Kate Sheeran Swed

Raised by a heartsick AI, she’s programmed to kill. And desperate to flee. After growing up on an isolated space station, Astra dreams of solid ground. But with an AI guardian plugged into her head--and her nervous system--it’s not like she’s flush with choices. In fact, she’s got just one: use her training to carry out the rogue AI’s revenge. Her first mission? Assassination. When her target flashes a jamming device that would guarantee her escape from the AI’s grasp, Astra sets out to steal it. But the AI’s plans are more dangerous than she suspected. Corrupted by heartbreak, the wayward computer is determined to infect the star system with a new order of digital tyranny. Astra’s been raised to care for no one but herself. Now she’ll have to decide if she’s willing to trade the star system’s freedom for her own. Parting Shadows is a far-future take on Estella Havisham’s journey in Great Expectations, and the first installment in Kate Sheeran Swed’s Toccata System novella trilogy.

Parting Shadows

Sloane Tarnish has always secretly admired her outlaw of an uncle and his tales of not-so-legal adventures across the galaxy-but she never thought she'd be asked to help with one of his heists. When Uncle Vin shows up on her med school campus with a plan to steal a chip full of Fleet intelligence-and the baffling idea to have her play a key role in the scheme-Sloane's got her doubts. Uncle Vin doesn't seem to realize that her top skills involve the kind of shots you drink, not the ones you fire. But Vin's convinced the Fleet's got plans to install empirical rule across the free galaxy, and that this data could stop them before they can begin. When a bunch of rogue delivery drones start taking shots at her-and not the liquid kind-she has to figure he's onto something. To prove it, all she needs to do is steal the data key from the middle of a Fleet ball... and right out from under the Commander's nose. Too bad she's got absolutely no idea what she's doing... Outlaw Rising is the prequel novella to the Parse Galaxy space opera adventure series.

Outlaw Rising

Space travel is so overrated. Bounty hunting isn't any better, but it's what Sloane Tarnish needs to do if she wants to fix the rundown spaceship her uncle dumped on her. So she can find him and dump it right back. Problem A: Her uncle also ditched his motley crew–made up of a cranky ace pilot and an extraneous mad scientist–and they don't exactly see her as the captain. Problem B: Her ship's too broken to leave the most dangerous system in the galaxy, where a recent power vacuum is turning the place into one orbiting cluster of fugitives, thugs, and swindlers. When Sloane sets her sights on a bounty with a reward that will solve all her problems, the Commander of the Galactic Fleet himself shows up in pursuit of the same man. The last thing Sloane needs is to get tangled in a web of galactic politics–but she won't let her prize go, either. The payoff is just too big to give up. But as dangers close in on all sides, she can't help wondering if she'll live to claim her prize… Chaos Zone is the first installment in a new space opera series full of reckless women, messy worlds, and big adventures–perfect for fans of Guardians of the Galaxy and the Mandalorian. Grab your copy of Chaos Zone now!

A Space Opera Adventure

Chaos Zone

Mary O'Sullivan no longer trusts her instincts. Her secret identity is blown, the league is under official scrutiny, and LIO's retirees are now their sworn enemies--all because of her reckless decisions. When mysterious strangers steal the league's most powerful asset, Mary adds one more defeat to her roster by failing to prevent their escape. Afraid of making another devastating mistake, she refuses to join the mission to track down the thieves, instead sticking to the relative safety of HQ. If that means occasionally encountering her ex in the halls, well, she's punched Nathan Pearce before. She's not afraid to do it again. But the mission goes awry when LIO's government liaison turns against them, and only Mary and Nathan remain free. With her friends in dire need and a powerful new foe lurking just out of sight, Mary must face her own demons before she can hope to defeat her enemies--and save the people she loves.

Mastermind

Hollywood days. Vigilante nights. To the world, she's a star. To the league of heroes who raised her? She's a liability. ALTER EGO is a twisty superhero saga for fans of Umbrella Academy and Renegades.

Alter Ego

Mary O'Sullivan makes her own rules now. Her first self-assigned mission? Track down the league retirees who killed her family, and enforce the long-overdue justice they deserve. But Mary's crusade thrusts her deep into the shadows of vigilantism, where good and evil blur to gray. With her secret identity blown to shreds, she's beset by reporters and forced to seek unlikely allies. When her enemies turn the tables and start hunting her, Mary must face the darker side of heroism—or risk becoming their next victim. Follow Mary into the dark with the page-turning sequel to Alter Ego.

Anti-Hero

Angel of music. Instrument of justice. As the fashionably veiled operatic sensation of Landry City, Claire Leroux is adored by the masses. But Claire must never let her fans discover what hides behind her mask--a body that's half-machine and hellbent on vengeance.

Phantom Song

Two weeks ago, the AI that raised LJ forced her to murder the man she loved. But Conor survived. He wants nothing to do with the woman who tried to kill him, and yet LJ's got the only crew brash enough to chase after his father--who's a step away from twisting every AI in the Toccata System to serve his greed. Conor's desperate, and he's got a scheme of his own: shut down Toccata's AIs, permanently. If the price is a voyage with LJ and her crew of ex-assassins, he'll pay. LJ wants to leave the past behind. But she's not just another AI-trained killer: she's the worst of them all, and the proof of her cruelty stands before her. As mutiny and betrayal chase them across the sea, LJ and Conor must work together to survive--and if LJ can't face the sins of her past, she'll doom everyone she loves to a future that's made of chains.

Prodigal Storm

Lesson #1 in intergalactic mixology: VIPs take it floated, not stirred. Explore the farthest reaches of the galaxy in Kate Sheeran Swed's newest collection of science fiction stories. -In "Chosen," an intergenerational spaceship returns to Earth after disaster strikes; -in "Ugly Earthling," an ambitious chef attempts to fry her way across the universe; -and in "It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Usurps the Galaxy," a Supreme Galactic Emperor takes on an ambitious building project under dubious circumstances. Absurdity and tragedy commingle in tales where space travel is run-of-the-mill, time can be recovered, and second chances hold the key to survival.

Remain Alert: Science Fiction Stories

HEIRESS The world knows Mary O'Sullivan as a Page Six regular; she's an heiress, a playgirl, a philanthropist—and an orphan, after she survived the plane crash that killed her celebrity parents. The world knows her vigilante alter ego, too—they just don't know it's Mary behind the mask. OFFICER Nathan Pearce just wants to be a hero. So when a world-famous vigilante blows through his local Boston bar, he's determined to chase her down. If superheroes do internships, he wants one. But the woman might as well be a phantom. And Nathan's quest to prove himself will endanger more lives than just his own. LEADER Eloise Reyna wasn't meant to inherit a super-secret league of vigilantes, or the heirloom that grants her powers, for at least another decade. Between her motley band of cranky heroes and abilities she barely understands, she just might lose control. With a mad scientist on the loose and powerful enemies lurking in the wings, that's simply not an option. TEAM Together with their questionable crew, these would-be heroes must untangle the past to secure the future—or allow a dangerous new world order to rise. The League of Independent Operatives is a twisty superhero saga, perfect for fans of Watchmen, Umbrella Academy, and Renegades.

The Complete Series

League of Independent Operatives

HEIRESS The world knows Mary O'Sullivan as a Page Six regular; she's an heiress, a playgirl, a philanthropist—and an orphan, after she survived the plane crash that killed her celebrity parents. The world knows her vigilante alter ego, too—they just don't know it's Mary behind the mask. OFFICER Nathan Pearce just wants to be a hero. So when a world-famous vigilante blows through his local Boston bar, he's determined to chase her down. If superheroes do internships, he wants one. But the woman might as well be a phantom. And Nathan's quest to prove himself will endanger more lives than just his own. LEADER Eloise Reyna wasn't meant to inherit a super-secret league of vigilantes, or the heirloom that grants her powers, for at least another decade. Between her motley band of cranky heroes and abilities she barely understands, she just might lose control. With a mad scientist on the loose and powerful enemies lurking in the wings, that's simply not an option. TEAM Together with their questionable crew, these would-be heroes must untangle the past to secure the future—or allow a dangerous new world order to rise. The League of Independent Operatives is a twisty superhero saga, perfect for fans of the Avengers, Umbrella Academy, and Arrow.

A Sci Fi Superhero Series

The League of Independent Operatives Books 1-2

From Book 1: Space travel is so overrated. Bounty hunting isn't any better, but it's what Sloane Tarnish needs to do if she wants to fix the rundown spaceship her uncle dumped on her. So she can find him and dump it right back. Problem A: Her uncle also ditched his motley crew–made up of a cranky ace pilot and an extraneous mad scientist–and they don't exactly see her as the captain. Problem B: Her ship's too broken to leave the most dangerous system in the galaxy, where a recent power vacuum is turning the place into one orbiting cluster of fugitives, thugs, and swindlers. When Sloane sets her sights on a bounty with a reward that will solve all her problems, the Commander of the Galactic Fleet himself shows up in pursuit of the same man. The last thing Sloane needs is to get tangled in a web of galactic politics–but she won't let her prize go, either. The payoff is just too big to give up. But as dangers close in on all sides, she can't help wondering if she'll live to claim her prize… Chaos Zone is the first installment in a space opera series full of reckless women, messy worlds, and big adventures–perfect for fans of Firefly, Star Trek and Guardians of the Galaxy. Grab your copy of Chaos Zone now! The Series: Chaos Zone Bounty War Traitor Game Exile Sky Battle Fringe (Coming May 23, 2023) Outlaw Rising (Prequel Novella)

A Space Opera Adventure Collection

Parse Galaxy Books 1-3

Sloane Tarnish has always secretly admired her outlaw of an uncle and his tales of not-so-legal adventures across the galaxy–but she never thought she'd be asked to help with one of his heists. When Uncle Vin shows up on her med school campus with a plan to steal a chip full of Fleet intelligence–and the baffling idea to have her play a key role in the scheme–Sloane's got her doubts. Uncle Vin doesn't seem to realize that her top skills involve the kind of shots you drink, not the ones you fire. But Vin's convinced the Fleet's got plans to install empirical rule across the free galaxy, and that this data could stop them before they can begin. When a bunch of rogue delivery drones start taking shots at her–and not the liquid kind–she has to figure he's onto something. To prove it, all she needs to do is steal the data key from the middle of a Fleet ball… and right out from under the Commander's nose. Too bad she's got absolutely no idea what she's doing… Outlaw Rising is the prequel novella to the Parse Galaxy space opera adventure series.

Lucy A. Snyder

Jaymee Goh

Jason Sanford

Regina N. Bradley

Michelle Mellon

Alisa Alering

Em Liu

Danian Darrell Jerry

M. R. Herbert

Fireside Quarterly Autumn 2020

From science fiction and fantasy author Kate Sheeran Swed, Don't Look Back is a short story collection that blends space travel with ghostly encounters and explores the possibilities of near-future technology--the good, the suspect, and the outright alarming. In 'The Rest is Silence,' a powerful corporation buys the government--and pays its citizens in cash for each day they don't speak;In 'Windfall,' a would-be wizard aims to con his classmate out of a magical inheritance; In a reimagining of the Orpheus myth, the collection's title story features a rock star who chooses virtual reality over the real world in an attempt to save his true love. From intergalactic ghost-hunting museums to magical road trips through Upstate New York, Don't Look Back's stories promise adventure, romance, and an ever-present hint of revolution. Download the complete collection today!

Don't Look Back (And Other Stories)

Mary O'Sullivan is out of her depth, and out for blood. With her headquarters buried in rock, her resources are scarce. But Mary needs to stop the vengeful alien demi-god, Sever, before he murders the man she loves -- and before his prison of a forcefield spreads around the globe. But saving the world isn't a solo business, and Mary -- along with the whole league -- will need to let go of her past grudges if she wants to rescue the future. Defender is the concluding volume in the League of Independent Operatives superhero saga.

Defender

Mary O'Sullivan's world is on the brink of collapse. The Enhanced Abilities Enforcement Association is persecuting humans with powers, forcing them to register their talents with the government. With LIO no longer sanctioned, agents swarm the streets in search of the league's hidden HQ. When Mary helps an enhanced teenager to escape across the border, she uncovers a huge community of people trapped in hiding. With even greater threats lurking among the stars, she must usher them to safety before the EAEA finds them first…

Nemesis

Books 1-3

Seventeen-year-old Frankie Hartiger can reroute any elevator, steal the data from any ID chip, and scramble the facial recognition software on any security bot. The only thing she can't hack? Her parents. They won't trust her with a coffee order, never mind a position in their interworld exploration company. When their inaugural inter-universal tour goes wrong, Frankie sets out to rescue her parents-accompanied by Earth's first (and most annoying) interworld immigrant, Jord Mathison. But a transport malfunction hurtles them into the wrong world, where a deposed prince wears Jord's face. To the prince, Frankie's last name is equivalent to a curse: his world is dying, and Frankie's family is at fault. As a breadcrumb trail of conspiracies leads Frankie toward her parents, she's sure Jord knows more than he's willing to admit. If she can't forge a truce with him to root out the truth, she'll be stuck forever-and if the inhabitants get their way, she'll burn with their world.

Bypass the Stars

Enemy assassins unite to stop the AI-led attacks on their star system. From Book One, Parting Shadows: Raised by a heartsick AI, she’s programmed to kill. And desperate to flee. After growing up on an isolated space station, Astra dreams of solid ground. But with an AI guardian plugged into her head--and her nervous system--it’s not like she’s flush with choices. In fact, she’s got just one: use her training to carry out the rogue AI’s revenge. Her first mission? Assassination. When her target flashes a jamming device that would guarantee her escape from the AI’s grasp, Astra sets out to steal it. But the AI’s plans are more dangerous than she suspected. Corrupted by heartbreak, the wayward computer is determined to infect the star system with a new order of digital tyranny. Astra’s been raised to care for no one but herself. Now she’ll have to decide if she’s willing to trade the star system’s freedom for her own. This set includes: Book 1: Parting Shadows Book 2: Phantom Song Book 3: Prodigal Storm A bonus short story, "Fated Queen"

Kate Sheeran Swed

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