Lazarus City is home to the worst crime in the country. But beneath the human dredge and villainy is the world's best kept secret: the supernatural beings living among us. And the supernaturals need order. Magnus is a cop, but not for the Laz City PD. He's a werewolf, and the cases that fall on his desk aren't for petty theft or drug busts. He tracks down paranormal creatures committing crimes that humans aren't able to fathom let alone solve. When Magnus loses his partner in a bust gone awry, he's paired up with a creature that is something of a legend-a pixie. Though she's not what he expects, they have to learn to work together fast, because the case they're assigned to quickly becomes the difference between life and death not only for them but the entirety of Laz City. Cover by the talented Kristen Lee Design!

Waking up to omens of death on his doorstep is par for the course for Greg. It's kind of the definition of being a medium. Waking up to Death herself? Not so much. Stranger still is the Zombie T-Rex prowling his street in Las Vegas. Clearly it must be a Monday. When Ari wakes up in the Bellagio Casino next to Jeff Goldblum and Johnny Dep having no memory of how she got there or anything else, she's a little alarmed to put it mildly. When the phone stuffed in her very lacy bra goes off with a cryptic message she's even more confused. But she'll have to figure it out on the go, because a zombie velicoptoraptor is clawing at the window and they're about to be lunch. Death could not be more put out. First someone brings the dinosaurs back from the dead after she spent all that time reorganizing their files. Then someone goes through her records of the living, deleting people. She knew this new software was going to be a problem, but Charon was soooo pushy and now, as usual, she's left to clean up a huge mess. Is it a random bug in the system or an intentional virus sent to destroy the planet's circle of life? Death needs Greg's help to communicate with the Supernatural Agency's top IT witch, but when they finally find her, not only does she turn out to be Greg's loathsome ex, but her memory's been wiped and she's been magically linked to Goldblum who won't shut up about everything being just like Jurassic Park. If they can't restore Ari's memory so she can fix Death's system, not only will life on Earth be destroyed forever, but other worlds may be next. Death knew she should never have put them on a connected network, and now "greater efficiency" might be the doom of the entire universe.

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 Hell and Earth collide, sparks are bound to fly. Saddened by the death of her lover, Tora tries to take her own life only to learn that her name is missing from the system of the Fates. She sets out on a journey to correct the glitch but lands herself in trouble, becoming a wanted criminal on the run. Trapped in a dangerous realm, making friends and foes and trying to evade eternal punishment, Tora finds safety in the arms of Death himself. Will this forbidden love survive the test of time? Life, Death or Immortality - what will Tora choose in Pataal Lok? And are the legends of good vs evil, as straight as they're narrated to us?

It would be fun, she said. A great way to blow off some steam, she said. Con should have known better. One look at the inn and he could have told anyone it was going to end poorly. But his sister had already spent the money and he already had enough people questioning the state of his mind. Supposed hauntings. Strange guests. Shadows and warnings around every corner. He wasn't going to last the week. At least the room service is good. (Though this started as an ONC project, it is now a full-length novel) Beautiful cover by @StormRidden Copyright © 2021

A reluctant psychic medium must confront the world of supernatural he's long ignored. *** In a quiet valley town, eighteen-year-old Ian lives with a secret-sometimes he can't tell his imagination from reality. Fearing the psych ward, he denies what he sees and hopes that if he ignores it, the problem will go away. When a tragic accident upends his life, Ian becomes too busy taking care of his family to notice a new anomaly in his house. As conflicting clues come to light, questions arise about the incident, but Ian wants to move on. Being set up with a cute girl seems to be the perfect opportunity to rebuild his life and forget about his dark past. All he needs to do is to be normal for her just as he's pretended his whole life, but letting her get close endangers the limbo of his blissful ignorance. Will she help him uncover the truth behind why he's seen things no one else can? Or will Ian succeed and deny his gift away? *** Soul Survivor weaves the paranormal with a heartfelt psychological drama in a haunting tale about love, death, self-discovery, and the resilience that emerges in our darkest moments. - - - *** ONC 2021 ROUND 2 AMBASSADOR PICK & LONGLISTED *** Cover illustration and design: Isobel Lynx.

ONC 2021 contest prompt 64 What should have been a simple task for a trio of ghosthunters becomes something for which the term "Worst Case Scenario" is the mother of all understatements. Sandra, Amelie, and Candice are the three tough women who run "Third Eye Investigations". Recently, ghosts have been popping up everywhere, providing a great business opportunity for clever people with the right skill sets. Ousting a bunch of ghosts from a chocolate factory? Piece of cake. Perhaps, the simple fact the guy commissioning the job was called Borgia should have warned them. Well, it didn't . As a result, things went south so badly, the three are now dead, banned to an underground morgue, while the world is hurtling towards Ghost Apocalypse. There is no way out of the chilly drawers. Unless they do the impossible.

PROMPT #59 - MYSTERY/THRILLER ENTRY IN THE 2022 STORMY NIGHTS READING CHALLENGE Harold Pope, contract killer by accident, takes advantage of that fact and crafts a successful, financially beneficial career until, through another accident, becomes his own contract!

When Tara Walters discovers the disturbing truth about a new virtual console called AfterLife™, she must risk everything in order to expose the enslavement of digital Sims. ___ Cover made using CANVA PRO. Status: complete but unedited. Editing begins July 1, 2021. Word count: 20,231/20,000

Angels, demons, teachers, accountants, blood, gore, and fun. A ravenous demon awakens and starts to eat its way through a peaceful town. A hunting accident may doom humanity and the only hope for mankind is a meek teacher helped by a most unusual accountant. What could possibly go wrong?