New Bundle! A Trove of Tomes

Posted on December 4, 2020 by J.M. Ney-Grimm

A new curator has appeared on BundleRabbit—Christopher Schmitz—and he invited me to contribute The Tally Master to his new bundle of epic fantasy.

So I did!

I’m excited about it, because this bundle includes books by a whole new set of authors, writers I’ve never encountered before. Maybe I’ll discover a new favorite. (Maybe you will, too!)

I’m also excited because Christopher is doing a bunch of effective marketing for this bundle. In just a week, it’s already sold 173 copies! I hope some more readers will discover my work and find it to their taste.

So, what about A Trove of Tomes?

That’s the title of the bundle, and it’s comprised of 10 novels plus one novella, the collection forming a mix of epic fantasy and sword & sorcery.

For all of December, it’s on sale for a discount price—$1.99.

The price will go back up to list—$7.99—in January. Now’s the time to get it, if you’re interested. At the very least, you’ll acquire my Tally Master for $1.99 instead of $4.99. And you might discover something(s) you like from one of the other nine authors.

Three of the other novels especially caught my attention—they’re the ones I’ll try reading first. Let me tell you a bit about them.

* * *

The Dragon Princess by Paris Hansch

The dragon princess is missing.

War is imminent.

And someone pulls the strings behind the scenes…

Can a fractured family of angry brothers and sisters pull together to awaken their forgotten spirit arts and defeat “The Mistress”?

Grinden Proselyte by Christopher D. Schmitz

They took everything from him.

They branded his hands and killed the girl he loves.

Revenge is all Rashnir has left…

But when revenge suddenly looms imminent, the former ranger wonders…what comes after?

The Dragonslayer’s Sword by Resa Nelson

Astrid has a dark secret. A dragon once chewed her up and spat her out.

She hides the old scars covering her body through shapeshifting.

But the time for hiding is over…

*

And here’s a little about my own contribution to the bundle.

The Tally Master by J.M. Ney-Grimm

Managing supplies for a warlord’s arsenal, an accursed mage purposefully ignores the fact that he’s enabling the destruction of his former people.

But when he discovers the precious metal needed to craft the weapons is being stolen from under his nose, he resolves to find the culprit at any cost.

Dragons. Elves. Curses. Blood pacts and orcs. . . and a few Chosen Ones.
Unlock portals to adventure for less than a dollar a book!

Rise & Fall of the Obsidian Grotto
    by Christopher D. Schmitz
The Tally Master
    by J.M. Ney-Grimm
A Veil for the Vanguard
    by Danny F. Santos
Kakos Realm: Grinden Proselyte
    by Christopher D. Schmitz
The Dragonslayer’s Sword
    by Resa Nelson
Apprentice Storm Mage
    by Douglas Van Dyke, Jr
The Avant Champion: Rising
    by C.B. Samet
The Chronicles of Agartha:
    The Green Boy
    by Sherif Guirguis & Isaac Michaan
Severance Lost by J. Lloren Quill
Prelude to Insurrection by JC Kang
The Dragon Princess by Paris Hansch

The A Trove of Tomes bundle is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, or direct from the BundleRabbit site.

* * *

For more bundles with my stories in them, see:
Here Be Trolls
Here Be Elves
Here Be Magic
Eclectica
Here Be Unicorns
Here Be Merfolk
Here Be Fairies
Here Be Dragons
Immortals

New Bundle! Here Be Trolls

Posted on July 31, 2020 by J.M. Ney-Grimm

When I think of all the trolls who walk the pages of my stories—as villains, as victims, or as heroes—I can only say…where has this bundle been? It’s about time!

I have enough books featuring trolls to make a bundle from them without any additional authors contributing!

However, the two chosen by the curator for Here Be Trolls are A Knot of Trolls and The Tally Master. So if you’ve been thinking about giving either of these a read, this is the bundle for you. Not only will you get my two, you’ll get 8 more besides. And some of those look particularly appealing.

The Changeling Troll by Leah Cutter (a novel) had me reading all the way to the end of the Look Inside on Amazon. I was tempted to click the buy button, instead of waiting for the bundle to release!

I always enjoy Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s short stories, so I’m eager to read her “Renn and the Little Men.” And “The Great Orc Cook-Off” by Stefon Mears looks like pure fun.

I could go on, but I’ll cut to the chase instead. Check out the blurbs below for the titles that especially caught my interest.

Christine seeks solace in books. But after she loses a bet with her brother, she forces herself to leave the sanctuary of her fictional worlds for the real one.

She hates the bar scene—the noise, the music, the people. Until the impossible happens. Christine meets her identical twin. A twin she never knew about. A meeting that will make her question all she ever knew about herself and her family, as well as what it means to be human.

The first book in a new-adult, urban fantasy trilogy, The Changeling Troll puts a delightful new twist on the ugly duckling story.

In the Wild West, gunslingers populate the legend of many a dime novel.

Renn knows her way around a gun—and a book—better than most of them, including her famous brother, who can credit his skills to Renn.

So, when the strange little men show up looking to hire her missing-in-action brother, Renn takes the job.

She soon realizes she’ll need every bit of her gun skills and book learning to finish it.

What can you do when a fairy tale nightmare comes true?

Annie knows the troll is coming back for her and her sisters—and their children. But when she tries to convince her sisters that the danger they faced as children is on the hunt again, they can’t—or won’t—believe her.

She’s on her own.

OLD MAGICK. NEW WORLD.

In 2017, little remains of magick save scattered, beleaguered pockets of magickal community and scholarship—and a vast, but rapidly decaying, heritage. How can any of it survive the pace of modern life?

As an agent of the Society for Magickal Heritage, Cordelia “Ves” Vesper has an important job: to track down and rescue endangered magickal creatures, artifacts, books and spells wherever they are to be found. It’s a duty that takes her the length and breadth of Britain, and frequently gets her into trouble. But somebody’s got to keep magick alive in the modern world, and Ves is determined to do whatever it takes.

Orc clans rule the grasslands.

The Broken Tooth Clan stands mighty enough to make even the cursed elves hide in their Wailing Forest, but are they so stalwart as to triumph over the new threat rising beyond the woodlands?

Gorek, a fierce warrior of the Broken Tooth clan, has bested every enemy with the guts to face him in battle. But he’s an even better cook.

That’s fortunate, because the future of the Broken Tooth rests on Gorek’s cooking. First, he must gather the savoriest—and most dangerous—of ingredients.

“The Great Orc Cook-Off” is a rollicking fantasy adventure, set in a rich world you won’t want to leave. Fans of World of Warcraft and The Forgotten Realms, don’t miss this one!

And here’s a bit about my own The Tally Master and A Knot of Trolls.

Only in exile can a fallen mage escape death. Where does he go when exile proves just as deadly?

Seven years ago, reeling from a curse in the wake of battle, Gael sought sanctuary and found it in a most perilous place. But the citadel of a troll warlord—haunt of the desperate and violent—proves a harsh refuge for a civilized mage.

The Tally Master is the gripping first book in the Gael & Keir series of fantasy mystery novels. If you like characters who seem to step right off the page, twisty plots, and vividly immersive worlds, then you’ll love this suspenseful tale of secrets, betrayal, and transcendence.

A medieval lady stands in an ancient stone hall North-lands spellcasters who reach too boldly for power transform into trolls—grotesque villains wielding a potent magic and destined for madness.

A Knot of Trolls features seven of these evildoers, each pursuing a unique design for troubling their neighbors. Across the ages of the world, ordinary youths must rise to the challenges laid down by trolls. Destiny and hope lie in the balance.

Seven tales of magic and troll-mages.

A reclusive young woman ventures out of her library to meet her identical twin, a twin she never knew about. How many more secrets lie in her past?

A fallen mage believes he’s reached sanctuary. But when three ingots vanish from the vault he protects for a troll warlord, his search for the thief once again thrusts him in harm’s way.

A troll shaman calls from her deathbed, sending her heiress on a quest to return their people’s magical gemstone to its place of origin. If she succeeds, she becomes the leader of her tribe. If she fails, there will be no tribe to lead.

A wise old auntie and her kin must defend their remote homestead against a marauding troll of old, a fearsome beast bearing great fangs and claws—and gripped by a hunger for human flesh.

An agent of the Society for Magickal Heritage must find the source of an occult disease decimating Britain’s troll enclaves—and fix it. Simple in theory, tricky in practice, for the only place that might hold the information she needs is the ancient and inconveniently lost enclave of Farringale…

A princess faces war on two fronts: demons outside in the forest and hidden enemies in the caves of home. If she loses either battle, everything is lost, even though she’s a badass warrior troll.

From nightmare monsters who enjoy dining on children to spiritual mystics in tune with the natural world, from gritty champions to peculiar cooks, from shy hermits to paladin mages—greenskins, trolls, and orcs feature as heroes or as villains in these 10 tales of magic, myth, and mayhem.

The Changeling Troll by Leah Cutter
“Renn and the Little Men” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
The Tally Master by J.M. Ney-Grimm
The Stolen Tower by A. L. Butcher
“Troll Country” by Marcelle Dubé
The Road to Farringale by Charlotte E. English
“The Meat Shield” by Blaze Ward
“The Great Orc Cook-Off” by Stefon Mears
A Knot of Trolls by J.M. Ney-Grimm
The Troll-Troll War by Leah Cutter

The Here Be Trolls bundle is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, or direct from the BundleRabbit site.

* * *

For more bundles with my stories in them, see:
Here Be Elves
Here Be Magic
Eclectica
Here Be Unicorns
Here Be Merfolk
Here Be Fairies
Here Be Dragons
Immortals

New Bundle! Here Be Elves

Posted on February 14, 2020 by J.M. Ney-Grimm

I’ve been longing for this one for ages. It stayed stuck in the planning stages for nearly a year. But here it is at last!

I’ve already devoured and enjoyed both of the Rusch stories. I plan to dive into Kirwan’s Son by Marcelle Dubé next.

A shapeshifter who spies for the fey conquerors of the mortal world fights her urge to help an oppressed human child. Her duty points one way. Her inclination, another. How will she choose?

The only elf able to stand in for the big guy—Santa himself, away on sabbatical—can’t be found. His cohorts hire an elf PI plus partner—Diz and Dee—to track down the necessary missing fellow.

A faie knight, banished from the realm under the knowe, loves the bright world and the mortals who dwell there. But the faie king wants his knight back, and he prefers tricks and cheats for tactics.

A healer mage discovers a young man dying of fey magic on the steps of her perfume shop. Battling the fairy queen to save him puts her heart at risk.

Celtic elves, dangerous and beautiful. Scandinavian elves, mischievous pranksters. Norse elves, warriors and consorts to the gods. Santa’s elves, practical and plucky. The Fair Folk beguile imagination with their mystery, allure, and hints of madness.

Written as a prequel to Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s popular Fey saga, “Destiny” follows the Shapeshifter Solanda on Nye.

The Black King wants her to use her special abilities on a job that will change the Fey forever.

But Solanda wants to change the life of one child. Can she do both? Or should she do nothing at all?

Christmas comes early for private investigator Dee and her partner, the grumpy but drop-dead gorgeous elf Diz, when Santa’s elves hire Diz and Dee to find Santa’s missing stand in.

Santa’s taken a sabbatical, and only one elf at the North Pole can fill the big man’s shoes.

An elf who’d rather make his mark in the real world than spend one more holiday in Santa’s sleigh.

A roadside rest stop—crossroads of the modern world. Where the barriers between worlds run thin. Where travelers may wander into Faerie.

Lex Frisk, fleeing from heartbreak. On the road for thirty hours. Lex needs to stretch his legs. Find some coffee. Instead he finds a beautiful stranger…

…and an unbelievable party.

Where two worlds meet, the jealous eyes of a Faerie King peer from the darkness as he gathers a slave army of subjugation. Set against him and his dark horde is:

• Bill Strike, a naive, girl-shy youth with exploding hands
• the girl he’s shy of
• three witches
• and a pioneer of chicken-powered aviation.

For fans of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld or The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

In a world of tortured tree nymphs and madness, the Fey king needs only one Kirwan, the eldest son, to save the trapped Fey, but all four Kirwans become pawns in the struggle for power between Seelie and Unseelie.

The Kirwans will risk everything—love, honor, and life—in the name of an oath taken centuries earlier.

But will it be at the cost of spreading the Fey war to their own world?

Punishments for elven crimes vary. So, when Rolf finds himself serving time as a toy on a mantel during the Christmas season, Rolf figures he got off easy.

But when a lonely child asks him to deliver a message to Santa, he realizes his rehabilitation comes with a price—one he might not be prepared to pay.

Finding an unconscious man on the steps of her magical perfume shop is just the beginning of Seattle sorceress Avery Starling’s troubles.

She’s drawn to Braxtan Rhodes, a handsome and intriguing young man who reeks of a strange dark magic that is slowly killing him.

Pushing her healing air magic to its limits, Avery puts her heart on the line to battle a powerful Fey queen for Braxtan’s soul.

Here Be Elves also includes my own Blood Silver.

In a mythical Ireland that never was, mortal villages perch all unknowing beside enchanted knolls. Beneath them dwell the cruel and capricious faie folk.

Tahaern, a faie warrior by birth but not in spirit, eschews his vicious origins. Loving the bright world, he serves a mortal village as healer.

But when the faie declare war upon their neighbors, Tahaern must again take up his sword…

Consort with the fey in the 13 tales of Here Be Elves—magic, myth, and mayhem await you.

“Destiny” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
“The Case of the Missing Elf” by Annie Reed
“Hidden in Mist” by Chrissy Wissler
“Forty Years Among the Elves” by Stefon Mears
Myths and Magic by Kevin Partner
The Shining Citadel by A. L. Butcher
Kirwan’s Son by Marcelle Dube
Blood Silver by J.M. Ney-Grimm
“By the Chimney With Care” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
“Jar of Souls” by Lisa Silverthorne
Hidden in Myth by Chrissy Wissler
“The Merchant of Elves” by Robert Jeschonek
Elf Saga: Doomsday by Joseph Robert Lewis

The Here Be Elves bundle is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, or direct from the BundleRabbit site.

New Bundle! Might Have Been

Posted on November 22, 2019 by J.M. Ney-Grimm

I love fairy tales! I’ve always loved them, and I hope I always will.

The Red Fairy Book, Tales of the Brothers Grimm, and East of the Sun and West of the Moon were well-read favorites in my childhood, and I didn’t stop re-reading them when I reached adulthood.

My only complaint was that there weren’t enough new-to-me fairy tales. Sure, I could (and will) re-read the old classics indefinitely. I’m a big re-reader. But wouldn’t it be great to find fresh stories, or even the same stories told with a fresh twist.

I can almost believe that A. L. Butcher curated the Might Have Been bundle for me especially.

The Russian fairy tales are entirely new to me, and the twists on old favorites are twists like I’ve never seen before. This is a bundle I’ll devour.

Among the 17 titles in Might Have Been, several provoked particular interest in me. I draw them to your attention…

* * *

Beauty has a Fate.

A Destiny.

To keep dating losers and ‘beasts’ until she manages to find that prince hidden underneath that bad boy exterior.

But what if she doesn’t want to? What if she wants to take control of her own destiny?

“Kristine Grayson gives ‘happily ever after’ her own unique twist!”—Kasey Michaels

In this romantic trilogy, fairy tales and myths inhabit a slightly askew world of charming princes, sleeping beauties, and wicked witches.

Welcome to the fractious fairy tale world of Kristine Grayson, where the bumpy road to happily ever after surprises and delights.

The Charming Trilogy omnibus contains three complete novels.

Utterly Charming

When Prince Charming enters Nora Barr’s office to hire her to protect Sleeping Beauty, only the size of his check keeps her from throwing him out. Nora doubts happily-ever-after exists, but until last week she never saw magic before either. Let alone a real Prince Charming.

Thoroughly Kissed

Emma, the real Sleeping Beauty, awakens after a thousand years and swears to never kiss anyone again. Ever. She keeps that vow until she meets temptingly gorgeous Michael who—somehow—becomes the only person who can get her across country with her weird cat Darnell. Before her magic takes over their lives, and maybe destroys the entire world.

Completely Smitten

For centuries, Darius shadowed Prince Charmings because he knew they needed happily ever afters. And he does too. After he fought Cupid, the Fates forced Darius to unite 100 soulmates. Two away from the end of his sentence, he falls for triathlete Ariel, seemingly destined for another soul mate only he can find. If he wants freedom, he must find her soul mate. No matter how badly it breaks his heart.

A modern twist on the classic fairy tale of the three little pigs and the big bad wolf.

Lettie and her brothers inherited a great deal of money from their grandpa. While her brothers took the money and set off to enjoy life, Lettie took her share and bought a bar.

Unfortunately for Lettie and her brothers, Grandpa had a lot of other grandkids, and he pissed off all of them by leaving them out of his will.

And some of those other grandkids are werewolves.

Illustrated children’s stories that come from the heart of ‘Holy Russia’— a realm stretching from the Ukrainian Steppes of Kiev to Novgorod in the west to the borders of the Caspian Sea in the east.

Ilya and Cloudfall
Ilya Meets Svyatogor and Parts with Him
Ilya and Nightingale the Robber
Ilya and Falcon the Hunter
The Adventure of the Burning White Stone
The Story of Nikitich and Marina
The Story of Kasyan and the Dream Maiden
How Stavr the Noble Was Saved by a Woman’s Wiles
The Golden Horde
How Quiet Dunai Brought the Princess Apraxia to Kiev
How the Court of Vladimir Received a Visitor from India the Glorious
Whirlwind The Whistler, or the Kingdoms of Copper, Silver, and Gold
Vasily the Turbulent
Nikita the Footless and the Terrible Tsar
Peerless Beauty the Cake-Baker

In addition to charming line drawings, the ebook is enhanced by 16 amazing color-plates from Frank C. Papé.

Curl up with this unique sliver of Russian culture—not seen in print for over a century—and immerse yourself in the tales and fables of yesteryear.

Might Have Been also includes my own story collection, Tales of Old Giralliya.

A troll-mage rains death upon the land from his citadel in the sky. Who—if anyone—can defeat him? Despite the oracle’s prophecy, few believe the beggar’s son might be the people’s champion.

A magical plague infests the villages, the cities, and the lonely manors. Will the realm descend into ruin before a cure is found? Or could wizened, old Eliya convince the stricken that something improbable might save them all?

Three ducal brothers fight for the rule of their duchy, crushing fields and hamlets under their chariot wheels. Can young Andraia, kidnapped from her village, bring the destructive struggle to an end?

Instead of Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, or the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the Giralliyan Empire has Ravessa’s Ride, the Thricely Odd Troll, the Kite Climber, and more. Tales of Old Giralliya presents six of these fresh, new fairy tales for your enjoyment.

Adventure and magic in the tradition of The Red Fairy Book and the Tales of the Brothers Grimm.

From retellings of classic fairy tales to legends and lore shared around the hearth, this collection presents stories of wonder and fantasy—some straight up and others with a twist.

Children’s tales from Serbia and Russia feature water spirits and household sprites, knight princes and giants, whirlwinds and the Golden Horde.

An unusual visit to Wonderland follows Alice as she encounters the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, and Humpty Dumpty under horror’s shadow. The secrets of a most infamous castle, Burg Frankenstein, deliver up ghosts.

While a trio of sexy gender-swap tales yield Snow White, Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast with spice.

Romeo and Juliet—and vampires, the Three Little Pigs as you’ve never seen them, Cinderella embracing witchcraft…these are the Might Have Been, folklore, granny tales, and fairy tales turned upside down or glimpsed darkly in the mirror.

*Not all stories suitable for kids.

The Might Have Been bundle includes:

“Fairy Tale Fates” by Leah Cutter
The Charming Trilogy by Kristine Grayson
“The Legends of Castle Frankenstein” by DeAnna Knippling
Snow Truer Love by AJ Tipton
“Brick Houses” by Annie Reed
“The Return of Alice” by Robert Jeschonek
Into the Forest Shadows by J.A. Marlow
Handsome and the Beast by AJ Tipton
The Russian Story Book by Richard Wilson
Tales of Old Giralliya by J.M. Ney-Grimm
“R+J Sucks” (Vol 1.) by Ann Hunter
Hunting Red by AJ Tipton
Lost: Cinderella’s Secret Witch Diaries by Ron Vitale
Return to Wonderland by Tanya Lisle
Fairy Tales Revisited on Silvery Earth by Barbara G. Tarn
“Redd’s Hoodie” by Karen C. Klein
Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians by Woislav M. Petrovitch

PA Head’s Up: Most of the titles in the bundle are ‘sweet,’ not ‘spicy.’ But the few spicy ‘not for kids’ stories include explicit scenes. If fictional spice is not for you, be prepared. (Myself? I did some skipping.)

Of the non-spicy stories I’ve read so far…“Fairy Tale Fates” possesses a twist after my own heart; Completely Smitten from The Charming Trilogy has given me a new favorite character: Darius; and “Brick Houses” was just pure fun.

The Might Have Been bundle is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, or direct from the BundleRabbit site.

* * *

For more bundles with my stories in them, see:
Here Be Magic
Eclectica
Here Be Unicorns
Here Be Merfolk
Here Be Fairies
Here Be Dragons
Immortals

Upcoming Release! Tales in a New Bundle

Posted on November 8, 2019 by J.M. Ney-Grimm

Tales of Old Giralliya is an experiment for me.

I conceived of the stories as the fairy tales that mothers and fathers of my North-lands tell their young children at bedtime, and I recounted the stories in the spare style typical of fairy tales.

Characters are sketched in with just a few details, leaning heavily on archetypes. We have the young, inexperienced king, who tries something that an older man would not. Or the young girl, kidnapped from home, held captive by her enemies, and faced with a chance to save her village, but lacking any obvious means to do so.

Each story is comprised of just one scene, or two, embedded within a scant narrative frame that is the equivalent of ‘once upon a time.’

I loved telling the stories, writing in hope that some of my readers would enjoy reading them.

But would they? Would they really?

And who might like to be my first reader, the one to give me necessary feedback—feedback that would allow me to revise the stories to be their best?

I needed someone who not only had loved fairy tales as a child, but who still loved them. Someone who might pull out her battered copy of East of the Sun and West of the Moon and read it for pleasure (not mere nostalgia) now.

Really, my choice of a first reader was simple. I asked the curator of the bundle for which Tales of Old Giralliya was created.

She graciously consented to help me, and I sent her the file.

Then I waited. Nervously.

I thought she would like the stories, but . . . would she really?

Well, good news: she did! 😀

And she provided me with excellent feedback.

My collection has now been revised, edited, and proofread, and will release sometime this month in the bundle entitled Might Have Been.

Here’s a little bit about Tales of Old Giralliya.

* * *

A troll-mage rains death upon the land from his citadel in the sky. Who—if anyone—can defeat him? Despite the oracle’s prophecy, few believe the beggar’s son might be the people’s champion.

A magical plague infests the villages, the cities, and the lonely manors. Will the realm descend into ruin before a cure is found? Or could wizened, old Eliya convince the stricken that something improbable might save them all?

Three ducal brothers fight for the rule of their duchy, crushing fields and hamlets under their chariot wheels. Can young Andraia, kidnapped from her village, bring the destructive struggle to an end?

Instead of Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, or the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the Giralliyan Empire has Ravessa’s Ride, the Thricely Odd Troll, the Kite Climber, and more. Tales of Old Giralliya presents six of these fresh, new fairy tales for your enjoyment.

Adventure and magic in the tradition of The Red Fairy Book and the Tales of the Brothers Grimm.

* * *

For more about Tales of Old Giralliya, see:
Rebirth of Four Fairy Tales
Two Giralliyan Folk Heroes
Caught Between Two Armies

New Bundle! Blood Moon

Posted on October 11, 2019 by J.M. Ney-Grimm

I’ve been invited to participate in a bundle featuring shapeshifters!

Many of the stories showcase traditional were creatures turned by the power of moonlight, while mine involves the ancient Egyptians and the mutable forms of their gods. But several of the authors put unusual spins on the trope, including the adventures of a feline fey, the call of the Wild Hunt, and the spiritual heart of the First People.

Among those that especially caught my attention were By Howl & Claw by Rebecca Senese (a collection of 5 stories), “Big Bad Wolf” and “The Night Mischief Became a Real Cat” by Annie Reed, Family, Pack by Michael Jasper, and “Wolf Warlock” by Meyari McFarland. Here’s a little bit about them…

* * *

What kills and leaves a strange, elongated print?

What howls in the dark Yukon night?

What stalks these burglars in an empty house?

What follows an old woman in the woods?

What chases squirrels in the full moon?

By howl and claw, monsters roam the wilds.

* * *

Carla hated blind dates.

Hard enough just living in the city and trying to fit in with a bunch of regular people who didn’t know she was a werewolf.

Why didn’t everyone believe her when she told them she liked being single? No attachments? No commitments? No one to accidentally disembowel when the moon was at its fullest and she wolfed out during a particularly vivid dream?

This particular blind date, though, might be too good to be true.

Right up until the lights go out, and everything goes to hell.

* * *

Some family curses really should be passed on…

Tommy Roling does everything humanly possible to raise his infant daughter Corinne the right way. But a half year out of high school, Tommy finds himself a single parent as well as flat broke.

And, with every full moon, he can’t fight the urge to strip off his clothes and run wild through the pastures outside town.

* * *

Once she stalked the duat by Ra’s side, carrying his light in her eyes and battling the monsters that assailed them.

Now, tormented by confusion and her own fury, she longs to regain the unique powers which—inexplicably—elude her in captivity.

In this mythic tale of pride and revelation, a fight beyond death delivers one last chance at redemption.

* * *

Mischief never expected to encounter a shadow creature.

Especially not on the night her wings fell off and she became a real cat.

She just wants to find a home where she belongs. Instead, Mischief runs into the biggest shadow creature she’s ever seen. A creature that can transform itself under the light of the full moon into something solid and dangerous and hungry.

Mischief comes from a long line of feline fey. Proud hunters who protect the world from shadow creatures who stalk the unwary. But Mischief’s no longer fey—she’s just a cat.

One very determined cat.

* * *

The new Lady of the Wild Hunt called.

Tamara, Etelka and Dax answered the call even though they were barely more than pups.

They slipped into the physical world, running to the Lady’s call. Only to find that she hadn’t called them, not exactly.

Call or not, the Lady needed them, needed their support and their training and their ability to channel her anger into something useful.

Unfortunately, only one of them could be Chosen to stand by the Lady’s side.

* * *

When the sun has set, when the moon is full, the shapeshifters gather—wolves, cats and totemic creatures, nightmares and revelations.

Seeking answers, seeking revenge, seeking a cure to affliction, seeking blood, seeking answers or seeking love—a gathering of beasts abounds. Dare you walk beneath the moonlight?

By Howl & Claw by Rebecca Senese
“Spirit Dance” by Douglas Smith
“Big Bad Wolf” by Annie Reed
“Badlands” by Michele Lang
Family, Pack by Michael Jasper
“Serpent’s Foe” by J.M. Ney-Grimm
“The Night Mischief Became a Real Cat” by Annie Reed
“Silver Light” by Rita Schulz
“Wolf Warlock” by Meyari McFarland
Stolen by the Werewolf by AJ Tipton
“Beware the Easter Moon” by De Kenyon
“Moon Spell” by Rita Schulz

The Blood Moon bundle is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, or direct from the BundleRabbit site.

Here Be Magic

Posted on August 2, 2019 by J.M. Ney-Grimm

Two of my titles have been chosen for a new bundle!

In addition to my own Troll-magic and Hunting Wild, Here Be Magic includes 5 novels plus 5 shorts and a short story collection.

I’m a fan of Dayle Dermatis’ work, so I’m particularly eager to read her “Good Scrying Gone Bad.”

The opening for “Shakespeare’s Curse” hooked me, as did that of “The Warrior’s Curse.” And the premise of “Words of Rain and Shadow” intrigues me.

I suspect I have some good reading ahead of me. Perhaps you do, too! 😀

The First Rule of Witchcraft: Harm none.

The Second Rule of Witchcraft: Practice magic only when you’re clear of mind.

That includes not practicing magic while drunk.

When drunken scrying goes awry, Madison connects with Brody, a cute guy trapped…somewhere. Freeing him becomes her obsession.

Does the Second Rule of Witchcraft count when it comes to love?

Prince Kellor, cursed by the troll-witch Mandine to live as a north-bear, wrestles with the challenges of his beast form. Pain wracks his body, and unpredictable rages blur his mind.

His childhood friend Elle holds the key to his escape, but should he endanger her by seeking her help?

A lyrical Beauty and the Beast tale, rife with shining glory, dark magnificence, and unexpected significance.

Teneyros—a young and ambitious wizard—hears rumors that the Elder of Scrolls Anansi intends to retire.

Anansi loves tricks. He envisions his successor as the trickiest of tricksters. Only the wiliest must win his position and lead the wizards of the world.

Teneyros plays Anansi’s game against his brother as well as their rival, Ben Jonson. Who will win and who will lose? Who will be the Elder of Scrolls?

Young Remeya worships the forbidden horned god. A worship made taboo half a millennium ago. Performed still in secret by a few. Quietly tolerated by the king.

Epic fantasy in which old beliefs and old loyalties clash with hidden magic in the Middle Ages of the god-touched North-lands.

He who bargains with monsters beware!

A hero forges an unholy bargain with a witch and learns that magic never forgets.

The Shadow Folk attack when it rains.

Only Irinia can hear their voices. But the village seer refuses to listen to her. Women can’t be seers.

She must earn the trust of the village, and fast.

Because the rain brings death.

Magic invites . . .

Curses and blessing, sorcerous time travel, shape-shifters, hidden enchantment and corrupted blood.

Magic demands . . .

Saving those you love, courage, betrayal and fights against unspeakable forces.

Magic promises . . .

Last best hopes, reluctant and desperate heroes, ancient power unleashed and the compulsion to overcome death itself.

Magic risks . . .

Forbidden spells and deadly bargains.

Here be magic!

From life to death, from realm to realm, from past to future and in between—dare you adventure with wizards?

“Good Scrying Gone Bad” by Dayle A. Dermatis
Troll-magic by J.M. Ney-Grimm
“Shakespeare’s Curse” by Karen C. Klein
Lords of Dyscrasia by S.E. Lindberg
The Spell by Barbara G. Tarn
Hunting Wild by J.M. Ney-Grimm
“The Warrior’s Curse” by A. L. Butcher
Legacy of Mist and Shadow by Diana L. Wicker
A Sudden Outbreak of Magic by Michael Jasper
“Words of Rain and Shadows” by Linda Maye Adams
Tales of Erana by A. L. Butcher
Mage of Merigor by Alison Naomi Holt
“Drinking & Conjuring Don’t Mix” by Stefon Mears

The Here Be Magic bundle is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, or direct from the BundleRabbit site.

For more bundles with my stories in them, see:
Eclectica
Here Be Unicorns
Here Be Merfolk
Here Be Fairies
Here Be Dragons
Immortals

New Bundle! Eclectica

Posted on May 3, 2019 by J.M. Ney-Grimm

Between 14 shorts and 5 collections in this massive bundle, you’ll end up with 55 stories, one of them mine!

* * *

Clara works hard, juggling high school, her waitress job, and eking out time with her friends.

And now, finishing work far too late on a school night, she wants nothing more than to get home and sleep.

But dark and otherworldly things lurk in the shadows of her city.

If you love fast moving urban fantasy grab “City Shadows” today.

A cache implies a hidden treasure, although what we find inside is not always what we hope for or expect. Sometimes it’s less; sometimes more; sometimes nothing we’ve ever imagined.

The eleven stories and two poems in this collection feature all manner of unusual things found in strange places; an alien ship in a forest hideaway, ghosts inside a computer network, a distraught goddess in a detective’s office, a teenage busker on a space station. The treasures are varied as well, from lost genomes and altered memories to alien alliances and self-discovery.

Whatever waits to be discovered, these stories suggest that sometimes the search is the important part…

web image The warriors of Torbellai brought back a prize in the night, and young Paitra wants to see it. Even hidden away in the armory, the artifact changed the whole mood of their mountain citadel from dread foreboding to hope. And Paitra’s people need hope to turn the tide in their long war against the troll horde.

Might this small triumph presage a mightier victory?

But the warlord hid the fighters’ plunder for good reason. Forged by trolls and radiating magic, it presents grave risk to the soul and spirit of any who approach it.

AN ALTERNATE HISTORY OF JAPAN

Japan disappeared 500 years ago. Its people didn’t.

Five hundred years ago, Japan hid itself from the rest of the world. Rather than technology, they discovered power. The emperor still rules, but the mystics hold sway.

Hitomi is the youngest warrior in the history of the fighting Mura clan, who have evolved from the rough beginnings as the Ninja into the race’s supreme weapons.

But Hitomi stumbles upon a secret, one so vast that even the emperor may not see where it leads. Unless he too seeks to bury the secret along Hitomi’s Path.

Specialist Jhyoti sen Chandar, exoanthropologist on the Alliance ship Solar Wind, thought she had left behind the harsh caste system of her home planet. Unfortunately, it followed her aboard in the person of Engineer Parma sen Harpar: young, hostile and with a secret that will endanger both women.

When they end up stranded on a planet with its own dangerous secret, they must confront not only the crippling legacy of the past, but their own future in the Alliance. But first, they must survive.

Petra loves books. And she loves her job at Nuovo Italiano Rare Books Library. So when a group of Bathybobles threatens to destroy those precious books—and to win a game, no less—Petra must stop them.

Once she gets the slime out of her eyes, of course.

From fantasy to space adventure, pirates, mystery, horror, historical fiction, romance and coming of age you’ll find short, snappy reads herein. There is something for everyone in this lucky dip.

14 short stories plus 5 collections.

“Blown” by Diana Deverell
“Socks and Pins and Aliens” by Thea Hutcheson
Tales of Blood and Ink by Kate MacLeod
Tales of Tomorrow by Debbie Mumford
“Shaken, Not Stirred” by Diana Deverell
“City Shadows” by Chuck Heintzelman
“Outside the Walls” by A. L. Butcher and Diana L. Wicker
Tales of an Altered Past Powered by Romance, Horror, and Steam
by Donald J. Bingle
“Dear Brother” by Felicia Fredlund
The Cache and Other Stories by Sherry D. Ramsey
“Sword Oath” by Jackie Keswick
The Hooded Man by Barbara G.Tarn
S, F & H by Harvey Stanbrough
“Resonant Bronze” by J.M. Ney-Grimm
“Hitomi’s Path” by M. L. Buchman
“Children” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
“Jhyoti: Planetside” by Marcelle Dube
“Petra and the Blue Goo” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
“Tears and Crimson Velvet” by A. L. Butcher

The Eclectica bundle is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, or direct from the BundleRabbit site.

For more bundles with my stories in them, see:
Here Be Unicorns
Here Be Merfolk
Here Be Fairies
Here Be Dragons
Immortals

Here Be Unicorns

Posted on March 19, 2019 by J.M. Ney-Grimm

Not only do I have a story in a new bundle, but I have a new story in a bundle!

It was all rather unexpected and exciting. Let me tell you how it came to pass.

I first started participating in story bundles when writer, editor, and curator Alex Butcher noticed my novel Caught in Amber on the BundleRabbit site and thought it would be perfect for her Mythic Tales bundle.

Since then I’ve participated in many bundles curated by Alex. So many that I’m running out of stories to contribute!

When Alex asked me if I had a story that would fit her upcoming bundle Here Be Unicorns, I had to say, “No, I don’t.”

That just seemed wrong to me. How could I not have a unicorn story? I’m a writer of fantasy. I should have a unicorn story. My micro press is called Wild Unicorn Books. It didn’t just seem wrong that Wild Unicorn offered no unicorn stories, it was wrong!

And then I became possessed of an idea. About a unicorn.

So I dropped everything and wrote the story! “The Hunt of the Unicorn.”

Eventually “Hunt” will be released solo, but I’m currently too busy writing the sequels to The Tally Master to do anything else for several months! Luckily you don’t need to wait. You can get “The Hunt of the Unicorn” right now in Here Be Unicorns, along with the other nine titles in the bundle.

* * *

Dust coats Vivian’s lips. Two hours of driving into town with her ex-boyfriend Ash were bad enough. Having him dump her far away from the loading dock with her fossil is worse.

But she’s made it back to town, gotten her fossil to safety, and now she can go relax at home.

If it weren’t for the unicorns playing in her shower.

Vivian isn’t sure how her life grew so surreal but, hey, at least the unicorns have finally let her bring her fossil in.

Only question left is whether or not she gets to keep her life.

And whether they’ll eat all her pizza, too.

He would be king one day, and called as king to be wise for his people. But wisdom—and kindness—no longer come to him.

Brychan, princess in a corner of a Wales that never was, requires a unicorn’s horn to mend what is broken within him.

The ancient fables speak of unicorn miracles, but if she finds the magical beast of fable, will the powers of his horn prove to be living truth? Or lying legend?

Never admit to seeing ichur, the silvery residue of magic spells. Not if you want to stay under the radar of the Councillors of Convane.

Swift, a purebred tracker horse who can smell the smallest trace of ichur, can also remove the magic energy from any human or talisman.

Dallas, rider of Swift, knows how to create a spell without leaving residue, even if he is not a trained mage.

Neither Dallas or Swift admit to seeing and using the magic energy. If they did, Dallas would have his ability to see ichur removed, and Swift would be given to an approved mage by order of the council.

The start of a new fantasy series including mages, dragons, tracker horses, and more.

In Feyland, not everything is as it seems…

Feyland—the new computer game—allows Scottish teenager Corinne MacArthur to escape the sadness haunting her mundane days. In Feyland, legends come to life, the lines between reality and fantasy blur, and the impossible becomes—probable?

A stand-alone story with a full plot arc, Unicorn Magic is the first in the Celtic Fey series set in Anthea Sharp’s Feyland universe (with her kind permission). The saga continues in Kelpie Curse.

Urban fantasy in Scotland (and the faerie realm).

Unicorns, with their single ivory horn, are elusive and magical creatures of myth. Yet even more elusive are the purple unicorns.

First sighted at the Superstars Writing Seminar, their legend has grown year after year until it could only be contained in this anthology.

Nineteen storytellers—including Peter S. Beagle, Todd McCaffrey, and Jody Lynn Nye—invite us into worlds both near and far, across a desert oasis, a pet shop, a Comic-Con exhibition floor, and more to show us the many variations of purple unicorns.

One Horn to Rule Them All is an unforgettable collection of imagination and creativity. So, saddle up, and take a ride beyond the rainbow.

An elf cowboy on a fool’s errand to the Old West town of Desperation, Arizona hunts a faerie bandit queen with a powerful relic in her clutches…but his unicorn steed faces the greater test.

The one-horned magical stallion pursues the runaway love of his life, a chase that pits him against brutal men and beasts alike.

What he finds at the end of the trail will change his fate and that of the Wild West forever.

From fable to legend, these wondrous beasts enchant us. Healers or harmers, no one truly knows the heart and horn of the unicorn—dare you seek the answers?

A collection of tales featuring unicorns and magical horses.

“Hidden Eyes” by Meyari McFarland
The Dreamweaver’s Journey by Diana L. Wicker
A Game of Horns edited by Lisa Mangum
“The Hunt of the Unicorn” by J.M. Ney-Grimm
Rider by Diane J Cornwell
“Unicorn Magic” by Roz Marshall
One Horn to Rule Them All edited by Lisa Mangum
“Fossil History” by Meyari McFarland
“And The Unicorn You Rode In On” by Robert Jeschonek
“Escape (The Peena Colada Song)” by Mark Leslie

The Here Be Unicorns bundle is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, or direct from the BundleRabbit site.

For more bundles with my stories in them, see:
Eclectica
Here Be Merfolk
Here Be Fairies
Here Be Dragons
Immortals

Here Be Merfolk

Posted on March 6, 2019 by J.M. Ney-Grimm

My novel, Fate’s Door, is one of ten stories in a new bundle focusing on mermaids, sea people, and life under the waves.

The bundle includes some big names—Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Alan Dean Foster—along with some newer writers creating yet-to-be-discovered gems.

The first two stories, which I’ve read, are intense and powerful. I’m eager to read onward for the rest of the bundle!

If you enjoy fantasy featuring people of the sea and the shore, or if you’ve not yet read my own Fate’s Door, check out Here Be Merfolk.

Whale Rock’s sheriff, Dan Retsler, considers himself a practical man. But he has no explanation for the horrible deaths that take place on his beach. Nor does he know why so many locals fear the sea. The answer lies in legends of mermaids—not the pretty kind, but the kind that lure sailors to their deaths. Retsler doesn’t believe in them, but nothing quite explains the women he sees near the beach, when he investigates a friend’s sudden and tragic death.

“Like early Ray Bradbury, Rusch has the ability to switch on a universal dark.” —The Times (London)

When Thalassa’s Children—the mer-like, genderless protectors of the ocean—experience the trapped and suffocating death of one of their own, a single member chooses to take action. Against the wishes of the collective mind.

But can a lone mer ever hope to convince the humans of what they have done to the ocean, in a language they will understand?

And will it be worth losing everything?

“[One of] the kind of stories anyone who reads them will remember forever…inventive, heartbreaking, and wholly original.”
—Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Hugo award-winning author and editor

Best friends Chachel and Glint, a merson and a cuttlefish, are returning from a shark hunt when they stumble upon an unconscious female demon. Taking her back to their reef to recover, they fall into a unique friendship, one which will change their lives and community forever.

In this undersea adventure, New York Times Bestselling author Alan Dean Foster uses his extensive knowledge and experience from diving and traveling to bring to life the mysterious world of reef dwellers under the ocean.

Secrets, like troubles, come in threes. When you possess one of either, two more arrive to keep it company.

Nerine, a sea nymph of the ancient world, knows too much about both.

Each morning, in the chill before the sun’s rising, Nerine and the three Fates stand under the mighty branches of the World Tree, gazing into the depths of the Well of Destiny to master the dooms they must bring to life that day.

When the dawn’s visions show Nerine’s lover—shipwrecked and drowning—all her renounced yearning for him rises anew.

Surely, as handmaiden to the Fates themselves, she might tilt the odds to give her beloved a chance.

Somehow—this day, this morning, this time—Nerine must subvert destiny or lose the companion of her heart forever.

Setnya spies on her enemies, the land people. Humans engineered the sea people before the first world war between those of land and sea.

Once again, humans threaten to take over the sea.

Will Setnya’s choices move her people closer or farther from another war?

A thought-provoking story on the nature of humanity.

The call of the deep rings ever in our ears, from myth and legend to crime and mystery. Sea-people, mer and monster, immortals and reluctant heroes feature in this sea-worthy bundle.

“The Women of Whale Rock” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
“We, the Ocean” by Alexandra Brandt
Oshenerth by Alan Dean Foster
“Deep Dreaming” by Debbie Mumford
Dolphin Knight by Robert Jeschonek
“On Desperate Seas” by Kate MacLeod
Fate’s Door by J.M. Ney-Grimm
“The Murky Depths” by Linda Jordan
“Dark, From the Sea” by Linda Maye Adams
“Ondine” by Brenda Carre