PREVIOUSLY TITLED 'BLOOD THRONE' { Wattys 2018 'The Originals' winner } Shadows trail Rhaessa wherever she goes. Whether that's her magic or past, she can't seem to escape them. Wrestled into a corner with only one way out, she embarks on a journey to uncover the truths of her vicious kingdom. Varyn walks a very fine line in the royal courts, finding herself at the mercy of the King's whims, where one wrong move can have terrible consequences. When a string of murders is committed inside the castle walls, the time is ticking for her to put a stop to it before chaos erupts. Two women are forced to uncover the blood, bones, and treachery that built their kingdom and line the throne. The stakes could be their lives or worse. Much, much worse. War? That doesn't quite cover it. TW: violence, implied SA, and mentions of suicide/depression. This story is heavy and has some dark themes. *** Disclaimer: although I made the cover myself, I do not claim to have made any of the beautiful art used on it. If it's yours please dm for credit or removal!***

** WATTYS 2018 WINNER ** Big Tech meets Die Hard in this techno-thriller Kirkus Reviews calls "a clever, spirited tale with a brainy, nimble heroine at the helm." From IndieReader's 5-star (highest rating) review: "Bond weaves an entertaining tale filled with deceit, robots, Russians, and tech entrepreneurs that all combine to give the reader a reason to flip pages furiously to find out what might happen next." Deb Bollinger has no time for corporate training. Her company's top engineer at just twenty-seven, Deb has blocked off her day for the one project she truly cares about: the launch of Carebnb, an app that finds spare beds for the homeless. When she's told all employees must drop everything for some busywork exercise called Blackquest 40, it's an easy no. Trouble is, her bosses aren't really asking. Blackquest 40 is the mother of all corporate trainings. A near-impossible project to be completed in forty straight hours. No phones. No internet. Sleeping on cots. Nobody in, nobody out. Deb finds the whole setup creepy and authoritarian. When a Carebnb issue necessitates her leaving the office, she heads for the door. What's the worst that could happen? Armed commandos, HVAC-duct chases, a catastrophic master plan that gets darker by the hour - Blackquest 40 is a fresh take on the Die Hard formula, layering smart-drones and a modern heroine onto the classic action tale. Cover design and illustration by Ethan Scott.