Our Books
Browse our collection of "edgy, clean" books. There's a little something for everyone!
* ––– Available in audiobook
HARPER
Jo Cassidy
Save the world, just don't get attached.
After the war of 2098, the United States is a chaotic mess. Terrorism abounds, and the government isn’t doing a very good job of keeping the people safe.
Dogwood Protection Services, DPS, takes matters into their own hands. Using the best technology and agents, they track down and stop terrorists before they can do their damage.
Sixteen-year-old Harper Chandler is one of DPS’s biggest assets. She’s small, nimble, cunning, and willing to break a few laws to stop an attack. Like breaking into a classmate’s house where he catches her, almost blowing the vigilante operation wide open.
In order to keep things under wraps, Harper is forced to get close to Akiro—who just so happens to be extremely hot and very into Harper. As she and Akiro grow closer, Harper must continue to spy on his father to figure out why he keeps showing up in the DPS database, all while working a stalker case for the most powerful woman in San Diego.
As she draws nearer to answers, Harper realizes the stalker will stop at nothing to keep her from uncovering the catastrophic truth.
If Harper can’t piece everything together in time, lives—and her relationship with Akiro—will be lost.
For fans of Batman and Marie Lu.
heartmender
V. Romas Burton
In the land of Barracks, the economy thrives on the barter of their citizens' most precious commodity--a human heart. Each year the Heart Reign festival is thrown for those who have become of age to trade their heart for their deepest desires. And this year is Adelaide Tye's year to trade.
After despising Heart Reign for years, Addie endures her Extraction and discovers that her heart isn't gray and dying, like all other hearts in Barracks, but bright red, alive, and teeming with power.
With a warning from the extractor of hearts, Addie rushes through Heart Reign to make her choice--trade her heart to Schism, the monster who took her brother years before, or go in search of the Mender--a mythical man said to purify hearts and save her own heart. Either decision will rip her away from the one man who has always been by her side.
Knowing there is only one real choice to make, Addie jumps through Schism's red door and is thrust into a dark and dangerous realm where she is faced with making a trade she may not survive.
For fans of Stephanie Garber's Caraval and ABC's Once Upon a Time.
rise, take flight
Sisters of Bloodcreek #3
Mary Gray & Cammie Larsen
Possession. It was never supposed to happen.
Unwilling to stand around and wait while Eva's been taken over by one of the Despairity, Frost works tirelessly with Beau and Leo to figure out how to free her sister. Leo shows Frost memories of The Before, and Beau admits to a chilling connection with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Eva, though, can't believe she's stuck with one of these spider wenches, Alora, inside of her. Sure, Eva's gotten pretty fast, and her reflexes have never been better, but feasting on people's souls? That was never supposed to be on the bucket list at all.
When Alora reveals her sinister plan—to build an unconquerable army of Blurred Ones by placing them inside the perfect hosts—the girls and their friends must fight to protect not just Bloodcreek, but all the world.
For fans of the CW's Supernatural, sisterly bonds, and twists on mythology that haven't been done before.
the ripper of monkshood manor
Mary Gray
Never go into Monkshood... unless your goal is to meet your Maker.
Sixteen-year-old Cate Hellstrom has a secret.
Actually, she has two.
Neither secret is something she's willing to tell her new bohemian boyfriend, Luther. Which makes for a very fun and interactive evening when she visits Monkshood, Luther's beautiful yet dilapidated home.
The salsa-stained foyer is certainly eye-catching.
The bag o' bones, a little avant-garde...
And between Luther's cryptic comments and history professor hair, the boy's a conundrum with more secrets than her own.
When aquariums suddenly explode, and random whispers creep from the maze of halls, Cate has to assume that she and Luther aren't really alone. Whoever's in those shadows seems to know exactly what she's done.
Problem is, Cate's not entirely willing to be honest about her checkered past.
Even if it means being added to Monkshood's bag o' bones.
For fans of The Haunting of Hill House and Trinity Row.
The Kiss List
Sara Jo Cluff
Kissing: A glorious pastime...right?
High school student Camille Collins' favorite hobby is kissing her boyfriend, Dylan. Dylan's a decent guy, but he's got his sights on something more. So he dumps Camille and spreads a rumor that she's a bad kisser.
With the help of BFFs Hayley and Kaitlyn, Camille devises a perfect plan to prove Dylan wrong—a kiss list. Perfect kisses with a few of the hottest guys in school would leave too much evidence for anyone to deny.
Camille can't wait for the flirting and freedom to begin, but with the sudden hate from her former softball teammates, social media blow-ups, and a distant mom, things aren't turning out as fun as she'd hoped, making her wonder if creating the kiss list was a form of social suicide.
Sara Jo Cluff's The Kiss List explores finding and losing yourself in relationships, when to set healthy boundaries, and how to forgive others.
For fans of Easy A and To All the Boys I've Loved Before.
Trinity Row
Kelly Martin
Local legend says Trinity Row is the house that won't die. Local legend isn't wrong.
Sixteen-year-old Ivy Black and her mom have moved in for a quick renovation to make an easy buck. Then it will be on to the next rundown, abandoned eyesore.
Simple.
Move.
Fix.
Sell.
Run.
For the last three years, Ivy and her mom have run far away from their past. That's the thing about Trinity Row, though. It doesn't let the past die.
When Ivy finds out that the friends she thought she made and the things she thought she's seen aren't exactly what she believed, she goes on a mission to free her mother from the snare of Trinity Row and the evil spirit controlling it.
Except, after a trip to Trinity Row, you'll never want to go home again.
For fans of The Haunting of Hill House and Kendare Blake's Anna Dressed in Blood.
Jo Cassidy
Good Girls Stay Quiet
There's safety in silence...
Fifteen-year-old Cora Snow has a secret only her "Daddy" and her journal know about. Aside from Daddy, the only people Cora talks to are her teachers and imaginary friends. She obeys all of Daddy's commands, like calling him "Daddy," to keep him happy, and herself alive. Besides, it's the only normal she's ever known.
She's content in her bubble until one day her journal goes missing at school. In order to keep her secret, Cora is forced to befriend the students most likely behind the theft. Since she's never been friends with humans before, it makes acting naturally with them that much harder.
Soon, threats appear--blackmailing things like test answers and money in exchange for the journal. Cora has to break all the rules she's lived to keep her and Daddy's secret safe. His stormy moods add to the difficulty of meeting the blackmailer's demands, often getting her sent to timeout, aka a locked basement.
If Cora can't track down the blackmailer and destroy the journal, Daddy will get sent to jail, and if he has time, send Cora six feet under.
Katie Coughran
It Calls Me:
An Anthology
Water destroys and revives.
Waves shred ears like nails on a chalkboard, soothe troubled souls like a true apothecary.
Water is a joyful friend. A ghost wearing rouge. A toxin, enrobed in gray.
Ill-begotten saloons lurk near its edges while quaint riverwalks with ice cream parlors are much-adored sites. Heart-shaped shells fill up baskets amidst grassy trinkets, and the beauty of untouched sand needs to be both preserved and enjoyed.
Whether ocean, river, or rain, in this breathtaking anthology, Coughran poignantly shows us the beastly, saving nature of water-with a Percy Bysshe Shelley-like ear and range.
Jo Cassidy
Willow Marsh
Death stains her hands.
Tessa yearns for closure with her mom and brother after they are killed in a tragic accident, so she tries to contact them on the other side.
Tessa's mother taught her how to do séances, but when Tessa tries it outside her new home in Willow Marsh, some otherworldly passengers slip through the gateway.
Trying to adapt to her new home with her dad, she feels torn between the deeply flawed, shy boy with the sketchy past, and the sheriff's hot son. Her inner voice grows dark and desperately tries to latch on to the sheriff's son, to the point where Tessa could completely lose control.
Everyone in Willow Marsh seems to be lying, and the anxiety of renegade spirits, the powerful voice inside her head, and guilt over her mother and brother's deaths start to consume her, breaking her down, piece by piece.
Mary Gray
The Dollhouse Asylum*
A group of teenagers are granted asylum from the apocalypse only to be forced to re-enact famous, tragic literary romances... or die.
A novel about escaping psychological abuse.
When the world is breaking all someone wants is safety. A virus that had once been contained has returned, and soon no place will be left untouched. But when eighteen-year-old Cheyenne wakes up in Elysian Fields-a subdivision cut off from the world and its monster-creating virus-she is thrilled to have a chance at survival.
At first, Elysian Fields-with its beautiful houses and manicured lawns-is perfect. Teo Richardson, the older man who stole her heart, built it so they could be together. But when Teo tells Cheyenne there are tests that she and seven other couples must pass to be worthy of salvation, Cheyenne begins to question the perfection of his world.
The people they were before are gone. Cheyenne is now Persephone, and each couple has been re-named to reflect the most tragic romances ever told. Teo dresses them up, tells them when to move and how to act, and in order to pass the test, they must play along. Play it right, then they'll be safe. But play it wrong, they'll die.
Mary Gray & Cammie Larsen
hush, now forget
Sisters of Bloodcreek #1
For fans of the CW's Supernatural, two sisters team up with a pair of hottie hunters to learn the truth about the Blurred Ones—and what exactly makes them a taboo category of the supernatural.
No one will tell Eva and Frost the truth about the Blurred Ones. Not their hunter friend, and definitely not the parentals. Maybe it’s because Frost spent time in a psychiatric ward and Eva never ceases to think with her hormones.
So, when the girls see an opportunity to meet Albert Knox, the most infamous Blurred One of all, they lie about their true plans and head out on their field trip to San Antonio.
When the sisters get to town, though, a ghost woman keeps attacking them in their hotel room, and they end up getting one of their classmates killed. Eva thinks she can use her feminine wiles to woo Knox, but he has a couple of more minions than they thought—and she ends up getting tossed through the window.
If the sisters and their newfound hottie hunters don’t take down Knox soon, he’ll permanently attach himself to Eva in a binding ritual.
The perfect blend of mystery and spook, HUSH, NOW FORGET is wrought with ghostly legends, possession, heartbreak, sisterly banter, and murder.
For fans of The CW's Supernatural.
Mary Gray & Cammie Larsen
Sleep, Don't Fret
Sisters of Bloodcreek #2
Eva and Frost are pretty stoked about their blooming hunting skills, but when they finally meet Raylan's sister, Tess, after a witch doctor hunt in New Orleans, the group dynamic gets pretty awkward.
Tess wants to kill Knox straight up dead. As in, drag him up from the bottom of the old mine shaft and use Tess' favorite snake from the Louisiana bayou to finish the job. Eva loves the idea of bonding with Tess and being extra sure Knox will never come back to harm them, but Maggie ain't thrilled at the idea, and Frost is a little distracted by her new cowboy boy-toy.
When Tess gets attacked by the Despairity, Eva and Raylan race back to New Orleans to help. Maggie isn't answering her phone, and what Tess shows Eva in her secret basement is something no one expects, and it's gonna test everyone's relationships.
The hunters have to decide where their loyalties lie: family, friends, or love.
For fans of The CW's Supernatural.
The Devils You Meet on Christmas Day*
The season isn’t what it seems.
While some are nestled cozy in their traditions, others are lost in darkness. An unkindness of ravens lurks like a warning above them while they try to escape their inner demons and fight the dragons they’ve been trying to avoid. There’s no enjoying fatal amounts of pie because their minds are slipping, slipping into a twisted delusion.
They are the murderers, the disturbed, the unfortunate, and the misunderstood. These outliers are imprisoned by their circumstances until they slowly fade into the icy landscape, smothered by the forged façade of a perfect Christmas.
In this unsettling collection of stories, authors Katie Coughran, Vanessa K. Eccles, Mary Gray, and Cammie Larsen explore the darkened corners of paranormal, horror, and fantasy to create a gothic and somewhat macabre Christmas read.
Katie Coughran, Vanessa K Eccles, Mary Gray, and Cammie Larsen
Her Dark Fantasy
The young executioner, he must die.
He plans to torture and hang Maman, but he cannot separate a young mademoiselle from her mother, can he?
His gentle hands place the spike into the studded boot that houses her foot, and I flinch.
“Je suis désolé.” I’m sorry, he says sorrowfully.
Day-old blood splatters the window. My mind’s a colony of bees.
He lifts the hammer, and the light of the moon glints off the blunt instrument’s face.
I press my fingertips to the glass to reach Maman, but she is in there and I am out here, and it would break Maman’s and Papa’s hearts if I exposed myself this way.
I’ll take that fine face of his into my hands—and snap his neck.
That is what he rightfully gets, for taking my maman from me.
Mary Gray
our sweet guillotine
A young executioner falls for the daughter of a woman he had to kill...
Tempeste has survived much choosing to live on Paris' streets-scavenging for food, learning survival skills from a deserter whom she paid to attack her in her sleep, and living a life her mother would approve of, one devoid of luxury. But denying oneself of food and proper bedding can stir a madness in the brain. So, when Tempeste witnesses the quick and painless death of the guillotine-the death her mother should have received-she vows to find her mother's accuser and vivisect his spleen...
Quite by accident, Gabriel, the young executioner responsible for Tempeste's mother's botched hanging, falls for Tempeste. So, instead of strolling arm-in-arm with a respectable mademoiselle through the gardens of the Palais de l'Égalité, Gabriel finds himself traipsing after an axe-carrying siren through the catacombs and facing off a hostile sans culottes army.
With little choice but to fight, Gabriel determines to win the hearts of the sans-culottes, while Tempeste proves she's quite adept at swinging the blade. When the pair finally make their way to Tempeste's sworn enemy, though, a secret is revealed which promises to sever far more than they ever hoped to gain.
Mary Gray
How to Write Clean Yet Scintillating Romance*
Mary Gray
Bodice rippers are some of the most lucrative books in the industry. So what if you write romance that isn't as steamy?
I don't know about you, but I love reading and writing kissing scenes. And I don't write explicit scenes with sex.
If you're the same way, then you've happened upon the right book. In this brief nonfiction booklet, I'll cover how to write clean yet scintillating romance--primarily, kissing scenes--in ways you may not have considered. I'll share:
* The best piece of editorial advice I ever received (when my first publisher bought my first book from my first agent)
* A method I like to call action versus reaction
* How to escalate a kissing scene
* How to use rhetorical devices and setting to heighten heat
Are you ready? Grab your pens and pencils, jot down your notes in your favorite apps, or simply allow the juicy material to soak in.
How to Write Dark and Twisty Books to Showcase The Light*
Mary Gray
Now and then, you'll meet a budding writer who fearfully admits they love to write creepy books. "What is wrong with you?" they worry people will say. "I expected you to wear a long, black trench coat and thick eyeliner."
As a writer of macabre fiction, Mary's also your stereotypical "good girl." So how does she balance both aspects of her life? In this brief nonfiction booklet, Mary discusses a psychological and scriptural basis for tackling darker books, some of her favorite techniques for mastering the craft, and how to show the strength of God's light.
How to Write faith-based messages for a secular market
Mary Gray
Are you a secular writer who also strives to incorporate messages of hope or faith? I'm one of those writers, and I've fought for years to learn how to balance both aspects successfully. in this short nonfiction book, I'll share the method I’ve learned to subtly incorporate faith-based messages in secular stories. I’ll discuss:
• How to fill your spiritual well & know what to add without getting preachy
• Know where and how to add these precious gems of knowledge via the sneaky art of subplotting
• How to stay resilient against the adversary while considering marketability.
I'd love to help you get your stories to the next level of hope and faith, so click to sample or buy now.