Axira Episode Two by Odette C. Bell

It’s been several months since the Hendra incident. Academy life has returned to normal.

Normal won’t last. A new group is forming on campus. Isolationists and racists, they start targeting anyone who doesn’t ‘fit’. Which includes Axira.

That isn’t her only problem. There’s a visiting scientist researching subspace fields. One she recognises – a foot soldier of her master....

It’s been several months since the Hendra incident. Academy life has returned to normal.



Normal won’t last. A new group is forming on campus. Isolationists and racists, they start targeting anyone who doesn’t ‘fit’. Which includes Axira.



That isn’t her only problem. There’s a visiting scientist researching subspace fields. One she recognises – a foot soldier of her master.



Axira must put a stop to the Academy’s problems before they spiral out of control.



But she can’t do it alone. She’ll need his help. And Jason Singh is more than willing to do anything for her …

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About Odette C. Bell

I live in Australia with two giant, fluffy cats. I try to write whenever I can, reasoning that eating and sleeping are luxuries that can be ignored.

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Skykeep by Joseph R. Lallo

Several months have passed since Nita Graus left her home in Caldera to soar with the crew of the Wind Breaker, and life is anything but easy. Their prior exploits have earned them quite a reputation among surface-dwellers and made them a perpetual target of the manipulative residents of the fug. Now a new plot could split the crew and ground the Wind Breaker once and for all.

It has taken some adjustment, but Nita Graus has made quite a home for herself among the crew of the Wind Breaker. Under her skillful care it has become one of the only airships to stay aloft without the continuous repair and oversight of the vile and manipulative fug folk. Word of her adventures with Captain Mack, Gunner, Lil, Cooper, and Wink has made the whole crew into living legends among the residents of the mountain towns of Rim, but in doing so it has also made finding safe harbor virtually impossible. Agents of the fug folk and those working on their behalf hide in every cloud and skulk in every shadow.



Only one town, a place called Lock, is willing to welcome the Wind Breaker into port. Most of the townspeople have already been shunned by the Fug Folk, and as such have little to lose in aiding and abetting the crew. Captain Mack, mindful of his advancing age and the risks he's had to request of his crew time and time again, has begun to plan for his retirement. Plans are swiftly derailed when the fug folk hatch a plan of their own, splitting the crew and locking Nita away in the floating prison known as Skykeep.



Skykeep is the second book in the Free-Wrench saga and continues to chronicle the adventures of Nita and her new crew as they continue to clash with the twisted figures who control the destiny of a continent.

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About Joseph R. Lallo

Joseph Lallo is a Computer Engineer, as well as editor and chief contributor to Brainlazy.com.

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'Til Undeath Do Us Part by Jessica Alter

Psychologist Maggie Glass, Psychic Medium Edward Case, and Biologist Kalyani Sharma have a big problem.

In the real world, vampires don’t exist. Tell that to the one who’s looking for love in the Valley of the Sun and won’t be stopped until he bites the girl.

Never mind the chupacabra in the freezer at home.



Things just went from weird to paranormal.

Volume I of the Cryptid Series, ‘Til Undeath Do Us Part, launches an amazing journey into a world where all is not as it seems, and danger lurks for the unwary.

Psychologist Maggie Glass, Psychic Medium Edward Case, and Biologist Kalyani Sharma have a big problem.

In the real world, vampires don’t exist. Tell that to the one who’s looking for love in the Valley of the Sun and won’t be stopped until he bites the girl.

Never mind the chupacabra in the freezer at home.



Things just went from weird to paranormal.

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About Jessica Alter

In 2014, author Jessica “Jess” Alter published the third and final installment in an epic social science fiction trilogy filled with sex, tech, and firearms. Her new Cryptid Series will be published on multiple ebook platforms starting in 2015. The first book in the series, ‘Til Undeath Do Us Part, brings cryptid lore and legend into the modern scientific world with unexpected and thrilling results.



When she’s not writing, she enjoys collecting folktales from around the world, adapting dessert recipes, baking homemade breads, and crocheting little monsters. You can find her web journal at http://www.indieimprint.com/alteredstates and find her on Twitter as @Jess_Alter.

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Interzone #257 (Mar – Apr 2015) by TTA Press

Interzone’s Mar–Apr 2015 issue has new stories from Alastair Reynolds, Tendai Huchu, Fadzlishah Johanabas, Rich Larson, and Aliya Whiteley. Cover art is Martin Hanford’s ‘Rime’. Features include news, book reviews (Justina Robson’s latest + more), film reviews (Jupiter Ascending, Ex Machina + more), and comment. Andy Hedgecock interviews Helen Marshall and Peter Tennant interviews Aliya Whiteley.

The March – April issue of Britain's longest running science fiction and fantasy magazine contains new stories by Alastair Reynolds, Tendai Huchu, Fadzlishah Johanabas, Rich Larson, and Aliya Whiteley. Cover art ‘Rime’ is Martin Hanford’s work and interior artists are Richard Wagner, Vincent Sammy, Warwick Fraser-Coombe and Wayne Haag. All the usual features are present: David Langford’s Ansible Link (news and obits); Nick Lowe’s Mutant Popcorn (film reviews); Tony Lee’s Laser Fodder (DVD/Blu-ray/VoD reviews); Book Zone (book reviews); Jonathan McCalmont's Future Inter-rupted (comment) and Nina Allan's Time Pieces (comment). Author inter-views: Andy Hedgecock with Helen Marshall and Peter Tennant with Aliya Whiteley.

Interzone is essentially a fiction magazine containing short science fiction and fantasy stories. But it covers other aspects of the genre via comment, news, reviews of books, movies, DVDs and TV.



Fiction this issue

A Murmuration by Alastair Reynolds

Songbird by Fadzlishah Johanabas

Brainwhales Are Stoners, Too by Rich Larson

The Worshipful Company of Milliners by Tendai Huchu

Blossoms Falling Down by Aliya Whiteley



Artists this issue

Martin Hanford

Wayne Haag

Vincent Sammy

Warwick Fraser-Coombe

Richard Wagner



Books reviewed this issue

Book Zone, edited by Jim Steel, has

Gifts for the One Who Comes After by Helen Marshall (plus author inter-view conducted by Andy Hedgecock), Tigerman by Nick Harkaway, The Final Testimony of Raphael Ignatius Phoenix by Paul Sussman, Hyperluminal by Jim Burns, Edge of Dark by Brenda Cooper, Revenger 1 by Warwick Fraser-Coombe, The Very Best of Kate Elliott, Beta-Life edited by Martin Amos & Ra Page, Tell No Lies by John Grant, The Glorious Angels by Justina Robson, Ditko's Shorts edited by Craig Yoe & Fester Faceplant



Nick Lowe's Mutant Popcorn movie reviews this issue include Jupiter Ascending, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Ex Machina, Into the Woods, Big Hero 6, Project Almanac, Coherence



Tony Lee's Laser Fodder, TV/DVD, reviews this issue include Extant, The Haunting of Black Wood, Enemy, The Maze Runner, The Rendlesham UFO In-cident, Coherence, Dark Planet, Game of Thrones, Teenage Mutant Ninja Tur-tles, Continuum, Halo: Nightfall, The Device, The Signal



Other non-fiction this issue

David Langford - Ansible Link

Nina Allan - Time Pieces column

Jonathan McCalmont - Future Interrupted column

Readers' Poll - Vote for your favourite stories of 2014

Editorial - Have Awards for Genre Short Fiction Had Their Day? Ian Sales

Author interviews –

Helen Marshall by Andy Hedgecock

Aliya Whiteley by Peter Tennant with added questions from readers.

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About TTA Press

TTA Press is the publisher of the magazines Interzone (science fiction/fantasy) and Black Static (horror/dark fantasy), the Crimewave anthology series, TTA Novellas, plus the occasional story collection and novel.

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The Turing Exception by William Hertling

In the 2043, humans and AI coexist in a precarious balance of power. But in the grim aftermath of a runaway nanotech attack, a powerful underground collective known as XOR concludes AI can no longer coexist with humanity.



Catherine Matthews and her allies, including an ancient AI long believed dead, must find a solution before XOR's planned extermination war.

In the year 2043, humans and AI coexist in a precarious balance of power enforced by a rigid caste reputation system designed to ensure that only those AI who are trustworthy and contribute to human society increase in power.



Everything changes when a runaway nanotech event leads to the destruction of Miami. In the grim aftermath, a powerful underground collective known as XOR dedicates that AI can no longer coexist with humanity.



AI pioneers Catherine Matthews, Leon Tsarev, and Mike Williams believe that mere months are left before XOR starts an extermination war. Can they find a solution before time runs out?



Praise for The Turing Exception



“The Turing Exception encapsulates a lot of the *good* and *scary* ideas of the singularity. Hertling once again shows us that although the future is dark, there can be hope.” —Harper Reed, CEO Modest, former CTO of Obama for America



“Hertling is the the Asimov of our generation.” —Brad Feld, managing director Foundry Group



“Action-packed, yet nuanced look at a world where artificial intelligence is commonplace.” —Ben Huh, CEO Cheezburger



Singularity Series Recommended Reading Order

1. Avogadro Corp: The Singularity Is Closer Than It Appears

2. A.I. Apocalypse

3. The Last Firewall

4. The Turing Exception

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About William Hertling

William E. Hertling is a digital native who grew up on the online chat and bulletin board systems of the mid 1980s, giving him twenty-five years experience participating in and creating online culture. A science fiction writer and digital strategist, he lives in Portland, Oregon.

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The Peyti Crisis: A Retrieval Artist Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

The Moon barely survived the devastation of Anniversary Day. The second round of attacks planned to kill millions more. With the life of every human and alien on the Moon hanging in the balance, the Moon’s chief security officer, Noelle DeRicci, and Retrieval Artist Miles Flint race to discover the identity of the masterminds behind the attacks before it’s too late.

Book Five of the Anniversary Day Saga



The Moon barely survived the devastation of Anniversary Day. The second round of attacks planned to kill millions more. With the life of every human and alien on the Moon hanging in the balance, the Moon’s chief security officer, Noelle DeRicci, races to discover the identity of the masterminds behind the attacks before it’s too late.



Desperate to find answers, DeRicci turns to Retrieval Artist Miles Flint and Detective Bartholomew Nyquist for the kind of help only Flint and Nyquist can provide.



A gripping look at a society on edge.



“The Anniversary Day Saga just keeps getting more interesting and more complicated. Each addition is eagerly anticipated and leaves the reader anxious to discover what will happen next, who the bad guys are and what it is they are hoping to achieve.”

—RT Book Reviews



“This new Retrieval Artist Universe novel is action-packed and continues where A Murder of Clones leaves off. These must be read in order to fully appreciate the suspense and mystery that is taking place.”

—RT Book Reviews on Search & Recovery



“Fans of Rusch’s Retrieval Artist universe will enjoy the expansion of the Anniversary Day story, with new characters providing more perspectives on its signature events, while newcomers will get a good introduction to the series.”

—Publishers Weekly on A Murder of Clones



“The latest Retrieval Artist science fiction thriller is an engaging investigative whodunit starring popular Miles Flint on a comeback mission. The suspenseful storyline is fast-paced and filled with twists as the hero comes out of retirement to confront his worst nightmare.”

—Midwest Book Reviews on Blowback



“Anniversary Day is an edge-of-the-seat thriller that will keep you turning pages late into the night and it’s also really good science fiction. What’s not to like?”

—Analog

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About Kristine Kathryn Rusch

USA Today bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch writes in almost every genre. Generally, she uses her real name (Rusch) for most of her writing. Under that name, she publishes bestselling science fiction and fantasy, award-winning mysteries, acclaimed mainstream fiction, controversial nonfiction, and the occasional romance. Her novels have made bestseller lists around the world and her short fiction has appeared in eighteen best of the year collections. She has won more than twenty-five awards for her fiction, including the Hugo, Le Prix Imaginales, the Asimov’s Readers Choice award, and the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Readers Choice Award.



Publications from The Chicago Tribune to Booklist have included her Kris Nelscott mystery novels in their top-ten-best mystery novels of the year. The Nelscott books have received nominations for almost every award in the mystery field, including the best novel Edgar Award, and the Shamus Award.



She writes goofy romance novels as award-winner Kristine Grayson, romantic suspense as Kristine Dexter, and futuristic sf as Kris DeLake.



Her popular weekly blog on the changes in publishing has become an industry must-read.



She also edits. Beginning with work at the innovative publishing company, Pulphouse, followed by her award-winning tenure at The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, she took fifteen years off before returning to editing with the original anthology series Fiction River, published by WMG Publishing. She acts as series editor with her husband, writer Dean Wesley Smith, and edits at least two anthologies in the series per year on her own.



To keep up with everything she does, go to kriswrites.com. To track her many pen names and series, see their individual websites (krisnelscott.com, kristinegrayson.com, krisdelake.com, retrievalartist.com, divingintothewreck.com). She lives and occasionally sleeps in Oregon.

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The Pyramids of London by Andrea K Höst

In a world where lightning sustained the Roman Empire, and Egypt's vampiric god-kings spread their influence through medicine and good weather, it is the murder of her brother that concerns Arianne Seaforth. She does not believe it was an accident. She does not intend to give up. And to follow the only clue to his killer, she intends to sell herself to a vampire.

In a world where lightning sustained the Roman Empire, and Egypt's vampiric god-kings spread their influence through medicine and good weather, tiny Prytennia's fortunes are rising with the ships which have made her undisputed ruler of the air.



But the peace of recent decades is under threat. Rome's automaton-driven wealth is waning along with the New Republic's supply of power crystals, while Sweden uses fear of Rome to add to her Protectorates. And Prytennia is under attack from the wind itself. Relentless daily attacks destroy crops, buildings, and lives, and neither the weather vampires nor Prytennia's Trifold Goddess have been able to find a way to stop them.



With events so grand scouring the horizon, the deaths of Eiliff and Aedric Tenning raise little interest. The official verdict is accident: two careless automaton makers, killed by their own construct.



The Tenning children and Aedric's sister, Arianne, know this cannot be true. Nothing will stop their search for what really happened.



Not even if, to follow the first clue, Aunt Arianne must sell herself to a vampire.



---



Book 1 of a 5 book series.

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About Andrea K Höst

A Swedish-born Australian writer working in fantasy and science fantasy.

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The Sequetus Series – All twenty-four books by Nick Broadhurst

This is the full 24 books of the Sequetus Series. It spans over a thousand years; for some, many lifetimes. It is how an extraterrestrial intelligence agent comes to Earth, to determine what is really happening here. It's 1989. He ends up defending Earth from annihilation. The agent finds that Earth is not only planet infiltrated, but others out there are also subverted, by an unknown enemy.

The Sequetus Series is big. It is about the subversion of a galaxy, this galaxy, and all the civilizations in it. The book starts off when an intelligence officer from out there is directed on a mission to Earth, known as Sequetus 3. He is to find out why there is such an anomaly with this one planet. For some reason the planet is way overdue its Intervention Day. The planet governments insist that the visitors they get from out there absolutely do not exist. Yet half the population believe that they are not alone, in the galaxy.



The planet also has a short-lived population, and instead of the normal 325 years, people from Earth live only around 75 years. There is no explanation for that. Also, the technology on the planet is advancing way faster than normal self-generated technological advancement.



The planet a long time back was said to be a prison planet. Furthermore, its population has only been there a few thousand years, and the planet is ready to blow itself up. It is 1989 and the cold war is in full swing. But why war? Don’t nations usually solve their disputes peacefully, unless someone outside is pushing war?



Without giving the plot away, our officer has to prepare an intelligence estimate on the planet and return. Will the galaxy out there feel threatened by these short-lived, and fast breeding races of Earth? What will happen if they get off the planet?



The first few books are to build the universe out there, and around the reader. They get you familiar with the characters. Then in the fourth book, Magi, the plot kicks off, and you better hold your hat. Here is where you get introduced to telepathy, telekinesis; and even if you do not believe it, it exists and it is in this book.



To have faster than light speed travel, one needs to work out exactly how can a person and ship travel faster than light. There is a way, and that is outlined in the book, but later on. However to do this, it is needed to look at what is the physical universe, and what is its true make up. To be exact, the author reconstructs space and its so called vacuum, and what it really is, and the properties that space has. It is not nothing. The current models used by science just do not quite fit, so this is taken up in what is termed, Broadmatter Theory.



Next is time travel, and this is introduced to the reader in several stages. The first is to be able to project oneself to an earlier or later time to when one is, so as to alter one’s mind in that other time. This is déjàvu in this book. Next is to take one’s body through time itself, and it also needs an examination of how the universe works, and how this can work too. So, with all this nutted out, as well as how to access these otherwise very extra human abilities, the background is set for our character to solve what ails not only Earth, but every major civilization out there in this galaxy.



As to the story, it will have you weeping one moment and laughing the next. Some of it is bloody, as space opera is just that. The story spans over a thousand years. The characters are very real, so let the author build up the worlds around you. It is an excellent yarn with a brilliant plot. This story has never been told. It is absolutely unique. Enjoy it.



There are maps so you do not get lost, a large glossary, with pages of references and notes in the back matter. Most importantly, have fun. And one last piece of information is: remember, this story is written on a tapestry of fact. Have a great and fulfilling reading experience.

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About Nick Broadhurst

The Sequetus Series started being written in 1987, the year the story kicks off. He started the first books using pen and paper and compiled many journals with his writings. Soon, however, he bought a new Amstrad computer, and he was away. By book ten he was living in Tokyo and he was still at it, writing this story. By the twenty-third book, the series was complete, and it is 2014.



This series of books is an epic piece of literature. The author, Nick Broadhurst, has lived and worked in over a dozen countries around the world, with Australia, Japan and the USA being the three longest. He has lived a life of adventure, and included here is a lot of time in Asia, volunteering on disaster sites. Professionally Nick is an architect, a construction contractor and building project manager. Nick is Australian. He also paints.



There have been many different responses to having read these books. They vary, but many readers claim that they changed. So if you want to read them, good for you. There is a lot in these books. It is hoped you enjoy them as much as the author says he did writing them.

Read Nick Broadhurst's Smashwords Interview

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