Matthew S. Cox

As far as Riley McCullough is concerned, her best friend getting 'dragged' off to Puerto Vallarta for the first two weeks of summer vacation was the end of the world at least until the bombs fell. Life in suburban New Jersey with her mother has been comfortable, not to mention boring, to an introverted fourteen year old. As if her friend's surprise trip wasn't bad enough, her expectations for the 'best summer ever' disintegrate when she gets sent across the country to stay with a father she hasn't seen in six years. Adjusting to a tiny, desert town where everyone stares at them like they don't belong proves difficult, and leaves her feeling more isolated than ever. To make matters worse, her secretive father won't tell the truth about why he left or what he's hiding. Her luck takes an unexpected turn for the better when she meets a boy who shares her interest in video games and contempt for small town boredom. In him, she finds a kindred spirit who might just make the middle of nowhere tolerable. Happiness is short lived; fleeing nuclear Armageddon, she takes shelter with her dad in an underground bunker he'd spent years preparing. After fourteen days without sun, Riley must overcome the sorrow of losing everything to save the one person she cares about most."

The Summer The World Ended

The Eldritch Heart

For most twelve year olds, being kidnapped is terrifying. For Althea, it's just Tuesday. Her power to heal the wounded and cleanse the sick makes her a hunted commodity in the Badlands, a place devoid of technology where the strong write the law in blood. For as long as she can remember, they always come, they always take her, and she lets them. Passed around in an endless series of abductions, she obeys without question mending those who killed to own her. After three whole months in the same village, the affection of a young warrior makes her feel almost like a member of the tribe rather than a captive. Her brief joy shatters when raiders seize her yet again; for the first time in six years, being stolen hurts. A reluctant escape sends her wandering, and she realizes her gift is a prize that causes as much death as it prevents. Her attempt to return to the tribe leaves her lost and alone, hounded at every turn. When a family who sees her not as the Prophet but as a little girl takes her in, she finds the courage to use her power to protect those she loves. A strange man from a world beyond her imagining tests her newfound resolve, seeking to use her power to further his own agenda. Tired of being property, her freedom boils down to one question: Can Althea balance the sanctity with which she holds all life against the miserable truth that some people deserve to die?"

Prophet of the Badlands

J. R. Rain

From J.R. Rain and Matthew S. Cox, the bestselling duo that brought you New Moon Rising and Convergence, comes Silver Light, the first in a brand-new fantasy series starring Alexis Silver, mermaid detective! For centuries, tales have told of merfolk haunting the seas, strange creatures teasing or helping sailors at their whim, occasionally having them for dinner. And not in a cordial sense. Alexis Silver was ahead of her time, a woman too smart to fit into society at the turn of the century. She gave up her dreams of higher education for love, marrying young, but her husband, and the life she wanted, perished in World War I soon after. Heartbroken and restless, she booked passage on a cruise along the West Coast in search of adventure, but adventure found her. The ship capsized, killing everyone on board, except for her. As she drifted far beneath the waves, inexplicably alive, the reason for her survival flashed by in a streak of silver: a merman. He had passed along the curse-or gift as Alexis sees it. A century later, she breaks up the monotony of immortality in the Pacific Northwest working as a private investigator. The long-dormant maternal instincts of her resident Dark Master kick in when a nice older couple hire her to find their missing son and his family. Her instincts tell her this isn't like her usual jilted-spouse cases. If she doesn't work fast, a little girl is going to die.

Silver Light

In the next highly anticipated installment of J.R. Rain's bestselling supernatural mystery series, Samantha Moon finds herself stranded on a distant planet of dragons . . . and confronted with a powerful demon hellbent on destroying worlds. Samantha Moon spent the past thirteen years fighting the evil trying to consume her, but at least she knew where it lurked. With the dark masters unleashed, her life has become one of constant vigilance and sleepless nights. One upside, though: she's on speaking terms with the sun again. Allison's vision of a ticking supernatural time bomb wiping out civilization sends them racing out to the Arizona desert. After hastily gathering reinforcements, they confront the harbinger of the end times before it can strike. When the dust settles, Sam finds herself in a desolate alien wasteland, her dragon friend mortally wounded beside her and no obvious way back to her world. Her body can withstand the upper-dimensional energies for only a few hours. She needs to find a way home as well as figure out how to stop Talos from dying. She doesn't have time to do both. She might not be able to do either.

Lost Moon

America's favorite vampire detective is back! Book 17 in the bestselling "Vampire for Hire" series! Samantha Moon once considered being turned into a vampire as the single greatest upheaval of her life--but she'd been wrong. Still reeling from the aftereffects of her hunt across the higher dimensions, she hopes for a little calm before the storm to sort out exactly what she's become, and what meaning the events of the sixth dimension have for the world at large. The dark masters had been dangerous enough when contained, but now... A zombie in a television show her kids love speaks to her straight out of the screen. Sam initially dismisses it as a trick of the mind, but when she runs into the same woman a few days later, it's quite obvious that the dark masters aren't sitting on their laurels. Or are they... Her new friend turns out to be a supernatural the world has never seen before, not for real--a zombie, or at least something similar. The young woman isn't rotting or mindless, but no self-respecting dark master would want such a shell. Fearing this poor woman is the spearhead of the apocalypse, Sam rushes to find the source of the infection before humanity is doomed.

Dead Moon

Book 16 in the bestselling "Vampire for Hire" series! To save a child, Samantha Moon would go to the end of the Earth--even past it to alternate dimensions. At long last, she's learned the truth behind her vampire sire and why he turned her. But with that comes a revelation about an ancient evil that preys on innocent young witches. Turns out, Sam has a unique connection to the fiend, but it might not be enough to help her find the monster. Of course, it's not like she doesn't have all the time in the world... That changes when the Red Rider abducts a ten-year-old girl, intending to devour her unusually strong magic. Sam cannot bear the thought of such a young child experiencing a death so gruesome. Her need to destroy a monster who could do such things to the innocent does something she never imagined possible... for once, she and Elizabeth will work together. To make matters worse, the witch-hunter isn't even on Earth. With precious little time remaining, Sam must track down a killer into worlds that stretch the imagination... worlds beyond belief and dreams. A little girl's life depends on it. MOON MASTER, Red Rider, Part 2, is the second book of an epic two-part paranormal mystery adventure set within the Vampire for Hire series.

Moon Master

Emma and the Banderwigh

Intrepid reporter Solstice Winters is about to discover that life has big surprises for her. She's about to discover just how extraordinary she really is...The first thrilling book in the new paranormal mystery series by #1 bestselling authors, J.R. Rain and Matthew S. Cox!Solstice Winters has spent most of her life halfway between normal society and the world of her magical parents. However, when getting caught between two worlds becomes more than metaphorical, being able to summon light or open locks might not be enough.Neither her love life nor her professional life are going anywhere in a hurry. Her boyfriend is successful and handsome, but she constantly has to compete with his job for affection. At thirty-two, she works as a photojournalist for The Spiritualist, a small paper dedicated to magic and the supernatural―that most people regard as a tabloid. Desperate for that 'one break,' she'll do almost anything to get that big story and get into a 'real' media outlet.Years of always not quite fitting in begin to make sense after an error at a particle physics laboratory alters the dimensional alignment of the world, strengthening magic and revealing an unexpected truth to Solstice.She's not even human.In the wake of an event her boss at the paper is calling the Convergence, magical beings are appearing all over the Earth. Solstice doesn't hesitate, racing to be the first to capture indisputable evidence of mythical beasts. Alas, being a magical creature herself, she soon winds up in the cross-hairs of not only a three-letter government agency, but an ancient sect of mages with dark intentions.Solstice is about to discover just how powerful she really is...

Convergence

Sarah Wright woke up a few times after parties in strange places―but the morgue's a first. At eighteen, she's eager for a taste of independence, moving out of state to attend college. A change of scenery is extra-needed due to a bad breakup with her boyfriend, Scott. However, soon after escaping the body cooler, she makes two startling realizations: vampires are real, and she is one. There's nothing quite like an untimely death to ruin plans. California's sunny beaches aren't the best place for vampires to chill, and worse, not only does she wind up stuck in Seattle, she's still living (figuratively) with her parents. They take the news surprisingly well―after all, it's better than burying her―even helping move her bedroom to the basement. A disinterested sire, distraught friends, nosy Men in Black, and awestruck younger siblings complicate her adjustment to the new normal of being an immortal still subject to her parents' rules. Undeath has its perks, but it also brings enemies. Without a copy of 'Fangs for Dummies, ' Sarah's left scrambling for answers when one such new enemy attacks her siblings and friends. If she can't figure out how to vampire, her attempt to spare her family the grief of losing her may wind up killing them.

A Nighttime of Forever

Harper Cody used to worry about the SATs or a getting a new laptop for Christmas... but now, she only wants to keep her little sister alive.At 5:59 a.m. early in September, life as she knew it came to an end with a nuclear flash ninety miles away in Colorado Springs. For two months, her family sheltered in the basement of their home, surviving on whatever canned goods Dad could scavenge. Passing evacuees told of a safe haven in the mountains, but her father refused to leave. He thought their home was safe... until a gang of looters kicked in the door.Four years ago at thirteen, Harper won trophies for competition shooting, but killing a man pointing a gun at her is nothing like nailing targets at a range. Hesitation cost her parents' lives. With no other options, she grabbed her little sister and ran away from the only home she'd ever known into a world she no longer recognized.The promise of safety in Evergreen gives her hope, but unless the girl voted sweetest in her class can find the nerve to kill, Harper-and her kid sister-are as good as dead.

Evergreen

For most twelve-year-olds, being kidnapped is terrifying. For Althea, it's only Tuesday.Her powers of healing make her a precious commodity in the Badlands, a place where the strong write the law in blood. For as long as she can remember, she has lived either as a possession or a goddess. Althea contents herself with captivity as long as she can help others, even those who killed to own her.After three whole months in the same village, the friendship of a young warrior makes her feel almost like a member of the tribe rather than a prisoner. Alas, raiders seize her yet again. For the first time in six years, being stolen hurts.Following a reluctant escape, she questions if she should dare risk using her powers to defend herself, and those she has come to love. Her attempt to return to the tribe leaves her lost and alone and, for the first time in her life, trying to stay free.Alas, two threats far beyond her experience to understand also hunt her. One wishes to use her for his grand scheme-and one wants to destroy her.

God’s will be done. After eleven years as a priest living by these words, Father Antonio Molinari never imagined who would teach his strongest lesson of faith―a vampire. As a member of a secret order within the Vatican, he investigates and debunks supernatural events. A case of possession brings him to the French countryside, where two local clergy offer him the chance of a lifetime. They claim to have captured a vampire, and beg his expertise in helping them study the fiend. When their monster turns out to be a little girl, cursed to spend eternity hiding from the sun, he cannot bring himself to destroy her. The priests, mistaking his compassion for diabolism, panic, and his efforts to protect an innocent child prove fatal. He awakes caught between light and darkness. Hunted by the Church he once served as well as the fiends he once destroyed, Father Molinari clings to his faith there is still room for him in God’s plan. But God is quiet, and the darkness tempting.

Chiaroscuro: The Mouse and the Candle

Division Zero

Emma and the Banderwigh (Tales of Widowswood)

In the aftermath of World War Three, the most famous face in the world belongs to a nine year old girl. Maya Oman is the daughter of the woman who controls what’s left of civilization, the CEO of Ascendant Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Her smile is as ubiquitous as air, selling everything from vital medicine to vanity drugs with risky side effects. Lifelike android clones reside in over a dozen homes, shielding her from the violent resentment of a population straining under her mother’s boot heel. Ascendant’s power comes from Xenodril, a drug capable of reversing the effects of Fade, a disease some claim came from aliens or from the governments that predate the war. Only Ascendant sells it, and at a price only Citizens can afford. The rest are left to die. Maya’s earliest memories are of living alone in a penthouse apartment, desperate for the attention of a mother who never visits. Forbidden to go out except to record advertising video, her only friend has been the ‘net. When she is taken for ransom by a group of mercenaries with nothing left to lose, she discovers her life may not be what she thought it was—or wants.

Heir Ascendant

Saving the world isn’t easy. It’s even harder when you’re only nine. Kelly Donovan used to be a nobody. Well, a smart nobody. Skipping ahead a year in school made her the smallest kid in fifth grade and a target for bullies in search of an easy mark. She tried to follow her father’s advice and ignore them, but it didn’t do any good. Escaping into her favorite comic books at least helped her through the day. Who needs friends anyway? Sometimes, dreams find a way to come true, even if nobody asked them to. Aliens bombard the Earth with gigantic glowing red crystals to restore its failing magnetic field. Soon after the seemingly benevolent invasion, Kelly discovers her wildest, happiest fantasy come to life: she has superpowers, along with roughly two percent of the population. Her strong good nature leads her to adopt the heroic persona of Übergirl. However, she has one major problem… Her dad’s turning into a mad scientist. It’s difficult to be a hero, especially when your father’s a bad guy.

My Dad is a Mad Scientist

Death isn't a big deal in the virtual world of online gaming, but after poking her nose where it doesn't belong, Dakota Marx finds herself running for her life―and reality doesn't come with a respawn. At twenty-two, she's still slinging coffee at an Amazon Cafe despite having a degree in programming. It's not because she's unlucky, unmotivated, or even that she fancies herself an underground activist crusading against evil corporations... hunting for a 'real' job would take time away from her game. Axillon99 is the world's most popular multiplayer online experience, with a universe containing billions of planets to explore. Ever since video games broke the screen barrier, plunging players fully into their characters, reality just can't compete. Cognition Systems International announces a ten million dollar prize to celebrate the release of the next generation Neurona 4 interface helmet. After her crew decides to try chasing the money, Dakota discovers a sinister intent behind the new technology. Going public threatens the lives of her friends, but keeping CSI's secret could destroy the very fabric of society.

Axillon99

Diary of a Teenage Fey

Solstice Winters has spent most of her life halfway between normal society and the world of her magical parents. However, when getting caught between two worlds becomes more than metaphorical, being able to summon light or open locks might not be enough. Neither her love life nor her professional life are going anywhere in a hurry. Her boyfriend is successful and handsome, but she constantly has to compete with his job for affection. At thirty-two, she works as a photojournalist for The Spiritualist, a small paper dedicated to magic and the supernatural - that most people regard as a tabloid. Desperate for that 'one break, ' she'll do almost anything to get that big story and get into a 'real' media outlet. Years of always not quite fitting in begin to make sense after an error at a particle physics laboratory alters the dimensional alignment of the world, strengthening magic and revealing an unexpected truth to Solstice. She's not even human. In the wake of an event her boss at the paper is calling The Convergence, magical beings are appearing all over the Earth. Solstice doesn't hesitate, racing to be the first to capture indisputable evidence of mythical beasts. Alas, being a magical creature herself, she soon winds up in the cross-hairs of not only a three-letter government agency, but an ancient sect of mages with dark intentions.

Matthew S. Cox

About

Books

Join the club