Robot monk Brother Jubal is the choir director of his order and a fan of Meerani of Maruwat's devotional hymns. The rediscovery of a forbidden text makes him wonder if Meerani was the first singular devotee of the Dark One of Spectre. Does Meerani's chosen deity, Saanvla, bear any connection to the patron of his order?

A soft power rises in the Empire, but is is as benign as it seems? A Terran Seedkeeepr trades heirloom vegetables for royal favor. first by quieting the Imperial Princess's unruly pregnancy cravings, then by becoming the last lifeline for the heir growing in her womb. Her purse now champions his "food sovereignty," a gentle phrase that threatens the iron grip of the Empires preferred vendor, who would rather see the empire starve than lose his market share. Emperor Xerxes cannot dismiss th...

This isn't the homecoming Spacefarer Nix Kaphale expected. He and his ship Krillian are deregistered from the Spacefarer's Guild. The vacation he's promised his Terran hosts Ellie and Rory Jordon to the Human Sector of the Intergalactic Empire has become a nightmare.Ellie is the only legal adult on board the ship since Nix is still indentured and Rory hasn't come of age yet.Rory's modifications to Krillian have rendered it "unfit" for service even though he...

It is the Olympian goddess Nemesis's duty to punish hubris, but what happens when the results of her work don't turn out as planned?Psyche would've been struck down for usurping Venus's worship if she hadn't caught Cupid's eye.The maiden Ambrosia finds out she is the daughter of a virgin goddess.Arachne's skill at weaving wins her fans and enemies in Olympus.Her attempt to punish Midas for his greed goes awry.She receives a petition ...

Fandom is a vehicle for free speech in this short story.Siri Appleton is a data analyst for an automated thought police mechanism. She provides technical support for the Intelligence Bureau's Error 451 Algorithm.A re-edited classic TV show inspires her to become a culture warrior when she's assigned to monitor it.Give me Liberty…

Residential school stank while 'Witch Hazel' was alive. Now her ghost makes sure it keeps stinking after she's dead.Fulton Convent was only a residential school for one year. Yet, it was open long enough for Witch Hazel to die. The convent got converted into a bed-and-breakfast that some review sites say is haunted.Sisters, Edna and Agnes Crawford, find themselves in the worst tourist trap imaginable. Their vacation is ruined when Witch Hazel possesses a sk...

In Edith Wharton's novel, The House of Mirth, Lily Bart, a beautiful and socially ambitious young woman, is destroyed by the vicious gossip that surrounds her. But what if Lily had learned to wield words like weapons and defend herself against those who sought to sabotage her? What if she had found a way to survive the cruel machinations of the upper class and carve out a place for herself in a world that demanded her downfall? In this short story retelling of Wharton's classic story, we s...

Jormungander, the Midgard Serpent, has gone native on Turtle Island. Yet, he still has much to learn about his new clan.He is the offspring of the attractive and notorious traitor, Loki the Trickster. This makes it hard to accept his new clan's policy to crush the gold and silver eggs the Pretty White Snake's mates lay.Onyare, the Pretty White Snake, is the most beautiful but dangerous of serpents.. His gold and silver scales are so dazzling they affect humans. Yet, he alwa...

Seeds of Resistance is a thrilling Seedkeeper Novella that follows the journey of Akweks Pine, an indigenous man who travels through a portal to Imperial Space to reclaim his family's heritage seed collection from Agristar, a powerful intergalactic agricultural corporation. Facing immense adversity, Pine must return to the portal before it closes, as Earth is on the brink of a pandemic and lockdown, and he needs to take care of his grandfather back home. This exciting work explores themes ...

"Touching the World" is the extraordinary story of Cathy Birchall, a blind woman, who set off with her companion Bernard Smith, to become the first blind person ever to circle the world on a motorbike, an 18-year-old BMW R100. What transpired has become an inspirational, worldwide story that challenges people to question their own self-imposed boundaries.From desolate and dangerous mountain roads, difficult border crossings and numerous mechanical breakdowns, to climbing Wayna Picc...

Shelton "Shifty" Sharpe may be a con artist, but he's not a violent criminal. What he lacks in ruthlessness, he makes up for in ingenuity. He's going to need to be at his most clever to escape his captivity to a black magician.He overreaches himself when he tries to pass of a replica as the magical artifact he's commissioned to find.Shifty is taken captive by Damien Rathschild and forced to become his minion to pay back the debt.Can he bide his time...

The Greeks have Narcissus and the Haudenosaunee have the Cornhusk Doll. They both stared into pools to admire themselves and got punished. Narcissus fell in love with himself. The Cornhusk Doll had her face taken away by her Creator, so she was no longer distracted from her duties. Both stories are parables against vanity in their respective cultures.Wakia, the No Face Cornhusk Doll has learned humility over the centuries of her existence in this short story. However, she wants her...