WATTYS 2016 WINNER Untouchable. Stone. Jewel - these are some of the names used for people who are born with a gemstone at the centre of their forehead. This unfortunate phenomenon cannot be detected before birth, it cannot be prevented, if a family has a Jewelled child, there is only one outcome: Before they're sixteen, they will have to leave human society forever and serve "the Zephyr". Among the Jewels there are those who have it worse. Those who sport clear diamonds on their foreheads, the Undefined. The downtrodden, the unlucky - the doomed. Cello Riles and Syianne Locke are both Undefined. On their sixteenth birthday, they each leave their homes and travel across the country to the Zephyr, attempting to go into service. Though aside from the place, or thing, that will take them from human society forever - what IS the Zephyr? There are only questions promised, only shadowy riddles guaranteed. Yet faced with no other choice they must venture forth and plunge into the unknown - the Zephyr. [A big thanks to @stpolishook for being a wonderful friend and helping me figure out how to write a better synopsis] COVER BY Abyss-of-Crazy

Aeons once ruled the world. Now, their empire lies in ruin, and the survivors hide on the fringes of society. Nahlia is a librarian's apprentice who's obsessed with Aeon lore, scavenging for hints of their legendary power. But others are searching too, including the Templars who seek to hunt down the Aeon survivors. When the Templars attack her family, Nahlia is forced to infiltrate a secret academy and rise beyond everything she's ever known. https://davidmusk.com/books/aeonica-the-lost-redeemer

THE SILENT DEAL is an award-winning explosive adventure. The Magic Trick (book 2) is out, and book 3 comes out next year. Within these pages lies mystery, magic, mythology, and wide cast of gypsies, gamblers, fire-jugglers, and thieves. The Card Game awaits... ** WHEN VIKTOR AND ROMULUS, two peasant boys, dig too deep into their town's strange past, they awaken the wrath of a mysterious overlord. As the blood brothers struggle to survive, their search for answers takes them through gambling parlors, fortune-teller dens, and moonlit forests full of monsters and men alike. But even with the help of their friends, can they escape the deathly experiments that their foe is creating in Staryi Castle? ** WINNER of 'Outstanding Fiction' at the California Writers Con. 5 STAR Finalist of the 2015 Readers Favorite Awards.

*MATURE* Don't let anyone ever fool you that mating is easy business and all soft kisses and cuddles. Because it's not. Especially if you're mating a breed of shifters whom are suppose to be extinct after the last Great War thousands of years ago. Say hello to my mates-yes-plural as in two ferocious, sinfully sexy, deadly, arrogant, beast who both have sexual drives that surpassed an alpha rabbit in heat! Damien and Axial, men not to be taken lightly and are deeply feared even by the high court are my mates. With more secrets shimmering in those identical golden eyes than there are stars in the night sky. Their mere presence is trouble impersonated. No wonder the king-their uncle- wants them dead. And I've somehow gotten myself mated to both brothers. How the hell did I get myself in this mess!? And wegmatches mates? They must have been sky diving off ogf the moon while intoxicated off dog crap because do they seriously expect me to be a mate to two giant mythical creatures when I don't even know the first thing about Dragons?! Well scratch that, there is two thing I know about Dragons. Twin male dragons to be precise. They are wild untamed beast who thrill off driving me bonkers and yet bring forth the wildest most untamed desire I never knew I possessed. They are beast. Wild ferocious beast! More accurate of what is expected when mating two arrogant Dragon's would be exhausting, confusing, and infuriating. And you better quickly learn that getting a dominant jerk of a male Dragon angry will lead to your house catching on fire 'accidentally' and some hard, pounding of two giant mates into you at supernatural speed later. Some mind blowing, carnal thrust after enraged thrust of knee buckling sex that guarantees at least a week of soreness and the impossibility to even blink much less move afterwards. DO NOT. EVER. MATE WITH DRAGON'S! WARNING *Explicit language and mature themes*

What if YOU were left holding the baby? Danny Hamilton fathered a baby boy when he was just 15 years of age. Shortly after, his girlfriend and the child's mother left without a trace, leaving Danny in the lurch. Forced to move out of his parents' house at 16, he struggled to make a life for himself and his child, Jacob. Now, at the age of nineteen, life is harder than ever for Danny - with no job, no qualifications, and Jake's school career quickly approaching, he's at a loss to make ends meet. Enter Peter and his job offer - is it the right path for Danny to take?

"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall..." Gryffin Weatherlund's mom bought a new antique mirror that was worth a couple hundred dollars, she claimed it made the house look more refined. Which was odd because the mirror was framed in tarnished, dirty silver and out of its sharp, pointed corners grew silver acanthus leaves. It didn't match anything in the entire house, the house itself had a much more country feel to it. Still his mother hung it up, directly over the fireplace mantle. "What hides behind your frame and all?"

Sam is the most promising swordsman among this year’s crop of Paladin trainees...and knows it. Brash, cocky, and unbeatable with a sword (well, almost), Sam is the kingdom of Thule’s best hope against the violence wrought by demons. The only problem is that Sam is really Lady Samantha, daughter of the seventeenth Duke of Haywood, and if her father has his way, she’ll be marrying a Paladin, not becoming one. But Sam has never held much interest in playing damsel-in-distress, and so she rescues herself from a lifetime of boredom and matrimonial drudgery. Pity that Tristan Lyons, the Paladin assigned to train her, is none other than the hero of her childhood. He hasn’t recognized her as Lady Samantha--yet-- but if he does, he’ll take away her sword and send her packing. Sam is not the only trainee hiding secrets: Braeden is a half-demon with a dark past that might be unforgivable. Sam, Braeden and Tristan set out for the western coast, charged with rooting out an infestation of demons that has made the West unlivable. As they travel, they uncover a deep-seated corruption of power that threatens to derail everything they stand for. Rebellion stirs, led by a rival faction of warriors who tempt Sam to join them with an irresistible offer. A war between men is coming, and Sam must pick a side. Will saving the kingdom cost her life -- or just her heart? Reminiscent of Mulan, but with a medieval fantasy twist, Paladin is a tale of adventure, action, and romance.

When a king lost the one thing he ever loved, he turned to the only thing he thought could comfort him: revenge. He made it his purpose in life to kill all of the nations of magical creatures, to avenge one life with a thousand. But the elves banded together and fought back, creating the Elf Thieves. When secrets are revealed and everything changes in a way fate itself could not have foreseen, two born enemies must put aside their differences and become the heroes that their land needs.

I awoke covered in dirt and pine needles, in a forest, surrounded by lush vegetation and brush. It looked like it was afternoon, but I wasn’t positive. I sat up and kneaded my eyes, curious as how I came to be here. “Where am I?” I asked myself. I glanced around, looking for anything familiar, but I was positive I had never been here before. How did I get here? As I tried to stand up, my head began to spin. Suddenly, I realized why I felt so odd. I braced myself against a tree trunk and thought very hard for a moment. Yes, I was positive. I didn’t know who I was.

Born in a war between humans and demonic dogs, Sekani must defy her tribe's way of life to defend what is right...