The New Thriller From Michael Houtchen, The Phantom of the Circus, Available Today!

The Phantom of the Circus, the brand new thriller from Michael Houtchen, is available today in print and eBook formats! Thriller and Mystery readers alike will love this new addition to Michael’s franchise that includes Tybee Island H-Bomb and Death of Innocence.

Pick up a copy at any of the direct links below!


Print Edition Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble


eBook Edition Links

Kindle

Nook

Kobo

Apple Books


Synopsis:

Death has a way of drawing people together, and it’s no exception for Betty Hall and her mother, Zoe Payne. With the death of Innocence ‒ Betty’s daughter and Zoe’s granddaughter ‒ the two were again united but for only a few short weeks.

One day, not long after Zoe returned to her home with a traveling circus in California, Betty received a call from the Santa Monica police saying her mother’s body had washed up under its famous pier. The following day, Betty, her dad FJ, and his friend Ray Harris boarded a plane bound for L.A. to retrieve the body and bring her mother home.

Lucia Torres’s grandmother was concerned about her granddaughter. Why? Lucia Torres was becoming a young woman.

Unfortunately, the human monsters that occasionally invaded her little Mexican town would also take note. Their hearts would be filled with lust, and make no mistake about it, the monsters would want to pluck the little budding flower.

Call it fate. Call it destiny. Soon Betty Hall and Lucia Torres’s lives would collide, all thanks to the Phantom of the Circus.


About the Author:

I’ve been lucky to be with Seventh Star Press (SSP) for five years. Stephen and Holly are beautiful people, as are all the members of the SSP family. My first novel in the SSP franchise, Tybee Island H-Bomb, won the 2020 Imadjinn Award for the best thriller. Since then, we’ve come out with a sequel, Death of Innocence. Holly is looking at a short story, a prequel to Tybee Island H-Bomb. I’m also about to finish another novel in the Tybee Island series. Hopefully, it will be in SSP’s hands in the next month or so.

My wife of thirty years next February, Stephanie, and I live in Owensboro, Kentucky. Owensboro is a small town on the Ohio River in the western part of the state. We have five kids and ten grandkids, with a new one on the way. I mustn’t forget Tony, our pound puppy. Okay, he weighs in at fifty pounds, so I wouldn’t necessarily call him a puppy. The point is, I don’t want to leave him out. The last time I did, he pouted for over a week. I started writing back in 2012, and I self-published several works.

SSP is thinking about re-publishing several. In addition, I have another completed manuscript in SSP’s hands. It’s about an assassin with Autism.

Cover Reveal For ALL Three Books in the Choices Trilogy From Sandy Lender!

Cover reveal today for ALL three books in the relaunch of the Choices Trilogy from Sandy Lender! The captivating fantasy trilogy featuring the titles Choices Meant For Gods, Choices Meant For Kings, and Choices Meant For All will be available in print and ebook editions from Seventh Star Press on June 23rd!

The cover designs for all three titles were created by Olivia Pro Design!




Synopsis of Choices Meant for Gods:

Not even the gods noticed when Amanda Chariss was born with the mark of The Protector. Now she and her wizard guardian hide from a mad sorcerer in a household full of false hope and whispered secrets. The same god who watches over the family school sheltering Chariss will soon reveal her role in an impending war.

When a wizard’s ward sets aside a lifetime of running and fear to accept the responsibilities of guarding an arrogant deity, can she face the trials in the prophecies they uncover? Will Nigel Taiman of her latest refuge dare to use his dragon heritage to bind her to his estate or to help her in her duty?

Choices Meant for Gods is Book One in the Choices Trilogy!


Synopsis of Choices Meant For Kings:

There’s no doubt: Amanda Chariss is in danger. Her geasa is hampered by the effects of a doomed wedding. The dashing Nigel Taiman hides something from her, yet demands she stay at his family’s estate where he and her wizard guardian intend to keep her safe. But the sorcerer Lord Drake and Julette The Betrayer know she’s there, and their monstrous army marches that way.

When prophecies stack up to threaten an arrogant deity, Chariss must choose between the dragon that courts her and the ostracized kings of the Southlands for help. Evil stalks her at every turn and madness creeps over the goddess who guides her. Can an orphan-turned-Protector resist the dark side of her heritage? Or will she sacrifice all to keep her god-charge safe?

Choices Meant For Kings is Book Two in the Choices Trilogy!


Synopsis of Choices Meant For All:

From the foothills of the Freotho Mountains to the marble halls of Mahriket, factions of deities rise to threaten not only Master Rothahn’s crown, but all Onweald’s people. The battles fan the gates of the dark spirit world, releasing demons of every species to aid the enemy, but an embattled Nigel Taiman brings Malachi’s power to the Arcanan Army’s camp in hopes of tipping the balance in his bride’s favor. Dangerous times call for strange allies from all quarters.

To restore the geasa that should save the god she’s sworn to protect, Amanda Chariss must escape the very Betrayer’s grasp and make choices for the good of everyone. Does she have the will to sacrifice all that she holds dear in the process? Dive into the action-packed conclusion of the Choices trilogy to discover how prophecy works with—and against—those who would heed it.

Choices Meant For All is Book Three in the Choices Trilogy!


About Sandy Lender:

Sandy Lender is a construction magazine editor by day and author of girl-power fantasy novels by night. You can follow her author page on Amazon, check out her randomly updated website at SandyLenderInk.com, or join her Locals reading & writing community at SandySaysRead.locals.com. She lives in Florida where she helps with sea turtle conservation and parrot rescue.

With a four-year degree in English and 30-year career in publishing, Sandy’s successes include traditionally and self-published novels, hundreds of magazine articles, multiple short stories in competitive anthologies, a handful of technical writing awards, and a handful of creative writing awards and nominations. Sandy’s been writing stories since she was knee-high to a grasshopper when her great-grandmother shared her odd little tales of squeaky ghost-spiders around an apartment complex in Southern Illinois. The stories have developed to include strong young ladies working with dragons to save worlds from terrible fates, but those pesky spiders still show up from time to time.

There’s always something brewing at Sandy Lender Ink headquarters where some days, you just want the dragon to win.

Cover Reveal for the Marathonarium Anthology, Volume One, Edited By Sandy Lender!

Cover reveal today for the Marathonarium Anthology, a special anthology presented by the Imaginarium Convention and edited by Sandy Lender, that features nine fantastic authors who took part in a special writing workshop hosted last year! The Marathonarium Anthology will be available in print and ebook editions on June 22nd!

The cover for the Marathonarium Anthology was designed by Olivia Pro Design!


Synopsis of the Marathonarium Anthology, Volume One:

Welcome to the Marathonarium Anthology of short stories! This set of fiction and the experience collecting it encapsulates the spirit of the Imaginarium Convention, an event for writers, storytellers, and creatives of all genres held in Louisville, Kentucky each year!

You have before you the creative fortitude of nine determined storytellers who not only plunged into the madness that is marathon writing for three solid hours, but who also stepped outside of their comfort zones to hand over their unedited and hastily crafted works to be read by a stranger.

What began as a workshop to help authors complete a story for publication while producing a compendium to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the Imaginarium Convention turned into a family of nine creative minds pushing themselves to the limit!

In the end, the writers accomplished something spectacular.

I mean, have you ever written a four-thousand-word story with beginning, middle, and end in three hours? And then have you turned that mass of words over to an editor for her review and suggestions?

 It’s downright frightening. But the authors you’re about to meet (or meet again) in the following pages did that exact thing and lived to tell the tale…

The nine authors spotlighted in Volume 1 in the order that their stories are presented in the book are:


W. Jade Young

Brian T. Ronk

Alisa Childress

Jeannene Walker

Jen Selinsky

Lisa Mildon

Clayton Barnett

Carma Haley Shoemaker

Tom Ukinski


About the Editor:

Sandy Lender is a construction magazine editor by day and author of girl-power fantasy novels by night. You can follow her author page on Amazon, check out her randomly updated website at SandyLenderInk.com, or join her Locals reading & writing community at SandySaysRead.locals.com. She lives in Florida where she helps with sea turtle conservation and parrot rescue.

With a four-year degree in English and 30-year career in publishing, Sandy’s successes include traditionally and self-published novels, hundreds of magazine articles, multiple short stories in competitive anthologies, a handful of technical writing awards, and a handful of creative writing awards and nominations. Sandy’s been writing stories since she was knee-high to a grasshopper when her great-grandmother shared her odd little tales of squeaky ghost-spiders around an apartment complex in Southern Illinois. The stories have developed to include strong young ladies working with dragons to save worlds from terrible fates, but those pesky spiders still show up from time to time.

There’s always something brewing at Sandy Lender Ink headquarters where some days, you just want the dragon to win.

Cover Reveal For The Phantom of the Circus, the New Thriller From Michael Houtchen!

Cover reveal today for The Phantom of the Circus, the new thriller from Michael Houtchen! The Phantom of the Circus will be available in print and ebook editions from Seventh StarShadow on June 22nd!

The cover for The Phantom of the Circus was designed by Olivia Pro Design. Holly Phillippe served as the editor for the novel.


Synopsis:

Death has a way of drawing people together, and it’s no exception for Betty Hall and her mother, Zoe Payne. With the death of Innocence ‒ Betty’s daughter and Zoe’s granddaughter ‒ the two were again united but for only a few short weeks.

One day, not long after Zoe returned to her home with a traveling circus in California, Betty received a call from the Santa Monica police saying her mother’s body had washed up under its famous pier. The following day, Betty, her dad FJ, and his friend Ray Harris boarded a plane bound for L.A. to retrieve the body and bring her mother home.

Lucia Torres’s grandmother was concerned about her granddaughter. Why? Lucia Torres was becoming a young woman.

Unfortunately, the human monsters that occasionally invaded her little Mexican town would also take note. Their hearts would be filled with lust, and make no mistake about it, the monsters would want to pluck the little budding flower.

Call it fate. Call it destiny. Soon Betty Hall and Lucia Torres’s lives would collide, all thanks to the Phantom of the Circus.


About the Author:

I’ve been lucky to be with Seventh Star Press (SSP) for five years. Stephen and Holly are beautiful people, as are all the members of the SSP family. My first novel in the SSP franchise, Tybee Island H-Bomb, won the 2020 Imadjinn Award for the best thriller. Since then, we’ve come out with a sequel, Death of Innocence. Holly is looking at a short story, a prequel to Tybee Island H-Bomb. I’m also about to finish another novel in the Tybee Island series. Hopefully, it will be in SSP’s hands in the next month or so.

My wife of thirty years next February, Stephanie, and I live in Owensboro, Kentucky. Owensboro is a small town on the Ohio River in the western part of the state. We have five kids and ten grandkids, with a new one on the way. I mustn’t forget Tony, our pound puppy. Okay, he weighs in at fifty pounds, so I wouldn’t necessarily call him a puppy. The point is, I don’t want to leave him out. The last time I did, he pouted for over a week. I started writing back in 2012, and I self-published several works.

SSP is thinking about re-publishing several. In addition, I have another completed manuscript in SSP’s hands. It’s about an assassin with Autism.

Reckoning Day, the New Gorias La Gaul Novel by Steven L. Shrewsbury, is Now Available!

Reckoning Day, the new Gorias La Gaul novel by Steven L. Shrewsbury, is now available in print and ebook from Seventh Star Press! Readers of action-driven, heroic fantasy, sword and sorcery, and dark fantasy will love this new release featuring cover art by Graham Ganson!

Pick up a copy from any of the direct links below!

Print Edition Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble


eBook Edition Links

Kindle

Nook

Kobo

Apple Books


Synopsis of Reckoning Day:

Is there something worse than dying?

Though legendary mercenary Gorias La Gaul has toppled the king of Albion, knives are at his back as he serves as regent over the boy king of neighboring Transalpina. Gorias, who is content that the dire Queen of the Prytens has fallen along with the pervert Albion king, falls for a horse trainer from the displaced lands.

As this unlikely relationship grows, forces rise against him on either side of the channel. While selfish usurpers plot, a more stygian enemy lurks, using the wizards of each land. A figure who has wanted Gorias since his birth. Gorias must balance against these powers and preserve the life of the heir to the throne.

Other threats soon manifest as a wizardess prepares to unleash a dire act of revenge; and even a dragon made of water.

A tale of action, adventure, love, sacrifice, and war, Gorias staggers through a bloody trail that will tear his heart loose. Can Gorias combat these deadly forces and stand tall against an arch-demon on what will truly be his RECKONING DAY?


About Steven:

Award-winning author Steven L. Shrewsbury lives and works in Central Illinois. He writes hardcore sword & sorcery, fantasy and horror novels.

Twenty of his novels have been published, including KILLER OF GIANTS, BEYOND NIGHT, BORN OF SWORDS, WITHIN, OVERKILL, PHILISTINE, HELL BILLY, THRALL, BLOOD & STEEL, STRONGER THAN DEATH, HAWG, TORMENTOR and GODFORSAKEN. His horror/western series includes BAD MAGICK, LAST MAN SCREAMING, MOJO HAND and ALONG COME EVENING. He has collaborated with Brian Keene on the works KING OF THE BASTARDS, THRONE OF THE BASTARDS & CURSE OF THE BASTARDS and Peter Welmerink on the Viking saga BEDLAM UNLEASHED.

A big fan of books, history, the occult, religion and sports, he tries to seek out brightness in the world, wherever it may hide.

Nabaril: Immersion, the New Fantasy Novel by Janie Franz, Now Available!

Nabaril: Immersion, the new novel by Janie Franz blending time-travel, action, adventure, intrigue, and romance, is now available in print and ebook from Seventh Star Press! Nabaril: Immersion is the first book in The Nabaril Series!

Pick up a copy from any of the direct links below!

Print Edition Links

Amazon


eBook Edition Links

Kindle

Nook

Kobo

Apple Books


Synopsis of Nabaril: Immersion:

Archaeologist Megan Forest never thought that a routine jeep ride in the Arizona desert to look for petroglyphs would slip her into a time portal that land her a thousand years into the future.

Discovered by a Scholar who was also scouring the desert for information about the past, she finds she didn’t drop into an advanced society, she discovers she now lives in a feudal time where knowledge is limited to guilds run by men and women only have one of two functions in this time: procreation or pleasure.

In an attempt to protect the knowledge she holds, the Scholar offers her aid and a dangerous new role as Royal Consort. Megan Forest chaffs under the new constraints on not only her freedom but her mind as she becomes embroiled in royal intrigue.

Nabaril: Immersion is Book One in the Nabaril Series!


About the Author:

Janie Franz comes from a long line of liars and storytellers with roots deep in east Tennessee. After telling other people’s stories for two decades, Janie Franz wanted to tell her own, publishing twelve titles with MuseItUp Publishing, which closed its doors in 2021.

Franz signed with Per Bastet Publishing and Seventh Star Press, both publishers agreeing to take her back catalog and new work. Seventh Star Press took her fantasy books and offered a 4-book contract for her time warp Nabaril series, the first of which should be out around Christmas. Per Bastet took her archaeology thriller series and her contemporary novels. In December 2021, Per Bastet released Franz’ first murder mystery, Handful of Dirt, book one of her Allan Rodriguez Investigations series. Coming out after the new year, Per Bastet will release a new, cozy occult series about an 85-year-old Tennessee herb woman. Previously, Franz generated thousands of feature and cover articles over a wide range of topics for regional, national, and international publications.

She co-wrote two books with Texas wedding DJ, Bill Cox (The Ultimate Wedding Ceremony Book and The Ultimate Wedding Reception Book). She was once an avid reviewer of books, CDs, and live music events. In addition, she ran her own online music publication, Refrain Magazine, and was an agent/publicist for a groove/funk band, a radio announcer, a yoga/relaxation instructor, a music festival publicist, and a private chef.

Currently, Franz owns and runs River’s Edge Editorial services doing academic editing, business and educational writing/ghostwriting, B2B blogs, and grant writings. She’s a private contractor for the Morehouse School of Medicine.

She lives in Las Cruces NM. When not writing, you’ll find her on a dancefloor.

Cover Reveal for Reckoning Day, the New Gorias La Gaul Novel From Steven L. Shrewsbury!

Cover reveal today for Reckoning Day, the New Gorias La Gaul Novel From Steven L. Shrewsbury!! Reckoning Day will be available in print and ebook editions from Seventh Star Press on June 16th!

The cover for Reckoning Day was designed and illustrated by Graham Ganson. Stephen Zimmer served as the editor for the novel.


Synopsis of Reckoning Day:

Is there something worse than dying?

Though legendary mercenary Gorias La Gaul has toppled the king of Albion, knives are at his back as he serves as regent over the boy king of neighboring Transalpina. Gorias, who is content that the dire Queen of the Prytens has fallen along with the pervert Albion king, falls for a horse trainer from the displaced lands.

As this unlikely relationship grows, forces rise against him on either side of the channel. While selfish usurpers plot, a more stygian enemy lurks, using the wizards of each land. A figure who has wanted Gorias since his birth. Gorias must balance against these powers and preserve the life of the heir to the throne.

Other threats soon manifest as a wizardess prepares to unleash a dire act of revenge; and even a dragon made of water.

A tale of action, adventure, love, sacrifice, and war, Gorias staggers through a bloody trail that will tear his heart loose. Can Gorias combat these deadly forces and stand tall against an arch-demon on what will truly be his RECKONING DAY?


About Steven:

Award-winning author Steven L. Shrewsbury lives and works in Central Illinois. He writes hardcore sword & sorcery, fantasy and horror novels.

Twenty of his novels have been published, including KILLER OF GIANTS, BEYOND NIGHT, BORN OF SWORDS, WITHIN, OVERKILL, PHILISTINE, HELL BILLY, THRALL, BLOOD & STEEL, STRONGER THAN DEATH, HAWG, TORMENTOR and GODFORSAKEN. His horror/western series includes BAD MAGICK, LAST MAN SCREAMING, MOJO HAND and ALONG COME EVENING. He has collaborated with Brian Keene on the works KING OF THE BASTARDS, THRONE OF THE BASTARDS & CURSE OF THE BASTARDS and Peter Welmerink on the Viking saga BEDLAM UNLEASHED.

A big fan of books, history, the occult, religion and sports, he tries to seek out brightness in the world, wherever it may hide.

Cover Reveal For Nabaril: Immersion, the New Novel From Janie Franz!

Cover reveal today for Nabaril: Immersion, from Janie Franz, the first novel in her captivating, time-bending new Nabaril Series! Nabaril: Immersion will be available in print and ebook editions from Seventh Star Press on June 15th!

The cover for Nabaril: Immersion was designed by Olivia Pro Design. Stephen Zimmer served as the editor for the novel.


Synopsis of Nabaril: Immersion:

Archaeologist Megan Forest never thought that a routine jeep ride in the Arizona desert to look for petroglyphs would slip her into a time portal that land her a thousand years into the future.

Discovered by a Scholar who was also scouring the desert for information about the past, she finds she didn’t drop into an advanced society, she discovers she now lives in a feudal time where knowledge is limited to guilds run by men and women only have one of two functions in this time: procreation or pleasure.

In an attempt to protect the knowledge she holds, the Scholar offers her aid and a dangerous new role as Royal Consort. Megan Forest chaffs under the new constraints on not only her freedom but her mind as she becomes embroiled in royal intrigue.

Nabaril: Immersion is Book One in the Nabaril Series!


About the Author:

Janie Franz comes from a long line of liars and storytellers with roots deep in east Tennessee. After telling other people’s stories for two decades, Janie Franz wanted to tell her own, publishing twelve titles with MuseItUp Publishing, which closed its doors in 2021.

Franz signed with Per Bastet Publishing and Seventh Star Press, both publishers agreeing to take her back catalog and new work. Seventh Star Press took her fantasy books and offered a 4-book contract for her time warp Nabaril series, the first of which should be out around Christmas. Per Bastet took her archaeology thriller series and her contemporary novels. In December 2021, Per Bastet released Franz’ first murder mystery, Handful of Dirt, book one of her Allan Rodriguez Investigations series. Coming out after the new year, Per Bastet will release a new, cozy occult series about an 85-year-old Tennessee herb woman. Previously, Franz generated thousands of feature and cover articles over a wide range of topics for regional, national, and international publications.

She co-wrote two books with Texas wedding DJ, Bill Cox (The Ultimate Wedding Ceremony Book and The Ultimate Wedding Reception Book). She was once an avid reviewer of books, CDs, and live music events. In addition, she ran her own online music publication, Refrain Magazine, and was an agent/publicist for a groove/funk band, a radio announcer, a yoga/relaxation instructor, a music festival publicist, and a private chef.

Currently, Franz owns and runs River’s Edge Editorial services doing academic editing, business and educational writing/ghostwriting, B2B blogs, and grant writings. She’s a private contractor for the Morehouse School of Medicine.

She lives in Las Cruces NM. When not writing, you’ll find her on a dancefloor.

Pan and the Message Chair, the New Contemporary Fiction Novel from Lawrence Weill, Now Available!

Pan and the Message Chair, the new contemporary fiction novel from Lawrence Weill, and first book in The Wylers Ford Series, is now available in print and ebook from Seventh Star Press!

Pick up a copy from any of the direct links below!

Print Edition Links

Amazon

eBook Edition Links

Kindle

Kobo

Nook

iTunes


Synopsis of Pan and the Message Chair:

Old Raliv, isolated and angry, lives alone in a hunting cabin. When he discovers someone poaching rabbits on his land, he sets off to eliminate the intruder, but finds himself engaged in an unexpected epistolary exchange with an unusual visitor named Pan.

What will develop from this encounter? And just who is this Pan?

Pan and the Message Chair is very human commercial fiction as it recounts one man’s growth through grief and sorrow to hope with the help of a mysterious friend with whom he exchanges gifts and notes by placing them on a log chair in a meadow.

This is an organic southern story that will resonate and inspire in these trying and difficult times. It has strong character development and a compelling, moving plot. Pan and the Message Chair is a deep, thoughtful investigation into the meaning of life, love and love lost.


About the Author:

Lawrence has six books in print, four novels, one memoir, and one nonfiction. He has a contract for three more. He writes literary novels, short fiction, non-fiction articles and books, creative non-fiction, and poetry.

His work has appeared in a wide range of local, regional, and national journals. He also is a visual artist working in graphite, oils, metal and wood. Dr. Weill lives in the woods in Kentucky overlooking a beaver pond next to a wildlife preserve. He is also an avid outdoorsman and gardener.

Cover Reveal for Pan and the Message Chair, the New Contemporary Fiction Novel From Lawrence Weill!

Cover reveal today for the brand new contemporary fiction novel from Lawrence Weill, Pan and the Message Chair, the first book in his new Wylers Ford Series! Pan and the Message Chair will be available in print and ebook editions from Seventh Star Press on May 31!

The cover for Pan and the Message Chair was designed by Olivia Pro Design. Stephen Zimmer served as the editor for the novel.


Synopsis of Pan and the Message Chair:

Old Raliv, isolated and angry, lives alone in a hunting cabin. When he discovers someone poaching rabbits on his land, he sets off to eliminate the intruder, but finds himself engaged in an unexpected epistolary exchange with an unusual visitor named Pan.

What will develop from this encounter? And just who is this Pan?

Pan and the Message Chair is very human commercial fiction as it recounts one man’s growth through grief and sorrow to hope with the help of a mysterious friend with whom he exchanges gifts and notes by placing them on a log chair in a meadow.

This is an organic southern story that will resonate and inspire in these trying and difficult times. It has strong character development and a compelling, moving plot. Pan and the Message Chair is a deep, thoughtful investigation into the meaning of life, love and love lost.


About the Author:

Lawrence has six books in print, four novels, one memoir, and one nonfiction. He has a contract for three more. He writes literary novels, short fiction, non-fiction articles and books, creative non-fiction, and poetry.

His work has appeared in a wide range of local, regional, and national journals. He also is a visual artist working in graphite, oils, metal and wood. Dr. Weill lives in the woods in Kentucky overlooking a beaver pond next to a wildlife preserve. He is also an avid outdoorsman and gardener.