Your cat pukes, then cries.Is it just a hairball or is something really wrong?A mad dash to the vet leads to a cat who meows when touched, but how is a veterinarian to know what’s wrong? Is it a blockage or just a terrified kitty? Even with training, sometimes even the experts don’t know.Or do they?Take an MRI of a cat’s brain when they’re hungry, and it light’s up a particular way. Take another shot while they’re in pain, and the pattern changes. Researchers believe this could lead towards a better understanding of what a cat’s meow really means.The folks over at Garner Tech have created the newest tech to help veterinarians and pet owners alike. Cat-Speak—the collar that translates brain patterns into simple phrases like:•I’m hungry•I hurt•I’m playful•I’m sleepyNo, your cat won’t tell you it loves you, but with our handy...

Class-M planet in the middle of no-where. Dust, dust, and more dust. Unless ya circled 'round to the more habitable region, you'd be stuck without a ship to anywhere. 'Round the corner though, you could find everything from ship parts and dried food packs, to roast dog and the rare bi-cycle. Hell, you could even buy yerself a gen-u-ine religion if you were so inclined.The ultimate tourist trap. And here I'd taken the bait.When Eerl stepped off The Marzipan, he was one of a billion tourists on Bay-zar. He expected to shop for rare artifacts from war-ravaged Earth and maybe study at the grand library, but not even his background in Human Studies from the University of Tersia could prepare him for what came next:A military beefcake with a grudge, a wartime conspiracy, a stolen ship, a galaxy full of prejudice, and at the center of it all, a young human named Mel in search of the truth.Her search for her past and his quest for knowledge take them across the stars as they uncover the...

What do you get when you mix mystery and speculative fiction, then toss in the holidays for good measure? A mobster Santa, genetic hanky-panky, Victorian villages, time-travelling detectives, Krampus, eerie bell spirits, and more–this collection of short cross-genre fiction is the perfect counterpoint to traditional holiday reading!This collection stars four authors, each with their own distinct style. National bestselling author Maia Chance, who is famous for her cozy mysteries, dazzles with humor and folklore. IPPY award-winning science fiction author Janine A. Southard beguiles with unexpected time-travel science. Science fiction & fantasy bestseller Raven Oak offers a look into the gothic past. And for a whole new perspective, debut fiction author and art expert G. Clemans dives into the intersections of creativity and mystery.Joy to the Worlds brings together eight short works that explore mysteries across time and space. With stories ranging...

Newly crowned Queen Margaret struggles with the loss of her father as the Kingdom of Shad's army marches for her border. But when the Boahim Senate refuses to step in, civil war threatens to break out across the Little Dozen Kingdoms.A harrowing journey reveals her greatest fears and unearths the Boahim Senate's darkest secret, leaving Margaret sure of one thing–neither she, nor the Little Dozen Kingdoms will ever be the same again. Now to secure the balance, Margaret must fight corrupted powers, old and new, and step into a role she never wanted: War Queen.Will she continue to follow the Boahim Senate's orders? Or will she break the holiest of tenets in hopes to free her people?

Her name was Adelei. She was a master in her field, one of the feared Order of Amaska. Those who were a danger to the Little Dozen Kingdoms wound up dead by her hand. The Order sends her deep into the Kingdom of Alexander, away from her home in Sadai, and into the hands of the Order's enemy. The job is nothing short of a suicide mission, one serving no king, no god, and certainly not Justice. With no holy order to protect her, she tumbles dagger-first into the Boahim Senate's political schemes and finds that magic is very much alive and well in the Little Dozen Kingdoms. While fighting to unravel the betrayal surrounding the royal family of Alexander, she finds her entire past is a lie, right down to those she called family. They say the truth depends on which side of the sword one stands, but they never said what to do when all the swords are pointing at you. Amidst her enemies, in a land from the darkest reaches of her past, she must decide if she is to be more than another brainwashed puppet. No matter her choice, she must fight to do what is just and right to save the people of the Little Dozen. Set in the land of Boahim, Amaskan's Blood is an epic fantasy novel full of adventure, magic, assassins, and political intrigue. This first book in a series by author Raven Oak explores the themes of family and what it means to both find and lose one's self. "With a ferocious-yet-fragile heroine, resonant themes, and a sweepingly gorgeous backdrop, Amaskan's Blood delivers food for thought and frank enjoyment." --Maia Chance, author of the Fairy Tale Fatal series **Review "An exciting epic fantasy filled with intrigue and layers upon layers of well crafted secrets and lies." 4/5 stars. Stephanie Hildreth of 100 Pages a Day "[A] fantasy novel in its truest form...these well-developed individuals held me captive. It was a very strong start to a fantasy series that Ivery much look forward to following." Pure Jonal Reviews "Adelei undertakes to save the kingdom, protect Margaret, and discover what truth, loyalty, duty, and family really mean--a tall order for any heroine...." Publisher's Weekly "With a ferocious-yet-fragile heroine, resonant themes, and a sweepingly gorgeous backdrop, Amaskan's Blood delivers food for thought and frank enjoyment." Maia Chance, author of the bestselling Fairy Tale Fatal series "The prose itself is...a cut above the rest as Raven Oak playfully dances with the reader. It's the addition of just enough detail, and the right amount of it, that makes this read. Oak is loquaciously talented and the writing in the book shines. [She] crafts [her] words carefully, in order to pull the reader in, and once he's hooked, reels him in." Open Book Society "If George R. R. Martin wrote Tangled, it might be a bit like this." Noor Jahangir, author of *The Adventures of Some Kid* "Holy crap, this is good!" Seattle Geekly From the Author **Notes from the Author on the Writing of *Amaskan's Blood: Amaskan's Blood* has been the most personal novel I've written thus far. Sounds weird considering the main character is a holy assassin of sorts. Writing Adelei through her familial struggles helped me with my own. I didn't realize it at the time, but I owe several relationships to Adelei. While writing this novel, I also discovered an intense joy in writing Ida. She's an old, cantankerous warrior who doesn't take anything from anybody. She reminds me of old veterans, only her war stories didn't stop when she hit fifty. I enjoyed her character so much, she's going to get her own novel soon enough. Amaskan's Blood will continue with Book II, Amaskan's War.