Ari Callahan has no idea how to talk to boys -- or how to talk to anyone for that matter. Enter Zac, the cute new guy in town who won't stop texting her. But is his interest real, or does he have a hidden agenda? ***** Found as a young child washed up on the beach, 17-year-old Ari Callahan has never uttered a word out loud to anyone -- not even her adoptive family. Psychologists have diagnosed her with a condition called selective mutism, but Ari can't help identifying with her namesake character, Ariel, the little mermaid in the fairytale whose voice was stolen by a sea witch. Mermaid-obsession aside, Ari's silence makes socializing tough. She's never had a boyfriend or been asked out on a date. Not until Zac, the confident new arrival in town, asks for her number. But Zac has his own reasons for texting with Ari. He's part of a movement to sabotage the artificial music app called SirenSong, threatening to render human singing obsolete. Zac's collaborators have scoured the globe in search of a singing voice perfect enough to break the SirenSong spell, and their search has led them straight to Ari's beachside town. Will her relationship with Zac help Ari find her voice and unlock the secrets of her origins? Or will he use her and leave her high and dry? Title: Ari and Zac (formerly The Mermaid Hypothesis) Content Warning: This story contains references to selective mutism, suicidal thoughts, and early childhood trauma.

Sidekicks. The sad, ever-suffering excuses of heroes - a title you tack onto someone who's trying, just not hard enough. Few can shed this sad label and pave their own path. I intend to be one of them. The heroes are crowding enough of the spotlight, in my opinion. It's time for me to step up. I just know I can do it - I'll be the undoing of sidekicks. ≈ standalone extension to the undoing of heroes' universe. ✎ completed cover: @narwhelly

Villains. Heroes. Try as they might, one is always bested by the other, an endless fight without true meaning. We all have to pick our sides, but I think it's outdated. We all need to toe the line - to really satisfy our purpose. That's where I come in. Not only the undoing of villains, but the remaking of heroes. It's time for everyone to welcome a new chess piece on the board. Check mate. ≄ completed ✓ standalone highest rank in sf: #180 cover: @narwhelly

If you think artificial intelligence is dangerous, then you don't know the real threat to humanity's future... Luna Valencia is the founder of the hottest artificial intelligence startup in history. She's about to become incredibly rich and powerful. But just when she's about to take her company public, her world begins to fall apart. On the day of her startup's IPO, a stock exchange shooter plummets Luna into a downward spiral toward a threat more menacing than she ever imagined possible. Faced with losing her company, her entire world, Luna searches for answers to a series of terrifying accusations. Failing to uncover the truth could destroy her company... but success would get her killed. Big Data is a fresh approach to the artificial intelligence sci-fi thriller. If you like fast-paced action, heart-stopping tension, and tech-filled worlds set in the near future, then you'll love Lucas Carlson's latest novel. Read Big Data to discover the AI twist today!

Heroes. Ever since they showed up, people have gone soft. They're adored, worshipped. Devotion is showered upon them like rain. It's about time someone knocks them off that pedestal they stand on, someone to crush their pillars of faith. Someone like me. A villain. It's perfect. I'll be the undoing of heroes. ≠ disclaimer: very much needs to be edited, very much needs to be less corny and very much needs to be entirely rewritten by me. if you approach it as a goofy, corny, old 2015-esque superhero book then it'll be a great time. i'll be honest and say there are no pulitzers here. completed ✓ highest rank in sf: #9 cover: @narwhelly