The Lighter Side of Darkness is a raw and evocative journey through the spectrum of human emotion—where light dances with shadow, and hope wrestles with despair. Penned by a US Army Veteran and current Air Force Reservist, this collection of poetry is both a catharsis and a confession, a place where resilience meets vulnerability. Each verse peels back layers of joy, love, and fleeting moments of serenity, only to descend into the depths of pain, loss, and the echoes of battle—both on the field and within the soul. Accompanied by hauntingly beautiful images designed to stir the heart and mind, these poems invite readers to feel everything—from the warmth of laughter to the weight of sorrow. The Lighter Side of Darkness is more than poetry; it’s therapy, survival, and a testament to the power of words to heal, even in the darkest hours. Step inside, and let the emotions wash over you.

An accidental bride. A family curse no one believed could ever truly be broken. Is their love destined to be destroyed or will it create a magic more powerful than they dreamed possible. DELILAH I'd been waiting years for the chance to catalogue the art in the Stone Family's collection. When my chance comes to be one of the first visitors to the ancestral mansion, I can't wait any longer. But a slip of the pen leaves me with more than just a precious collection of valuable art to spend my days with. For the man that lurks inside the dark, dusty halls of Falls Manor has snared me with his sweet sadness, and when he reveals that I signed the contract to be his wife, I find myself wishing our time together might not have to end. Is the curse he tells me about real? Or is our love the magic that will win out in the end? COLE My youngest brother may have been set free by love, but the curse that's plagued my family for years still lingers. A promise that I will never know true love. So I don't expect to be entranced by the woman I believe has been sent to be my bride. It's a business arrangement, nothing more. Until suddenly, it's not, and I fear my heart will never be the same. Will I lose her to the power of a curse that can never truly be lifted? Or can I dare to hope for something more? Heart of Stone is a steamy short instalove romance between a strong gargoyle shifter and his gorgeous curvy woman with a guaranteed HEA. NO cliffhangers and NO cheating.

Her heart is missing. Her memories are fractured. And time is running out. For three centuries, Meiren has hunted monsters to atone for her dark past. As a Hollow Slayer, she's grown used to the void where her heart should be—a constant reminder of the bargain that gave her a shot at redemption. But when her mother burns down an asylum and children with impossible powers start emerging across Chicago, Meiren's carefully constructed world shatters. Now she's caught in a dangerous game between three divine powers: the Silver Queen who demands perfect order, Lilith who champions absolute chaos, and Eve who walks the path between. To complicate matters, her reincarnated husband doesn't remember her, her long-lost son is protecting supernatural children across the city, and her mysterious new training partner seems to know more about her missing memories than he's letting on. As an ancient prophecy unfolds and a powerful being known as the Harbinger threatens to destroy everything she holds dear, Meiren must uncover the truth about her past before it's too late. With reality itself hanging in the balance, she must choose between the redemption she craves and the family she never knew she had—all while fighting the darkness that threatens to consume them all. Love can transcend death, but can it survive the space between order and chaos? This first installment in the Hollow Slayer series combines pulse-pounding action with heart-wrenching romance, while exploring themes of redemption, family, and the price of power. #Past Life Romance #Reincarnation #UrbanFantasy #MorallyGreyHero

A plant grows from a single seed. The same is true for power. When a drought strikes the continent of Bas, family and friends are ripped apart, ancient grudges are revived, and a strange magic is sought that threatens to plunge the world further into chaos. Savique, a new father, works on an estate shaping stones for the Foreman. After an ill-fated theft, his life begins to unravel and not even the vague prophecies of mystics can stop it. Cast out from his home, without friend or family, Savique will be forced to discover why an old enemy would come to his rescue. Friends Vaten and Ajeau walk the dying world until a mysterious group of raiders separates them. Vaten is abducted and forced into the life of a prisoner. Taken to a distant land, he must rely on new friends to help him escape. But alliances are never quite what they seem. From the moment Vaten is taken, Ajeau vows never to give up searching for him. She must journey to the great city of Nouv'eau, the place of her birth, in hopes of discovering a clue to his whereabouts. Little does she know, her return to the city has been expected by a powerful force. One that promises to reunite her with Vaten. And so much more.

Their hero is a fraud and only he knows it. When the truth comes knocking, can one boy conjure a way to save the day? Young Samual longs to perform magic of his own. What’s worse, he can’t seem to convince anyone that their beloved Town Magician is a trickster without an enchanted bone in his body. When a wicked wizard challenges the pretender to a duel, Samual vows to keep his village safe by forcing the fraudster to rise to the challenge. Determined to prevent disaster, he secretly shadows the phony protector during his training with the Grand Wizard. And when they barely escape an vicious attack, Samual realizes he must partner with his bitter rival. But keeping the truth hidden any longer may not help them outwit a powerful sorcerer. With his town in grave danger, can Samual protect the ones he loves from the forces of evil? Embracing the Magic is the enchanting first story in the Town Magician middle grade fantasy series. If you enjoy unlikely heroes, coming-of-age adventures, and spellbinding creatures, then you’ll love S.A. Schneider’s fantastical tale. In the book, you also get: – background information on Town Magicians – Words to Know to learn new words – Discussion Questions – Create your own adventure stories – suggestions to help kids create their own stories Teachers and Parents: visit sa-schneider.com for educational resources and free short stories set within the Town Magician world. You can also get a copy of the study guide for teaching use.

Driven south by their brethren in the Northern Kingdom, the Der'geron have bided their time for nearly two centuries, nursing hatred and plotting vengeance since their defeat in the great elven war. As a new conflict draws ever closer, Queen Jobella struggles to assert her authority over her northern domain—battling civil unrest, sabotage, and misinformation while attempting to mend fractured alliances. Meanwhile, Callum and Jax set out on a perilous journey to repair the veil separating the magical realm from the human world. Unbeknownst to them, their path leads directly into the heart of danger, where they are captured by the Der’geron. Imprisoned in the hellish grotto beneath the subterranean city of Elfarian, Callum and Jax are forced to work or die at their enemy's command. However, danger turns to horror when Callum learns of the Der’geron King’s plans for the Northern Kingdom and the rest of the realm. What is to come will be a reckoning, not a war. It will be a battle for the ages, where both lives and souls are at stake, and death is not the worst outcome. Imperilled by violence, assailed by evil energy, and tempted by dark magic, Callum must stand against the rising darkness, but first, he needs to find the strength to face his buried anguish, even at the risk of fracturing what remains of his sanity. Yet, there is hope for a happy ending, if only Callum can summon the courage to accept it.

The Mester is dead or maimed and the black stone used to control his network of gem makers is in Barbara and Zoltan’s hands. But as Zoltan discovered in the ruin bars of Budapest from a former associate, who turned up beheaded and his hands cut off, the Mester was just a small part of a much larger cabal, an ancient Order dating back to Aristotle and beyond. The Order has one goal: to convince the populace that there are masters divinely intended to rule and slaves meant only to obey. Using magic and sorcery, both ancient and modern, they will stop at nothing to protect the rule of the aristoi. But this time the “slaves” are fighting back, drawing on the knowledge and skills from many traditions and backgrounds, including magic of their own, to battle this shadowy cabal and its message of fear, division and hopelessness. In The Tunnels of Buda Zoltan, the 110-year-old gem maker and Barbara, empath and gem wielder, veer in new and terrifying directions, facing evil on an unimagined scale. They are drawn to the lair of the Justin, so powerful he controls the minds of all around him and who commands the Company, a hidden underground futuristic complex that serves as the hub of the Order’s monstrous conspiracy to enact the darkest of Nietzsche’s Weltanschauung. Barbara and Zoltan find new allies and diabolical enemies as they fight for their lives in the mines and ancient tunnels deep below Buda Castle in Budapest.

Two thieves. One legendary treasure. Zero trust. Wincott is a washed-up burglar with a bad back, frozen toes, and a goblin kill count that’s making his life very complicated. When he flees into the long-abandoned mountain city of Roan—just ahead of a bloodthirsty goblin horde—he finds himself knocked out cold by none other than his estranged son: Sish Torren, a fast-talking rogue with a short sword, shorter temper, and a talent for backstabbing... sometimes literally. Roan is rumored to house an ancient treasure. It’s also filled with deadly traps, crumbling ruins, and the kind of secrets that swallow people whole. Wincott and Sish reluctantly join forces—not out of love, but because no one survives Roan solo for long. Especially not with mercenaries, monsters, and a certain vengeful former crew barreling toward them. The Dungeoneers and the Treasure of Roan is “Dungeons & Dysfunction” meets Ocean’s Eleven—if everyone in the crew had unresolved trauma and zero impulse control. A darkly funny, fast-paced fantasy adventure full of sharp blades, sharper tongues, and just enough heart to keep you rooting for the worst people to do the right thing... eventually. Perfect for fans of Nicholas Eames, Joe Abercrombie, and heist stories with emotional baggage and bite.

ALPHA WOLF. BETA HUMAN. BIG APPLE. Michael Andrews is a polite, small-town Canadian bumpkin just trying to make his way in the big city as a mystery writer while dealing with the side-effects of turning into a wolf every full moon. After waking up from his latest night of howling at the moon, he's naked, he's got a bullet hole in his leg, and he has a sneaking suspicion he ran into another wolf last night. A wolf that was stomping all over his home turf. If he's going to make an evening talk show appearance to promote his latest book, he'll need to figure out what happened the previous night without letting his occasional heroics sidetrack him. Standing in his way are an agent, an ex-girlfriend, a variety of goons, and a fellow wolf encroaching on his territory. It's just another day in the life of a polite, small-town Canadian trying to stay alive in the Big Apple. A Canadian Werewolf in New York is a humorous thriller about an ordinary man dealing with extraordinary circumstances. If you like seeing an every-man try to "do right" no matter the odds, then you'll love this suspenseful and comedic tale of a Canadian bumpkin who happens to be part wolf. Readers have described this book as “The thinking man’s werewolf” and “The Dresden Files meets The Hangover.”