Growing up on the streets of Zianna made Finn very good at a lot of things - pick pocketing, gambling, and generally sneaking around. He didn't mean to befriend Tannix, one of the richest young lords in the Kingdom. He certainly didn't mean to discover a plot to kill the King. Luckily his unique skill set, if not very law-abiding, might be exactly what is needed. Unfortunately, Tannix isn't entirely thrilled with his methods, and for some reason Finn actually cares about his opinion. Is there more to their friendship than he realizes? Greatest Thief Series book 1 Available for purchase at friesenpress.com

A badass pirate girl. A crew of bickering men. A missing captain. An iguana. A treasure map. Add to that a mermaid, a bunch of manatees, and perhaps a capybara or two. These are the ingredients to a crazy and unexpected adventure across the seven seas. Will the crew stop bickering? Will they find the treasure? And how did the iguana end up as the captain of the ship?

Eros thought he knew everything about love. Being a Cupid and all. But that was before he met Penelope... For nearly a decade, he's tried-and failed-to match her and her true love, Trevor. If he doesn't make the match by the ten-year deadline, he faces demotion to a position that would mean horns. And his face really deserves better than to be marred by such unsightliness. By now he's tried every trick in the book to get his unwilling targets to fall in love. Every meet-cute, every setup, every skill in his Cupid repertoire. Everything but dating Penelope himself...

| Honorable Mention ONC 2021 | *** Rebecca Smythe has led a perfectly unremarkable life. Unremarkable, that is, until she is accused of witchcraft and whisked away into a world of magic, secrets, and housework. When these secrets begin to take on a life of their own, however, Rebecca is forced to choose between her own survival and the fate of all witch-kind.

In a world where the majority no longer dream, and happy thoughts are easily lost, nineteen-year-old Eli sells memories. With no family or home, the young man travels the country dealing to those in need. When he runs out of memories to sell, Eli heads to the town of Los Demonios hoping to find someone to harvest from. Ashlyn carries dreams which others have lost inside her. Her thoughts are filled with recollections belonging to people she's never met. Haven is an albino Kadisin, a half-mortal, half-angel who must kill in order to survive. He is a man plagued by seventy years of things he's seen and done. Welcome to my entry for the 2021 ONC! I'm using prompt number 29 "I am in the mood to dissolve in the sky." -Virginia Woolf ONC Shortlister 2021. Added to The Badass King reading list on @BadassReads. Second place in the @PrettyInPunk Mystery and Thriller awards. Warning for typical Christine darkness, swearing, some sexual and romantic themes.

When the youngest son of the ruler of post-apocalyptic Earth is captured by rebels who hide underneath its barren surface, it seems that escaping and trying to reach his people is his only chance at survival. Yet as he navigates the dangers of the radioactive and unfamiliar world, he finds unexpected help in one of the very people he has always despised, and discovers that sometimes an enemy can become your only friend... or even more than a friend? *** WARNINGS: The story contains mature themes and language. Not suitable for young children. Some chapters include violent and sexual content and may be triggering for some people. Read at your own discretion. #4 in DANMEI on 2019-09-28

Book I in the Izoven Series ___________________________ When 21-year-old Emery Wright's therapist refuses to let her retake the police psych exam, she must face her past and visit her old family home in Bellenau-a town famous for its mystery and secrets. Her investigation leads her to unearth an old family mystery, her duty to protect a gateway to Izoven: The Land of the Eternal. If that wasn't enough, a mysterious boy is hellbent on obtaining the gateway to avenge his father, even if it means destroying Emery in the process. Will Emery be able to protect the key and destroy the prodigal son? Or will her journey lead her down a path of self-destruction?

A year and a day is a long time to think about a single kiss. But that's what Finn thought about, every day, until finally Tannix rescues him and sweeps him off to West Draulin. Finn quickly realizes that he likes West Draulin. He likes the good food and the expensive clothing. He even likes Tannix's knights. West Draulin seems like a place he'll really enjoy living. Until one night, when everything changes. The kingdom of Zianna finds itself at war. And Finn learns that being in a relationship with a lord isn't going to simply be the life of luxury he was starting to enjoy.

Stay-at-home mom Harriet has just about had it. As her husband puts in more and more hours at the office, she's stuck with six-year-old Sam and the looming insanity of the holiday season. Along with the usual event planning panic, fall brings constant reminders of her father's failing health and the limited time they have left together. When her friend and renowned caterer Carol invites her over for a baking session, Harriet jumps at the opportunity to destress and learns Carol's secret ingredient to her stress-free lifestyle: venting her negative emotions into everything she bakes. As Harriet's love for baking warps into an addiction to the comforting warmth of the oven, her new coping mechanism starts to look more and more like a recipe for disaster. Cover by @meha-k

When Dave starts doing the weekly doughnut run for Maplevale's small team of firefighters, he expects his only problems to be his coworkers' latest pranks and which flavors of doughnut he should pick. Unfortunately for him, the most irritable police officer in town doesn't react well to the revelation that only the firemen are treated to free doughnuts. Soon, Dave finds himself stuck in a heated conflict involving a polka dancing Dalmatian, dumpster diving, and lots and lots of sprinkles as he and his coworkers fight to protect their right to free doughnuts. Cover by @LittleVee