Bargain at Bravebank
A deal gone bad…
…and Van Delano is left to die in the desert.
But most folk said he’d been cursed with a double-barreled shotgun of mulishness.
So when his first attempt at bargaining for his kidnapped sister’s freedom lands him with a dead horse, a bullet in his leg, and miles of desert between him and the nearest town… he’s not about to give up.
He’ll fight and claw, cheat and steal, even kill, if he has to… he made his sister a promise and he’s damn sure gonna keep it.
Doesn’t matter if most folk say she’s dead.
Doesn’t matter if the outlaw queen of the Western Territories is playin’ him.
Doesn’t matter if his new metal leg makes him a wanted man, hunted by both the superstitious and the greedy.
He’s a man out for his own redemption, and the only way to pay that debt is to track down his sister and get her free… no matter the cost.
For fans of The Coilhunter series, Make Me No Grave and the Red Dead Redemption games... saddle up for this gritty, gun-blazin', gadget-laden re-imagining of the Old West and grab your copy today!
PLEASE NOTE: This series contains adult themes, situations, and language.
"...such cruel, manipulative characters in an unforgiving world beautifully juxtaposed with kindness and generosity. I love it." -- Roger Clark, voice and performance capture actor for Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption II
(Bargain at Bravebank has an audiobook! (Narrated by Roger Clark!) Listen to a sample below, and for a complete list of all the retailers where the audiobook is available, please CLICK HERE!)
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Escape from Aresh Five
On the run and out of work, Federation Navy deserter Cass takes the first job she can get: to liberate the notorious pirate Redbeard from the prison on Aresh Five—which doubles as a tourist attraction for the rich and adventurous.
Using a cover identity, Cass will have to infiltrate the prison with nothing but her wits, a master key disguised as a spork, and a furry, cat-like companion who’s pretty good in a fight.
Succeed, and she’ll earn the respect of the charismatic pirate leader Tone E Robbins, a man with deep pockets and plenty of other assignments to keep Cass busy. Fail, and she’ll become a permanent resident of Aresh Five prison herself… or worse, end up back in Federation hands, forced to have daily tea with her disgustingly polite and patriarchal commanding officer….
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Of Donkeys, Gods, and Space Pirates
"Fast, funny, and fresh sci-fi writing."—Cameron Coral, Sci-Fi Author
Harold is a symbiont. He’s also an ass.
Banished from his planet of Cern, imprisoned in the carrier form of a donkey, Harry gets swept up by an interstellar livestock trading vessel—the SS Bray. His only companions? The other donkeys and livestock.
Pirate captain Cass and her crew of misfits are desperate for a score. So, when they encounter and board the cargo herding vessel registered as the SS Bray, she’s less than sure of how they might cash in on a hold full of farm animals (including a naive talking donkey!). Lucky for them, there’s a prize donkey contest with a game-changing purse … and they just happen to have a hold full of potential contestants.
Meanwhile, the ghosts of Cass’s past are determined to find her. A Federation Navy deserter, her hijacking of the cargo ship sets off alarm bells with the top brass, who are quick to pursue this new lead. Giving them the slip might be easy, were it not for a double-crossing informant...
Can Captain Cass and her gang of pirates evade the Federation and cash in on their cargo? Can Harry the donkey-riding symbiont find a new home with the space pirates, or better yet, become a prize donkey and gain the adoration of an entire planet?
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Of Donkeys, Dogs, and Rogue Bits
Secret weapon or new best friend?
The mission, should Captain Cass and her intrepid crew of space pirates accept it? Infiltrate the Federation Navy flagship and extract the secret weapon.
Meanwhile, Harold's donkey host is ailing, which means he's on the outside-looking-in. As unlikely as it may seem, he's managed to help them through some of their biggest hurdles. How will they possibly manage without him on this, their most dangerous adventure to date?
Buy or BURRO today and continue the adventure in an expanding universe of possibility. (editor: And dogs. Don't forget the dogs.)
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End of Line
Lonely assassins. Moon vacations. Consciousness transfers.
What do all of these have in common? For the characters in this collection of science fiction short stories, they mean the end of the line....
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Dreamers
Rostam Hobbs never told anyone about the dreams.
He'd been on track to make Chief Engineer of the New Horizon space station … before the dreaming interrupted his sleep patterns. Before the miscalculation that nearly froze the entire west residence wing into a block of ice. Before he’d been reassigned to a junk-bucket scout ship to get lost in some godforsaken corner of space.
Dreamers were supposed to have been identified and utilized by the time they hit puberty, and he’s well past that. Maybe they wouldn’t take him now, given his age, but he doesn’t dare chance being found out. Most people are blissfully unaware that Dreamers even exist. But he works in Engineering. He knows everything about Dreamers.
And on a ship this small on a mission this long, it’s getting harder and harder to hide …
J. R. Frontera proves in this tale of the future that a mind belonging to the glory days of the Twilight Zone still puts pen to page. This brilliantly written, very meaty science fiction thriller short will have you jumping out of your chair -- literally -- and when it's over, you'll be haunted by the results....
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Discovery (featuring my flash fiction “The Bloodrose Venture”)
(NOTE: This book is no longer in print. You might be able to find a copy here or there on Amazon, though they are pretty pricey.)
The rules are simple enough. Write a complete story—either sci fi, fantasy, or paranormal. Make sure it has LGBT characters and/or an LGBT vibe. And do it all with just 300 words.
The stories in this volume run the gamut, from platypus shifters to alien slug monsters, from carnival horror stories to haunting stories of ships with souls. There are little jokes, big surprises, and future prognostications.
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Flight (featuring my flash fiction “Justice”)
Queer Sci Fi's Annual Flash Fiction Contest challenges authors to write a complete LGBTQ speculative fiction micro-story on a specific theme. "Flight" leaves much for the authors to interpret—winged creatures, flight and space vehicles, or fleeing from dire circumstances.
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In Death, Everything
This thoughtful, existentialist science fiction short is a vivid and intimate journey on an unavoidable subject. With lyrical prose, intricate descriptions, and a fascinating point of view, J. R. Frontera takes you on a deep dive into what it means to be a living member of the universe...
HAVING DIED, YOU REALIZE THE LIVING HAVE DEATH FIGURED ALL WRONG. Some think they are more right than others; some don't care if they are right at all. Some care enough about being right that they actually murder over it, which in hindsight is quite ironic—and it's just too bad those poor murdered souls can't come back to tell the rest what after-death is really like. But in the end, when it really counts, they are all still equally wrong.
It will be disorienting at first, especially to those with high expectations. There will be no fanfare of trumpets, no bright lights or tunnels. Unfortunately, there are no pearly gates, no golden streets or glass towers, no halos or wings or booming voices or angelic songs heralding your arrival into a grand paradise.
Instead, you will not know you are dead for some time ...
******
Inspired by a walk through a cemetery, this short story takes readers on an intriguing, poetic exploration of the after-death, examining our multiple origins as well as our various endings ... and everything that might happen in-between.
Impact (featuring my flash fiction “Two Hearts”)
IM * PACT
(noun)
1) One object colliding with another
2) An impinging of something upon something else
3) An influence or effect on something or someone
4) The force of a new idea, concept, technology or ideology
Four definitions to inspire writers around the world, and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell. Here are 110 of our favorites.
A difficult choice to be made. An object hurtling recklessly through space. A new invention that will change the world. So many things can impact a life, a society, or a planet.
Impact features 300 word speculative fiction ficlets from across the queer spectrum from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.
Welcome to Impact.
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Breakfast Time on the Farm
There's just one thing four-year-old William wants to know: what in the world do cows, pigs, and sheep eat for breakfast?
Luckily, today his MeeMaw is taking him to a farm, and they arrive just in time to help feed the animals! Follow along with William and Farmer Paul as they discover the answer to William's very pressing question.
"A delightful picture book with a charming story about a place many children never get to visit, a farm." – Rachel Ellyn, author of KC Bell: A Manx with a Tale
Breakfast Time on the Farm is a story inspired by a question from a real 4-year-old. This beautifully illustrated picture book takes adults and children alike on a fun adventure through a farm, while teaching real-world knowledge about various farm animals, too!
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Reign of Dust
A princess’s choice. A soldier’s destiny. A nation’s fate hangs in the balance.
When Roland Sunderson is chosen by Princess Alisha Kos'Valla as a husband instead of a royal soldier, he must leave everything he knows behind for a life he never wanted.
Thrust into an unfamiliar world of scheming politics and forbidden magic, Roland finds unexpected solace in Princess Alisha’s company. But even as their feelings for each other grow, Roland becomes the target of brutal sabotage that threatens to undermine not only his position, but the safety of the nation itself.
If Roland and Alisha can't prove his loyalty before her coronation, Roland will be executed, and all that will be left to Alisha is a reign of dust . . .
Full of betrayal, intrigue, passion, and sorcery, J. R. Frontera's sweeping epic fantasy Reign of Dust will plunge you into a dark and sensual new world.
(COMING SOON! Click the Notify Me button below to get updates on this book's publishing date!)
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