Stories

The French Revolutionary War is finally coming to a conclusion, and after eight years of conflict, George Granger is going to have to adapt to a world at peace. While the conflict with France may be at an end, George has his own challenges to face. He has returned home to find himself richer, but estranged from his wife. His best friend and lover, Francis Calvert, has been wounded in the Caribbean and has not yet returned to England. Join George as he navigates this fraught era, which may be even more dangerous than when England at France were at war.

It is Sunday morning. Liam sits alone in his room, at the top of the building, and hides himself away. The world outside has suddenly become a dangerous place and he must stay away from it, and he must also remember that his name is now Leo.

This story follows Liam through one fateful Sunday and, through flashbacks, tells the story of how he came to be there.

Former Delta Operative, Sam Trammel’s entire world has just collapsed and with no other option, he returns to Florida to bury his twin and his past. Ben Santiago is an Episcopal priest, a man with a checkered past, and a close friend of Sam's family. After a chance meeting brings them together, the two men navigate the tangled web of regret and forgiveness as friendship turns into love despite the obstacle of Sam's PTSD, and his reluctance to move toward Ben instead of away. Family and new friendships help Sam to rebuild and realize that sometimes the path to healing and finding home, is by confronting your past head-on.

14-year-old Bryan Padilla is caught between worlds he doesn't feel connected to. Having been abandoned by their birth parents at a young age, Bryan and his younger brother, Caleb, were adopted by a family friend, Diego Padilla, and raised in a culture not of their own. Though it is the only life Caleb has ever known, Bryan inwardly struggles with his feelings about life, death, race and sexuality. Things escalate shortly after the death of his birth mother. Can Bryan come to terms with his situation as a figure from his past tries to upend his entire life?

It's springtime in the mighty Andiol Empire. Despite the apparent tranquillity and prosperity, all is not well in the realm. There is a never-ending war on the eastern border, the power-hungry Shadow Cross is plotting, and the emperor has not been seen in public for years. And something far more dangerous is quietly gathering strength.

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Josel and his friends are leading normal young lives in their hometown Paidos, in the peaceful south of Andiol. But a dark shadow hangs over the town, and strange secrets creep into Josel's life. Suddenly, Paidos is no longer a safe place to live, and Josel finds himself on the run.

Thomas has his own secrets from his past, who he used to be. Zack, Thomas's manager at work, has his own secrets too, with his health declining. At first, they both support each other in their secrets, physically and mentally. However, things get a lot more complicated when they begin to develop feelings for each other and Thomas's past gets more violently involved in his present and Zack's health keeps getting worse. Can they be there for each other, despite all that life throws at them?

To have someone to love is one of life’s greatest gifts, his grandma used to say. However, what grandma didn’t know, and Otis didn’t have the heart to tell her, was that getting there in this day and age required going through a painful phase called dating. Something he’s not very good at, to put it lightly. However, when someone moves in an apartment a few doors down from his, Otis begins to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

Full summary inside.

Adam Walsh is a popular small-town Irish boy who gets paired with the new arrival in town. Ross, however, is a city boy, hailing from London. Being total opposites, they somehow manage to cross paths. What starts as nervous giggles and jittery speech turns into a bond that will forever change both teenagers, as they'll experience something more than friendship. How will the boy's parents, friends, and love for each other come together? Will it either work in their favor or wedge them apart forever?

Jacob continues his journey to form new bonds with his brothers while struggling to find his place after awakening to a brand new world. Will newfound friendships be broken? Will his first real love be lost? Those are the heart-wrenching questions Jacob must face with the ever-present fear of losing himself to light and shadow.

Book Two of The Last Statue follows on from Heart of Black Ice Bay and traces the lives of five new characters across roughly similar timelines.

• Marica is almost duped by a night caller accelerating her future plan to escape the palace;
• Jasmar's instincts tells him to accompany Marica’s siblings on their escape to Loq;
• Tad, a menial in Aulderly, stumbles upon the missing Lore of Invocation;
• Brokerman has to help deal with an emerald explosion that rips through the grounds of the Aulderly;
• Duke Ervine holds together a fragmented empire while a new ruler is being agreed upon.