by minions, or permanent brain damage resulting from the questions posed.

Today's guest is Angela Brown, Untethered Realms author of Beacon; Neverlove; Frailties of the Bond, and more. It's so nice to have you here today. Would you like some tea? Or perhaps Jezebel's special punch? I don't know what's in it but it could prove detrimental to your health.

Angela: Mistress Snark! I'm so happy to be here again. I think it's again. My brain seems to know I was here before but the details are rather... fuzzy. I'll take Jezebel's special punch. Did I do that the last time I was here? Oh, nevermind that... the special punch sounds risky and I'm up for an adventure.

Mistress: I’m sure an adventure can be arranged for you. *turns to wink at audience* Speaking of fuzzy, you’re beginning to lose your…well, shall we say, cohesiveness? No reason to be startled. Keep sipping your punch, dear. The effect is rather illuminating. In fact, you’re developing a lovely shade of green glow about you. As an author, how might you incorporate your current condition into a storyline?

Angela: *fans self and starts rocking back and forth* I, uh, wow... is it getting hot in here to you? Or is it just me? This - what's - I don't know what's... I feel enlightened. Lightheaded. Wait! That's it! Light! That reminds me of Beacon because, you know, a beacon is a light. Now that I think about it, I believe there's a scene in Beacon where I might have done something like this to the main character, Macie. I feel so... weird. *giggles then hiccups, then giggles again* Can I have another sip of that punch? That's *hiccup* yummy.

Mistress: Jezebel has topped off your punch…and brought you a straw. Your glass may melt if you attempt to pick it up. Don’t worry; slurping is allowed in the parlor. *signals to someone backstage*

Now then. Let’s plan a little trip for you…before your giggles get out of control. Imagine your luminous, enlightened self floating into the town of New Festus in Beacon. What happens next?

Angela: Angela: *slurps very loudly then burps* Oh dear, please excuse me. What does Jezebel put in this? Oh, wait... I feel so... light. Nevermind, I'm getting *burps again then giggles* off topic. New Festus seems quiet and dark. No one is out. It's past sunset curfew. I gaze up to the broken moon and the lunar cloud that hovers close to it, then down. Oh look *points as if really there* I see a tent in that shadowy part behind the school but it's being, uh, is that a devil spawn attacking someone?

Mistress: Devil spawn are certainly fascinating…as are you. *points to the Geiger counter beeping madly* I’m afraid you’ll have to be escorted out of the parlor for the safety of our gentle audience. Go along with the nice people in the hazmat suits. They’ll try to reduce your radioactive splendor in short order. It was a pleasure having you here today, Angela! Perhaps you’ll brave a return visit in the future…after you’ve recovered.

Angela: Mistress Snark, neither weird colorful glows from my body nor the really weird feeling like I'm about to spontaneously combust from the inside out will keep me from coming back for a visit. But yes, yes, after this *burps, giggles, then rips a long belch* dear me, that was terribly un-ladylike. So sorry. But I'll come back after this pa - pa - *burp, hicccup, hiccup, giggles* passes.

Congratulations, Angela! You’ve earned the Tuesday Tea Survivor badge, suitable for your blog or hanging on the bathroom wall. Go ahead and take it with you.

Angela Brown -Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Angela now calls Central Texas home. She's a lover of Wild Cherry Pepsi and chocolate/chocolate covered delicious-ness. Steampunk, fantasy and paranormal to contemporary - mostly young adult - fill her growing library of books. Mother to a rambunctious darling girl aptly nicknamed Chipmunk, life stays busy. Her favorite quote keeps her moving: "You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result." ~ Mahatma Gandhi ~ Website

Mark your calendar! March 17th will see author Catherine Stine sitting in Mistress Snark’s parlor, guzzling one of Jezebel’s famous concoctions.

Happenings in the Realm: Huzzizzle August 2014 #SpecFic #SciFi #Fantasy #Horror

Coming Fall 2014!

Nine twisted stories from nine twisted worlds.

Contributing authors:

Angela Brown

River Fairchild

Gwen Gardner

M. Gerrick

Graeme Ing

M. Pax

Christine Rains

Cherie Reich

Catherine Stine

Twisted Earths is a collection of tales from Untethered Realms, a group of speculative fiction authors. The stories are as varied and rich as the types of soil on this and other planets—sandy loam, clay, knotted with roots and vines, dreaded paths through unexplored planets, and in enchanted forests, lit by candlelight and two moons.

M. Pax, author of the series, The Backworlds and The Rifters spins a tale called Patchworker 2.0. Specialists with digital interfaces are the only ones who can distinguish between biological energy and mechanical pulses, and “patch” AIs, which hold the world together. Patchworker Evalyn Shore meets up with an AI with deadly intent.

Cherie Reich, known for her epic fantasy series The Fate Challenges and The Foxwick Chronicles, presents Lady Death. Umbria, a beautiful and powerful swordsmith, is given an impossible task by her brother Leon when he asks, “You are the assassin. Are you scared to destroy Death when you are up to your elbows in it?”

Angela Brown is the author of the paranormal Shadow Jumpers and NEO Chronicles series. In her story, In The Know, Jacob, a loyal family man is struggling to stay out of debt when he’s hired to report on big plans for a future Detroit. He’s given a mysterious manila envelope with instructions to “open it alone” or pay the price. With switchback twists you won’t see coming, a debt of a much steeper cost is what he just might end up paying for his involvement.

Catherine Stine, author of the futuristic thrillers, Fireseed One and Ruby’s Fire, offers The Day of The Flying Dogs, a sinister tale of brilliant, troubled NYC high-school student, Theo. He experiences a day at Coney Island that includes drugs, delusions, a lonely capybara, Nathan’s hotdogs and a mind-bending lesson in our very twisted universe.

Christine Rains, known best for her paranormal series The Thirteenth Floor, gives us The Ole Saint, a story at once sweet, horrific and heartrending. Ezra longs to fit in and have boys stop calling him witch and freak, yet his unique supernatural skill sets him apart, and the last gift from The Ole Saint cinches the deal.

Graeme Ing, known for his young adult fantasy, Ocean of Dust presents The Malachite Mine, a gripping, scream-inducing ride. Whatever was Mary thinking when she accepted her husband’s gift of a most terrifying twenty-first birthday celebration in an abandoned Russian mine?

River Fairchild, author of her Jewels of Chandra series, presents A Grand Purpose. Rosaya and her cousin, Drianna are soon to be married off, but Rosaya is unhappy with her assigned match. She’s much more intoxicated by the older Firrandor, a wizard she hardly knows. When Rosaya is accused of killing an oracle boy, all bets are off, not only for her love, but her freedom.

Gwen Gardner, who pens the cozy paranormal mystery series, Indigo Eady, adds to her collection with Ghostly Guardian. Indigo and her rib-tickling ghost-busters must travel to a dangerous pirate-laden past in order to unearth a curmudgeonly eighteenth century spirit that is plaguing the Blind Badger Pub.

Misha Gerrick, whose War of Six Crowns series is forthcoming, gives us a story called Red Earth and White Light. Emily, a young ghost bride has long haunted a house. She longs to cross over into the afterlife, but she’s trapped in memories of lilies and betrayal.

Cover by: EDHGRAPHICS

Graphic Artist Erin Dameron-Hill

Untethered Realms Now Has a Newsletter!
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The Rifters is Coming!

The official launch date is September 8th. I'm recruiting help. If you'd like to help and/or help spread the word, I'd be mighty appreciative. You can help with just a straight shoutout of cover, blurb, buy links, or you can add a little something-something. What is it? A little story about your trip to Settler, Oregon.

"But Mary," you say, "I've never been to Settler, OR." I say, "No one has. I made it up." There's info HERE about Settler to help and there's photos HERE to help inspire you, taken from all over Oregon. There's a FB page HERE which tells of the daily goings on in the town.

I'll be giving out prizes to those who help with a story on Settler. Two $25 gift cards to Amazon or B&N, signed paperbacks and handcrafted steampunk bookmarks by Dire Steampunk (aka Husband Unit), ebooks of the second book in the series The Initiate, and an ebook awarded to someone who comments on your post about Settler. All as a thank you for your awesome help. More about the giveaways and events surrounding The Rifters launch can be found HERE.

A story can be 100 words or less. It can be longer. Anyway, I'd be obliged. You can sign up HERE. Stories can be posted to FB or blogs. Either or both. Posts can be anytime in September through October 31st.

DORIANNA by Catherine Stine launches this October 24 

from Evernight Teen!

Internet followers, beauty, power. It all sounded good. 

Until it transformed into a terrifying reality Dorianna couldn’t stop

Dorianna is a YA paranormal twist for the Internet generation on Wilde's A Picture of Dorian Gray. When her father is jailed, her mother ships lonely, plain Dorianna to her aunt’s. There, Dorianna yearns to build a new identity, but the popular Lacey bullies her—mostly for getting attention from her ex, Ander.
Ander takes Dorianna to Coney Island where Wilson, a videographer, creates a stunning compilation of her. She dreams of being an online sensation, as she’s never even had a birthday party, and vows she’d give anything to go viral. Wilson claims he’s the Prince of Darkness and warns her the pledge has downsides. Dorianna thinks he’s joking. She has no idea of the dire consequences.

She’s thrust into the spotlight, and an incomprehensible nightmare. Not only is she prettier, she’s gaining harmful powers of manipulation. When her powers grow beyond anything she can control, she’s desperate but clueless as to how to stop it.

***Or in the words of the infamous Simon Cowell (Formerly on the American Idol and X-Factor shows): "The ratings come in, you’re happy for five minutes, then the insecure madness comes in ... Your audience controls you, you cannot control them."  

To get details of the OCT 24 DORIANNA launch and tour, subscribe to my newsletter. And mark your calendars for OCT 27 to attend a Halloweenish Dorianna FB party with lots of prizes, sponsored by Bewitching Books!

Also, Private Internship, my new adult novel (writing as Kitsy Clare), launches Sept. 29. It's not exactly spec so I won't go into deets here, but hey, all love or attempts at it, are pretty much sci-fi in my book! Yours? Sign up for the PI book blitz here.

Getting You and Your Book Some Notice

Trying to stand out among the throngs isn’t an easy job, is it? No.

That’s why I created the online joust last year. I wanted something different and unusual and fun. It certainly brought attention to me and my newly released book, The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear.

That was all well and good. The fun and camaraderie led to comments like, “You should do this every year.” Hmm, I thought.

That event also led to the creation of Untethered Realms. Several of the folks stayed long after the fun, chatting. One thing led to another. And, here we are.

The joust has been expanded into the Realms Faire. It’s meant to encompass all speculative fiction, even though so far it’s mostly medieval based. There will be nine events hosted on nine different sites [including this one] with chances to win prizes every day.

Yes, every single day, nine times over, you could win a prize. There will be the joust, a masquerade ball, the book witchery trials, a dragon hunt, castle jumble, soak a bloke/drench a wench, phasers, and an event using writer’s excerpts and secret/magic words.

UR will be offering a Kindle as a grand prize and a mega ebook bundle. It’ll be a grand opportunity to have some fun.

It’s a grand opportunity to get yourself and your book or site some notice in a week long event aimed at bringing in readers and fun seekers. Want to get involved? Sign ups are HERE for specific events and sponsors. Or you can email me at mpaxauthor at gmail dot com.

Our gracious hosts for this event: Cas Webb [thank you a ton for stepping up], Christine Rains, Laura Eno, Angela Brown, Gwen Gardner, Samantha Geary, River Fairchild, M. Pax, and Untethered Realms. A big thank you to Catherine Stine for putting together the grand prize packages.

 I hope you'll join us for a lot of fun the week of November 11th.