Beyond the islands of Caldera the world is a vicious place. A terrible calamity has poisoned the land. Those too ruthless or stubborn to die have crafted steam-powered mechanical wonders and taken to the sky. Yet somewhere in that wretched land there is a cure for a dire disease. With the eccentric crew of an airship called The Wind Breaker, Nita Graus means to find that cure, whatever the price.The islands of Caldera are a shining jewel in a rather bleak world. A terrible calamity in the past had blanketed much of the world with a toxic "fug." Those who survived were forced to take to the mountains and the skies in wondrous airships. Life has since been a struggle, with only the most ruthless and crafty able to survive. To spare themselves the same fate, the Calderans erected a battery of guns to fend off the airships of the mainland. They isolated themselves from the madness of the world, choosing instead to focus on the pursuits of art and creativity. Few believe the technologically advanced but socially barbarous outsiders have anything to offer. Amanita Graus, though, is hoping that they do.Nita's mother has lost her livelihood and perhaps soon her life to a terrible disease. Already the black sheep of the family for embracing engineering rather than art, Nita resolves to leave the safety of her home and do whatever it takes to find a cure. For a price, the bizarre crew of an airship called The Wind Breaker are willing to grant her a meeting with their mysterious benefactors, and thus a chance to procure the one thing with a chance to save her mother.Free-Wrench follows Nita’s adventures in a steampunk world of airships and lunatics. Helping her in her journey are an eccentric crew of smugglers; the gruff Cap’n Mack, the simple but enthusiastic Lil and Coop, the arrogant marksman Gunner, the surly surgeon Butch, and the irritable mascot Wink. To survive and find what she seeks she’ll need to earn their trust, follow their rules, and meet face to face with the people who pull the strings of their society.

The tale of Myranda Celeste, a young woman orphaned by a century long war, and her chance discovery of a fallen soldier's priceless cargo. The find will change her life, sending her on an adventure of soldiers and rebels, wizards and warriors, and beasts both noble and monstrous. Each step will bring her closer to the truth of her potential, of the war, and of the fate of her world.Though the name of her celebration and wedding cake business is up in lights, Bronte Ludlow doesn't care for the trappings of success. All that matters to her is her company, her independence and her heritage,The Dower House. Home to her ancestors since the seventeenth century, no way will she part with it to ‘a man with too much money and no soul’.Nico Ferranti’s only passions are money and power... He's a man who stopped believing in romance long ago and Bronte's a romantic, yet the attraction sparking between them like fireworks over the Piazza del Popolo stuns Nico.When Bronte's brother is badly hurt in a car accident in Rome, Nico whisks Bronte to the Eternal City. He wants her and he wants The Dower House and Nico Ferranti always gets what he wants.But Bronte’s heart has already been broken by one ruthless charmer and although tempted she isn’t about to give up either her heart or her home to the charismatic Italian without a fight!

The Adventures of Rustle and Eddy is a standalone, deep-sea adventure in the Book of Deacon setting.A little curiosity can be a dangerous thing. Rustle should have been content in his little pond, hidden away from the world where hopefully nothing exciting would ever happen. But the sea was so near, with all of its mysteries and secrets. He couldn't help but sneak away from time to time and gaze upon the surface, wondering what lay beneath. Little did he know that on this fateful day, there was something equally curious staring back.Eddy was a merman. Just as mermaids were blessed with the ability to travel to the surface, he was blessed with the ability to travel to the depths. Together, all of the sea was theirs to explore, but it seemed only the maids ever found something exciting. A few words of magic, and an awful lot of optimism, brought him to the surface in search of adventure. To his delight, he found Rustle.Together, to the fairy's woe and the...

Beta Testers is a prequel novella in the Big Sigma setting.It's important to use the right tool for the job... even if that tool hasn't been tested.Garotte is the sort of covert operative a military sends in to tug at threads until a situation unravels. After a particularly ill-advised assignment causes the situation to escalate, he takes it upon himself to right what's gone wrong before it gets out of control. The task is too big for one soldier, so he seeks out the aide of Jessica "Silo" Winters, a more traditional soldier with whom he shares a complex past.But a battle can't be fought without weapons, and beggars can't be choosers. Fortunately, Garotte has the name and address of an ex-military contractor, a man called Karter Dee. Unfortunately, Karter's equipment isn't always as reliable—or sane—as one would like.

If you can't have good luck, you should at least have a good dragon.The princess has inherited the family curse. Plagued by terrible luck, it is all the palace staff can do to keep her safe from herself. When her father pricks himself with an assassin's needle meant for her, her mother Queen Jade knows there is only one thing they can do. They must seek a cure. To reach it, they will need the help of their greatest protector. But even the great dragon Halfax may not be ready for the challenges ahead.Halfax is a direct sequel to Jade. It takes place many years after the events of the Book of Deacon series.

A new collection of stories in the critically acclaimed and international bestselling Book of Deacon Series. It contains 14 epic fantasy short stories, novellas, and novels released between 2015 and 2022, including:The D'Karon ApprenticeIn the aftermath of the perpetual war, the legacy of the D'Karon lives on.The CrescentsBeyond the Northern Alliance and Tressor, the chosen ones discover a secret world and a terrible threat.The Coin of KenvardAfter history refuses to remain in the past, the chosen ones must defend their world one last time.The Story of SorrelSorrel wants nothing more than a safe place to raise her children, even if she has to face an ancient evil to attain it.HalfaxJade has grown into a fine woman with a child of her own, but the family curse has brought danger to even the sanctuaries of old.And many more!

In a distant future, Trevor "Lex" Alexander was shaping up to be the next great race pilot until a fixed race got him banned from the sport. Reduced to making freelance deliveries, he thinks his life can't get any worse. That's when a package manages to get him mixed up with mobsters, a megacorp, and a mad scientist. Now his life depends on learning what their plans are, and how he can stop them.16-year-old Clare Michaels has always known the truth - that she is the daughter of a fallen angel. That truth has made her life hell. She has spent her entire life running from the children of the fallen. A secret, centuries-old war has divided her kind, and there are only two options if the others find her - join the fight or die. Clare's only ally in her running is her mother, Ellen. They have always hidden in large cities away where they could blend and disappear. So when Ellen decides to move Clare to the tiny town of King's Cross - Ellen's hometown - Clare is skeptical. But King's Cross ends up being more dangerous than even she could imagine.A dark creature is stalking the locals, Clare keeps hearing the thoughts of someone determined to kill her, and a boy in her class named Daniel seems absolutely determined to become her friend. Clare is not certain which of the three is worse.But it is through Daniel's help that Clare is able to understand her angelic heritage, save lives, and come to grips with her destiny as one of the Watchers.

What would you risk to do what you were born to do?Since college, Lex Alexander has had two loves. Hoversled racing, and Michella Modane. Everything from mega-corporations to robot rampages have threatened to keep them apart. Now, at long last, Lex may finally get a chance to race again. Just one thing stands in his way: Michella herself.The people behind the league have a history in organized crime. Lex believes they've gone legit. Michella isn't buying it.He's desperate to get back on the track. She's determined to find what the league is hiding. This second chance may be their last.

Cipher Hill is the fifth book in the popular Free-Wrench series of steampunk adventures.Ferris Tusk has lurked in the shadows of his society since it began. His name is spoken with hushed reverence by the fug folk, and the balance of power of the whole continent is a meticulously maintained mechanism of his own design. But even the finest machine can be broken with a well-placed wrench.Until now, Cap'n Mack and the Wind Breaker crew have weathered scheme after scheme. They've fought for their lives, perpetually on the defensive. Such is the life of a hero. Lucky for Mack, his crew aren't your average heroes. They'll call in every favor, play every trick, and take every risk to turn the hunters into the hunted.Tusk wanted a war. Now he's got one.

For some creatures, running and hiding is the only way to stay alive. But no one can run forever.Sorrel and her twins are malthropes, creatures hated by the people of their world. Years of searching for a place where they can be safe has brought them to a mysterious new land. It would be a paradise if not for the terrible beast who casts its shadow of the people who call it home.The Story of Sorrel is a short novel in the Book of Deacon series, picking up the story of Sorrel and her children shortly after The Rise of the Red Shadow left off.

The bad news? You died. The good news? You have an extra life!After a terminal diagnosis, Jazz had nothing to lose in testing a prototype brain scanner, right?Wrong. Dead wrong.Now she's locked in a digital afterlife called The After-Image. How did she end up in this chaotic post-life roleplaying game? Is there a way out? She'll have to find some friends and gain some levels, but one way or another Jazz is determined to get to the bottom of things.Top Level Player is a pop-culture nostalgia-fest by Joseph R. Lallo, combining the wit of Free-Wrench and Big Sigma with deep pull references from the 80s and 90s.

In the wake of the Perpetual War, the world cannot afford for history to repeat itself.Myranda and Deacon have helped to guide their world out of the clutches of the D'Karon. But victory has come at a price. Deacon's mysterious affliction is becoming more than he can handle. Will he be forced to choose between his own life and finding the source of the anomalies that threaten his home?The Coin of Kenvard is the sixth full-length novel in the Book of Deacon Saga, and marks the end of the Perpetual War Era for the series.

The Redemption of Desmeres is a sidequest in The Book of Deacon Saga.Desmeres Lumineblade always prided himself on his pragmatism, clarity, and focus. These qualities made him the maker of the finest weapons ever created, and even helped end the Perpetual War. But some choices leave scars on even the steadiest mind, and now the time has come to find balance for his less heroic deeds.For the first time in his life, Desmeres finds himself without purpose or direction. He has no doubt that every last decision made over his long life, whether the others viewed it as heroic or heinous, has been intelligent and necessary. But as the world recovers from its greatest trial, he finds his mind muddled and filled with uncertainty. For one who has already made himself the enemy of the Elite—the finest warriors of the Alliance Army—such distraction could cost him his freedom, or even his life.He has no true allies to turn to, and so he seeks council in one of the darker, more sordid corners of...

When you've lived a life like his, the last thing you want is for history to repeat itself.Lex has teamed up with mad engineers, clashed with technology-obsessed terrorists, and faced murderous robot hordes. He's even traveled through time. He has skills no one in history has ever had.He'll need them.Devastating cyber-attacks are targeting him. His closest allies are nowhere to be found. Ominous threats from his past seem to be leaking back onto his life. With the help of an off-kilter ship AI and his ex, Lex will have to get to the bottom of it all. If he doesn't, the galaxy's days are numbered.Nova Igniter is the sixth novel in the action-packed Big Sigma series by Joseph R. Lallo.

It has taken some adjustment, but Nita Graus has made quite a home for herself among the crew of the Wind Breaker. Under her skillful care it has become one of the only airships to stay aloft without the continuous repair and oversight of the vile and manipulative fug folk. Word of her adventures with Captain Mack, Gunner, Lil, Cooper, and Wink has made the whole crew into living legends among the residents of the mountain towns of Rim, but in doing so it has also made finding safe harbor virtually impossible. Agents of the fug folk and those working on their behalf hide in every cloud and skulk in every shadow.Only one town, a place called Lock, is willing to welcome the Wind Breaker into port. Most of the townspeople have already been shunned by the Fug Folk, and as such have little to lose in aiding and abetting the crew. Captain Mack, mindful of his advancing age and the risks he's had to request of his crew time and time again, has begun to plan for his retirement. Plans are...