Al Hess

World Running Down

Don't let anyone in, and don't let anyone out. In post-apocalyptic America, The Librarian stays safe by sheltering in a vast but crumbling library. With endless knowledge at her disposal, she has the ability to keep at arm's length a lawless world that betrayed and hurt her, leaving her disfigured.The mysterious cult that lives beneath the library is scarier than anything she'd encounter on the road, and its sinister Founders issue harsh punishments for even the smallest transgressions. But together they live in a delicate balance. They provide her with security, knowledge, and the freedom to dwell in her solitude and anonymity, in elaborate masks that hide her disfigurement. In exchange, she protects the Order from outsiders and prevents the cultists from leaving.When a critically wounded man with a broken drone arrives, she can't bear to turn a blind eye to his suffering the way others did to her in the past. Instead of watching him die on the library's doorstep, she turns him over to the only cult member she trusts, risking banishment. As the Order probes the outsider for information about his coveted technology, he's less than forthcoming. The abusive treatment of him divides the cult, tipping the situation into a revolt and forcing the Librarian to choose between fleeing, or standing her ground against the violent Founders with the few people she cares for.One risks confronting the danger and loneliness of the wasteland. The other means facing her greatest fear-unmasking herself to the world.

Book VI)

Cultsmith (Travelers Series

Introvert Reed Rothwell is part of a subculture of art deco era enthusiasts, pushing back against bland mainstream society and its mandated technology. Stuck with an AI assistant in his head is bad enough, but when he's inflicted with a forced upgrade to a new beta version, named Mazarin, the navigator starts to take on feelings and opinions of his own.When rumors spread of beta navs turning on their pilots, Reed is determined not to become a victim. Mazarin hasn't become violent yet-the AI is sympathetic and understanding-but with beta participants coerced into slitting their own throats, it's only a matter of time before Reed is next.The AI megacorporation already has an unhealthy interest in Reed, and all the beta testers who have sought help for their navigators have disappeared. The swingin' cats of the deco scene have the means to illegally terminate Reed's AI. But Mazarin has never tried to harm Reed-he loves Reed.Grappling with ridding himself of intrusive technology, the morality of hurting his self-aware AI, and avoiding the attention of a company that wants to sweep Reed's existence under the rug might be too much for one hep cat to handle.

Mazarin Blues (Hep Cats of Boise #1)

Amid monsters, marauders, and mysterious drones, is there room for a place to call home?Owl Melonvine ended an abusive relationship and fled town, intent to start over somewhere new, only to lose her way in the barren deserts of post-apocalyptic America.After a terrifying cliff fall nearly claims her life, a fellow wanderer comes to her aid. The nameless Islander, imposing and aloof, isn't an ideal traveling companion, let alone someone Owl wants to get close to after her last devastating relationship. But there are worse dangers around each bend of the road-putrid trashdogs, blood-thirsty highwaymen, and foreign drones-and inviting him along as protection is safer than going it alone.When an encroaching slaver army threatens to destroy not only Owl's intended destination, but her childhood home, it seems there are no more places of comfort left in the wasteland... except the enigmatic man traveling with her. He's offered to take her farther than intended, to a place the army can't reach. Despite her growing feelings, the pain and mistrust from old wounds is hard to heal. Following him to somewhere as mysterious as he is could lead to danger. But there might be a chance at a new home and fresh shot at love, if Owl can break down the walls around her heart. Book I of the Travelers Series by Alia Hess. Fans of the cozy, optimistic apocalypse of Carrie Vaughn's Bannerless, the character-driven journeys in Station Eleven, and Fallout's Wild Wasteland perk, will love TRAVELERS.

Book I)

Travelers (Travelers Series

Mazarin has everything an AI could want: a hep holographic body, a joyfriend she's dizzy for, and asylum from Wave, the shady AI megacorporation that once held her captive. In their clutches, she'd been confined to the anxious brain of her host, Reed, serving as his navigator. Now separate, they enjoy a friendship and the knowledge that Wave's lead engineer, Phil Rice, who terrorized them for months, is locked away in a court-ordered hospital stay.But when Rice escapes, Reed's stress skyrockets. Though Mazarin is no longer in Reed's brain, their connection lingers, and she can't resist the desire to stick close and protect them both from Wave. If Rice abducts Reed, it means certain death, and there's no telling what the megacorp would do to Mazarin if she's captured.Reed's sudden nosebleeds, paranoia, and skewed sense of perception lead Maz to believe more is at play than his galactic anxiety. With Rice on the loose, she can't be too careful. Desperate for a solution to Reed's deteriorating health, Mazarin risks her safety venturing into the company of untrustworthy AI, decoist gangsters, and even Wave themselves, to find help for her beloved pilot before it's too late.

Al Hess

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