New this week
The latest additions to The Library's collection
If you have a complete or in-progress work you’d like added to The Library or an indie-published book to include in our Buy Indie section, follow this guide, and we’ll help spread the word.
And thanks again to everyone for helping us support indie authors!
In the stacks
Speculative
Science Fiction
Space Hulk Amsterdam | Michael P. Marpaung | Thriller, Action (NT) (C) (F)
For almost a millennia, the legendary Space Hulk Amsterdam - an immense graveyard of lost starships - had drifted through the electro-currents of space. Rumors speak of Old Earth technology, including the last of the dreaded Klutuan bug horde, to be found within its ancient walls. Agent Jen of the Electrosphere Defense Corps never thought that she’d step foot aboard this haunted derelict. But it was her recovery of The Amsterdam’s coordinates that had made this mission possible. And Captain Paul Sobieski of the EDC 717th chose her to join him, having the utmost of faith in her knack for unconventional missions. With the disappearance of the previous EDC team fresh in their minds, Agent Jen and Captain Sobieski will need to rely on one another. Space Hulk Amsterdam will be more than either of them can handle alone.
Short Fiction Collection
Agent Jen | Michael P. Marpaung | Sci-Fi, Spy Thriller (S) (I) (F)
Stories taking place in the 35th century where the Great Game of the Electrosphere are being played. Starring Agent Jen of the EDC 717th, the tough yet vulnerable infiltrator: not the best fighter but always gets the job done, even if it means being rescued by her CO, Captain Paul Sobieski.
Are you publishing a book, comic, or story/poetry collection on Substack that you’d like to add to The Library? Send it our way!
Buy Indie
Contemporary
Flames of Indigo, The Idlebelle Stories Vol 1 | Lyndsey Resnick | Contemporary; Fantasy, New Adult (NA)
Indy returns to her unusual hometown of Idlebelle, taking on huge responsibilities at her family's farm while dealing with a break-up and trying to make sense of her father's sudden death. Friendships, old and new, human and magical, pose more challenges. As she discovers family secrets and something dangerous lurking, Indy embraces her own powers to save everyone she loves, finally realizing she's stronger than she ever imagined.
Short Fiction Collection
Tiny Worlds: Volume One | J. Curtis | Literary Fiction, Fantasy, Popular Fiction (S)
Tiny Worlds is a captivating anthology that delves into the intricate tapestry of human experience through a collection of short stories that blend contemporary fiction, magical realism, and speculative twists. Each tale is a vivid snapshot, offering readers a glimpse into the lives of diverse characters navigating moments of wonder, absurdity, and profound reflection. In these pages, you'll encounter familiar faces set against a backdrop of the extraordinary. From the surreal unraveling of time to the unsettling perfection of a seemingly idyllic neighborhood, each story peels back the layers of reality to reveal the unexpected. Meet the woman in the pale green dress whose missing ring captures the stars, and follow the young boy whose world shifts as he uncovers a hidden truth in the mundane. J. Curtis masterfully weaves together narratives that are at once intimate and expansive, drawing readers into tiny worlds where the ordinary meets the fantastical. The anthology's rich, evocative prose and deeply human characters will leave you reflecting on the idiosyncratic details of life long after you've turned the last page. Perfect for fans of literary fiction, magical realism, and contemporary storytelling, Tiny Worlds invites you to step into a series of unforgettable moments that celebrate the beauty and complexity of our shared human experience. Dive into this collection and discover the magic that resides in the small, everyday corners of life.
The Midnight Vault: Unlocking Worlds of Sci-Fi, Horror, and the Unknown | J. Curtis and others | Speculative, Popular fiction (S)
Venture into The Midnight Vault, an anthology featuring 29 compelling tales of science fiction and horror. Written by an extraordinary cast of breakthrough talent, this collection explores eerie and speculative realms, challenging the boundaries of the known. From otherworldly horrors to dystopian visions, each story delves into the depths of fear and fascination, promising to captivate and thrill. Uncover dark corners of the universe and embrace the supernatural as you turn each page. Dare to explore The Midnight Vault-where the fantastic and the frightful come alive…
Well Water and other odd tales | Lyndsey Resnick | Horror, Humor (S)
This debut collection of 13 strange stories flickers from light to dark, humorous to violent and crosses that invisible line between past and present.
You'll find a well, a barn, warm cookies and pretty scales, but beware sharp teeth, strange voices and dark, shadowy places. Are you ready for some odd tales? Come sit a spell.
Speculative
Fantasy
Glossolalia | e rathke | Fantasy; Horror (NA)
GLOSSOLALIA is an oral history of a year in an isolated village at the edge of the world. Ineluki, a young stranger arrives and so begins this calamitous year.
Howl | e rathke | Fantasy; Science Fiction (NA)
Howl is a lo-fi cyberpunk sword and sorcery novel about two outcasts who meet a giantess who hires them to hunt a vampire. This is what Vampire Hunter D would look like had it been written by Gene Wolfe.
Horror
The Spider | Hanna Delaney | Horror; Mystery (N)
Liverpool, 1892. Finding his fortune in Australia, John Bryant returns to his wife and child in England, moving them into number five, Percy Street. Anxious to start a new life, Frances Bryant finds herself in the clutches of a malevolent presence within the house, unable to escape it. When paranormal investigator Daniel Muldoon is called to investigate the case, he soon discovers the haunting of number five is just the beginning of the horror that will unfold. Lives hang in the balance, for some it is already too late. Muldoon must compete in a race against time to save those who remain caught in a spider's web.
The Ring | Hanna Delaney | Horror; Mystery (N)
July 1893. Eager to prove himself detective material, Constable Lacey investigates the disappearance of a local thief. Enquiries soon lead him to the new circus in town, where he meets the mysterious ringmaster Ezra Fontini and his devoted performers. Dazzled by the magical world of the circus, Lacey becomes infatuated with one of Fontini’s charming young aerialists, Ellen French. The show is welcomed by the locals until Fontini’s headline performer is found dead. Overwhelmed with witness accounts that can’t be explained by logic, the police call on Inspector Daniel Muldoon to find out what’s keeping people from leaving their homes after dark.
Science Fiction
Ransom: Shadow of an Empire, Book 1: Cross of Secrets | Thérèse Judeana | Science-Fantasy, Wholesome Romance (N)
An impenetrable shadow has bound the galaxy of Andromeda for centuries. After a freak accident of space, an empire of slave traders learns to control time. Now nothing can stop them from taking whom they will. In the deadly currents of a universe torn by the Marauders, can Marc, one of the galaxies’ guardians, protect those he loves? Will his daughter survive her traumatic past? Can anyone bring light to the Marauders and break Andromeda’s chains? And will they come to grips with the weight of their secrets before the Marauders strike again?
Ransom: Shadow of an Empire, Book 2: Trial by Time | Thérèse Judeana | Science-Fantasy, Wholesome Romance (N)
Samantha, captured by Medrhos, is plunged a thousand years into the past, faced with the prospect of becoming a Marauder herself: with or without her free will. Meanwhile, Marc must play his part in Talitha’s fate. As they face their worst nightmares, a shadow creeps across the horizon: one which even Medrhos can’t hold back.
Ransom: Shadow of an Empire, Book 3: Shards of Crystal | Thérèse Judeana | Science-Fantasy, Wholesome Romance (N)
The Cult has forced its hand; the Great Raid is beginning. As the Marauder fleet hurtles through time, Samantha prays for a light that will save the people she’s grown to love. Marc and Medrhos find themselves facing the one thing that can unite them: a force bent on destroying Samantha, Aiyra, and the universe with them.
Superhero
Fiasco of Adventures | Victor James | Super Hero (N)
Kevin Jones is a down on his luck Mega-hero named Fiasco in New Haven, Oregon. After years of numerous failures he inexplicably captures Julianna Jove. For a time, he puts away the mask to be with her. Yet, circumstances arise in Kevin and Julianna's relationship that force him to don the alter ego of Fiasco once again. Struggling to prove that he is worthy of the woman who chose him above all others, and drawing the scorn of powerful Malignants who use their power for evil, the disastrous results as a Mega threaten to keep Kevin and Julianna apart forever.
Supernatural
Stillwater Lake | J.P. Choquette | Supernatural; Supernatural suspense (N)
Stillwater is a sleepy, quiet place. Except for the annual Gargun festival, celebrating the mythical lake monster, the town rarely gets visitors. But when people begin to go missing around Stillwater Lake, the lighthearted view of the legendary creature changes. Two tourists, a documentary filmmaker, and a group of teens dive into the town’s true history—and dark past.
Thriller & Mystery
Instruments of Darkness | Thomas Foyle | Thriller & Mystery (N)
Private Investigator Sean Dolan is a modern detective, if that adjective may be applied to one who is decidedly a technological throwback. So when this low-tech gumshoe is awakened at the crack of dawn by being throttled by a paramilitary swarm of federal agents and charged as, of all things, a cyber terrorist, he soon crosses paths with his assigned watchdog, Alex Janssen, an expert but rather officious FBI agent who lives a thoroughly modern Internet life. In determining how and why her charge was hacked, she soon herself becomes victimized by a hacker who thoroughly upends her uploaded life. Thrown together in common cause, the pair must solve the riddle of why they have been targeted and by whom. The way stations on their odyssey include learning of betrayals by those closest to them, exploring the depredations of the darknet and those who dwell therein, and finally coming face to face with a team of murderous human traffickers. This tale of some of the unspeakably sordid denizens of the cyber underworld and their international victims is set in the delta haze of summertime New Orleans, and is leavened in its grim theme by some of the Crescent City’s eccentrics, some identifiable landmarks, and the trademark lingo of a smart aleck shamus in over his analog head.
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Advance Reader Copy (ARC)
Calling all book reviewers, bloggers, and literary enthusiasts!
Contemporary
Finding a Best Friend | J.T. Swan | Coming-of-age, mental health (N) (ARC)
Jake isn’t sure when life started slipping through his fingers—maybe when school nearly crushed him, or when his best friend Brooke began pulling away behind a mask of cheer. There was a loneliness she carried silently, and he couldn’t bring himself to ask about it. As the two of them stumble through grief, family chaos, and the wild mess of growing up, they find themselves leaning on each other in ways neither expected. Finding a Best Friend is a story about scars that don’t always show, friendships that run deeper than love, and the quiet courage it takes to let someone see you—really see you—for who you are.
For more information, contact the author at: jtswan.substack.com
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From the Stacks
Featuring a different, randomly-selected book every week.
Romance
My Alpha Nerd | Kim Kieu | Romance (N) (I) (F) New chapter every Monday.
A former extrovert falls in love with an introvert. As she slowly rediscovers herself, will her blossoming spirits keep him enrapt, or will it add fuel to his own struggles? An enemies-to-lovers romance series.
Excited to be part of The Library! Thank you very much for including Stillwater Lake. I've already added some other authors to my TBR list from your posting. :)