Spiral Publishing's June Reads
Spiral Publishing's June Reads
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Spiral Publishing authors Kari Kilgore and Jason A. Adams have put together an exclusive bundle of six fiction stories set in June and springtime, and available this June at a special price! Check out the stories below, and be sure to grab your bundle of June Reads before it disappears at the end of the month!
June might fall toward the middle of the calendar year, but it's also a time of new beginnings. Kids graduate and move on, and college students do the same. Spring starts to give way to summer's heat. And it's no accident that so many couples choose June to launch themselves into married life.
Kari's bittersweet alternate world fantasy story "Wings of the Heart" brings us a different sort of launch. Mranes faces her own coming of age with excitement and a little fear on the day she'll learn much more about herself. Including her deepest desires for her new life.
Jason's "For the Love of Books" is a cozy little story about books and those who love them, which comes as no surprise. An old collector learns about value, and a young boy begins his journey into all the worlds that exist upon the shelves.
In Kari's "The Road to Paradise Mountain," Ella stands on the cusp of capturing one of her own dreams a lot closer to home. Even she can't guess the adventures her passion for driving are about to deliver.
For a touch of mystery, "Fresh Blood and Old Music," Jason heads out west, where two Las Vegas detectives must solve a murder with only the most vague of clues.
Kari's "Decisions in a Dangerous Situation" introduces us to Hugh and Carolyn on the grand occasion of moving into their first proper home together. But this tale takes a sinister turn when a friend in need reaches out for help, and Hugh gets a chance to test his own mettle.
Jason returns to Atlanta in "Dirk Knight: The Case of the Rustled Ranch." Aspiring private investigator Dirk takes on his most important case yet, striving to help a hapless chef when a favorite recipe shows up where it shouldn't.
We hope you enjoy our special, limited-time bundle of genre-spanning stories, and check back next month for your fresh batch of Spiral Publishing's Monthly Reads!
Wings of the Heart by Kari Kilgore
When Dreams Find Wings
Mranes loves life along the Wrynath Sea. Scarlet sand and warm water, hard work surrounded by family.
But her heart and imagination yearn for the sky and adventure.
And a glorious airhorse to take her there.
What will she learn about herself and the life ahead of her, on one special night when magic and desire collide?
Also available in the collection Fantastic Side Trips: Side Characters Take Center Stage.
An excerpt from Wings of the Heart:
The Launch of All of Her Dreams
"Will they get upset if I go now, Father? I don't want to make anyone feel bad."
"The younger ones won't likely notice. And the older ones will know exactly why you enjoy extra time this evening. Your birthday is tomorrow, remember? Your fourteenth."
Mranes expected a fine meal this evening, and gifts. Hopefully books with tales of faraway lands, or maybe one of her father's fine tunics made especially for her. She preferred those to gowns, much to her grandmother's disappointment.
"I don't think I've ever forgotten my birthday, not since I was old enough to understand what it was."
"What you don't yet know is this one is special. Tonight your mother and I will help you recall your sleeping lifetime in a different way than we have before."
Mranes shivered as the breeze cooled her legs, startling after so long in the warm water.
And not a little bit from the idea of having one of her sleeping lifetimes recalled.
For the Love of Books by Jason A. Adams
Value comes in many forms
And one never knows when a new form lurks around the corner.
For Pete Billingsworth, a lesson comes unexpectedly.
A young boy, a middle-aged man, and an old book.
Will they teach a jaded collector something new about love?
An excerpt from For the Love of Books:
Collecting was about love, not price. And this was a lovely copy.
With a sigh, Pete drew his wallet from within his jacket, pulled out his credit card.
Gorton had wandered back out to the front room and was staring through the drapes.
Pete followed, confused by the man’s behavior.
“Ah. They’re here. It’s about time.”
Gorton let the drapes fall and walked briskly to the door, which opened to reveal the same young mother and boy Pete had encountered earlier.
A man in the black uniform of the Wickford Police Department stood behind them.
The Road to Paradise Mountain by Kari Kilgore
Chasing a Lifelong Dream
Ella finds the perfect vacation spot in the Road to Paradise Mountain Resort.
Stunning scenery. Fabulous rooms. Decadent food.
Peace and quiet and reconnection.
And best of all, a dream car and a great driving road just for her.
But Paradise hides more than Ella ever imagined...
Also available in the collection Stepping Out of Reality: Short Spells of Appalachian Magic.
An excerpt from The Road to Paradise Mountain:
When Getting There IS the Point
Jacob often picked beachy places, where the recreational activities were limited to swimming, sunbathing, and enjoying exotic food and drink.
Ella, on the other hand, too often found herself feeling...restricted on that kind of vacation. Stuck in one spot, and more antsy than relaxed. She often escaped on boat tours or walking tours. Anything to get moving and explore.
That was another way the Road to Paradise Mountain Resort was her perfect choice.
The road part of the name not only meant the long, twisting, gorgeous drive to the lodge itself.
The vast acreage was also home to a fabulous network of roads meant for the best kind of driving.
Beautiful. Challenging. And fast.
Fresh Blood and Old Music by Jason A. Adams
Detective Jim Evans hates dead-body days.
A murder in Las Vegas with only one incoherent witness.
A cryptic clue all that guides the investigation.
Will a love of old music lead to justice?
An excerpt from Fresh Blood and Old Music:
Jim set the “I’m a cop, don’t tow me” placard on the dash, and killed the Dr. Demento CD.
“I don’t know how you listen to that stuff,” Flor said as she got out. “Fish heads, cowboys named Irving, Kinko the Clown… My mama would slap me silly, she ever heard me playing that stuff.”
“Clears my head. A little positive nonsense keeps the cobwebs away. Besides, I’ve also graced you with the great mid-century classics. Bill Haley, Patti Page, Screaming Jay Hawkins. Anyway, what did you find on our dead guy?”
Decisions in a Dangerous Situation by Kari Kilgore
Risking the Safety of Home
Dreams coming true after years of hard work.
Settling into paradise with the love of his life.
Hugh Fergusson savors every long-anticipated moment.
But a desperate friend reaches out, with a cry they must heed.
Will offering shelter turn the dream into a nightmare?
A Soul Travelers Story
Also available in the collection Facing Down Extraordinary: A Series of Ordinary Heroes
An excerpt from Decisions in a Dangerous Situation:
The First Stirrings of True Courage
The problem with considering having Lorna stay here to avoid her bully of an ex-husband was Hugh didn't consider himself any sort of heroic figure. He was currently on two weeks' holiday from work as a computer programmer and designer, not anything remotely physical or brave.
The most he expected he could do in a dangerous situation was barricade the door and call for help.
And not one bit of that mattered with his wife staring at him with such confident expectation. She figured he'd agree with the rational course of action, as she said earlier.
He knew her well enough to know she was completely prepared to argue if need be, too.
Dirk Knight: The Case of the Rustled Ranch by Jason A. Adams
When trouble finds Barb Collins, Dirk Knight finds trouble.
A newly-minted Private Eye who throws himself into the job.
A newly-minted chef who knows good food.
Trouble drives them together in a case like no other.
Dirk’s solution promises them both sweet things to come.
An excerpt from Dirk Knight: The Case of the Rustled Ranch:
The door opened, and she walked in.
Dirk tried not to stare, but it wasn’t easy. She was a knockout. Five-ten, maybe six feet tall. Mid-twenties. Short mahogany hair curled across her brow and over her ears, flashing a few auburn highlights in the glow coming through the door. A pleasantly padded figure that made him forget all about the bruise on his knee. She’d been poured into a pair of yoga pants that clung to her curves like chocolate on a truffle. A forest green blouse with wide, lacy cuffs and a neckline lower than a politician’s morals completed the outfit.
“Are you Mr. Knight?” she asked in a voice that dripped honey and promise.
