In a world where poisoned air has stolen breath itself, survival is no
longer a solitary act, it is a covenant. From the ashes of collapse rises New
Umoja, a fragile but unbroken community bound together by the Mesh, a living
network of memory and thought. At its heart is a struggle: who gets to
breathe, who belongs, and how hope endures when systems are built to
suffocate. Ashlight Dominion follows those who refuse to vanish, weaving
stories of resilience, betrayal, and rebirth into a tapestry of survival. This
debut novel by J. Trevino Kelley is both mythic and immediate, exploring how
history, power, and identity shape the fight to endure and remain true. With
prose that burns and breathes, it asks: What does it mean to rise from ash,
not untouched, but unbroken?
About the Author
J. Trevino Kelley is a writer and strategist with a lifelong interest in
systems, power, and human behavior. A husband and father of four, raised by a
single mother as one of seven children, he draws from lived experience,
leadership work, and a deep curiosity about how societies respond to
disruption. His speculative fiction explores survival, identity, and the
consequences of rebuilding the world after collapse. Ashlight Dominion is his
debut novel.
When his people are attacked by other villages, Rodney Knight uses his ability to interact with dead people’s spirits to help his community survive in a post-apocalyptic world.
Blurb
Rodney suffers through his earliest years in angst and rebellion when his father constantly rejects him. He enters young adulthood still bitter over how his father has treated him. Even so, his tribe needs the intervention of their only shaman in the Other Worlds for their very survival. As he acts out his anger, he accepts his duties and learns how to master them from a trusted mentor. Then he discovers that family isn’t limited to the blood ties, but can be so much more.
The San Francisco Book Review gave a nice summary:
“After the Great Quake of 2040, the forested lands and the lives of those in the Pacific Northwest are shaken. With both civil and social unrest still prevailing from the ideas of the 47th president, much of southwestern Oregon has been divided into tribal communities. Rodney Knight, the son of the founder of the Elk Creek Tribe, comes to age and into his own powers during this tumultuous time. At seven, he recognized his first spirits. First, a childhood friend was slain in an attack, and next, a beloved mentor lost during a battle. At seventeen, while on patrol with his unit, Rodney once again encounters a spirit that warns him of an ambush. Knowing that war is inevitable, the Elk Creek Tribe recognizes Rodney as their first Shaman. With advice from his Spirit Guide, Rodney helps lead his community through troubled times and towards the ideals that the founder had envisioned.”
BOOK 2
Book Title: The Second Book of the Knight Shamans
Part Two of the Apocrypha of the Knight Shamans Series
Peter Williams faces a deadly world where the Trumpian government has abandoned the west after a series of massive earthquakes has devastated the land.
Blurb
The great quakes of 2040 led to the downfall of civilization in the Pacific Northwest. Here is a tale of the days of destruction and the survival of one small family that then shaped the future for a thousand years after.
Peter is just one year old when his family is stranded in the wilderness after the quakes destroyed roads, bridges, buildings, and civility. His father and mother struggle to bring him home to their city of Sutherlin through a nine-year odyssey.
Then, at the very gates of their home, they find themselves under attack by the townsmen they counted on for refuge.
Follow Peter, and Wayne and Carrie Williams as they struggle for survival in a post-apocalyptic world, meeting friends and foes all of whom set the path ahead for young Peter to either survive or perish.
The Apocrypha of the Knight Shamans is an entire series devoted to explore methods to break people out of the deep programming that civilization and culture impose on them. In short, when nearly half the people in the United States have been convinced that “Woke” is evil and anyone who is “Woke” should be severely dealt with, this series will not only show how to escape the mind-prison of our culture, but will also offer some ideas of what the human spirit gains in being truly “Woke” as opposed to what the ignorant masses have been indoctrinated to believe.
The works of Don Miguel Ruiz, Elaine Pagels, and references to the Gnostic Gospels are intertwined in this work of fiction to create a new culture, with new values, and new paradigms, thus leaving the old views of the far right behind them and becoming Paradigm Lost.
To be even more clear: MAGA's this stuff ain’t for you!
Do you dare to look at the alternatives a new paradigm can bring into existence?
Excerpt
The Second Knight Shaman
“The President of the United States,” the announcer read in a somber tone, “has said that the West is on their own. Here’s a recording of his statement.”
“We don’t have any resources to bail out the blue states over there,” the Trump Heir said. “If they had any sense and were willing to support my rule, I’m sure we could come up with some support, but knowing how opposed they are to my rule, there’s just no point. God speed and thoughts and prayers to those godless heathens.”
“And that’s the position of the United States government on the western states,” the announcer said. “We’ll pause now for station identification.”
“Be sure to stop by your local Toyota dealer for the extended and extended again Toyotathon event!” an enthusiastic spokesman said as Wayne shut down the auxiliary power.
“What are we going to do?” his wife Carrie asked him while rocking their one-year-old son Peter.
“I don’t know, honey,” Wayne said. “We’ll have to figure out what’s next when we get more information. For now, I think we should get clear of the Jeep in case another round of quakes hits. We don’t want to be in here if it sinks any further.
Ornery Owl's Review
Five out of Five Stars
I read the second book in the series. It gives a good introduction to the story, explaining the events of the first book, so make sure not to miss that part if you haven't already read the first book.
While I enjoy fantasy based on English mythology, it was a welcome change of pace to read a fantasy story rooted in American Indian stories. This post-apocalyptic tale doesn't linger too long in explaining the world's technology. Instead, it focuses more on how people survive in a world that has been so changed by devastating natural disasters.
I couldn't help chuckling at the dig at #45/47's overt desire to become some sort of dynastic emperor. Citizens of what remains of the United States can only expect help if they bow down to the heir of 45/47. However, not too much time is spent talking about that unpleasant subject.
The relationship between Peter and Rodney develops in a way that makes sense. However, the aspect of the story I enjoyed most was the relationship Peter develops with nature and his ability to communicate with animal spirits.
The story ends on something of a cliffhanger. I don't have a problem with cliffhangers. This one provides a good segue for a forthcoming third book in the series.
This book is suitable for older teens and for adults. There are no overt descriptions of sex acts, but the potential for sexual and romantic entanglements between adult characters is not glossed over.
About the Author
Roderick Rowe studied writing in college for several years, working as assistant editor and then editor for his school’s literary magazine. He also spent a term as copy editor for the campus newspaper. He is a gay man and uses this “affliction” to build characters and situations in his fictional work. Rowe has published several short stories and an occasional poem. After ending a twenty-year career unexpectedly in 2015, Rowe decided to write his first novel. “Jamari and the Manhood Rites, Part I” was completed in two months, then he settled in to conduct editing – complete new landscape design with a new Koi pond, a new library built into the spare room in his home, the cleanest his house had ever been – but the editing eventually got completed.
Sim was a teacher in his old life. Now he's the savior of orphans.
He isn't their father. God knows he has already failed in that role. But he
is their guide. And the kids? They are his penance. His redemption.
For three years Sim has prepared his orphans for the hard realities of life
after the plague that wiped out most of the global population. Theirs is a
life without laws or creature comforts. He has trained them to forage and
grow their own food, to be vigilant, and to protect themselves and each
other by any means necessary. In building a fortress of brick and mortar,
they've become a fortress of flesh and blood.
These allegiances and ideals are put to the test when a man named Zagan,
who believes himself to be on a mission for the devil to bring about the
destruction of civilization's remains, gathers hundreds of marauders and
confronts Sim and his orphans in a merciless siege.
Will the fortress hold... Or will it collapse under the pressure of
evil?
About the Author
T.A. Styles earned his B.S. in Elementary Education and Mathematics and his
M.S. in Developmental Reading. He taught in elementary and junior high
schools for twelve years before launching his own childcare enterprise, TSL
Kids Crew, which he has operated since 2009. He has had a passion for
writing stories since he was a teenager, as it was a hobby and skill for
which he realized at a young age he had a knack for and loved. He has two
grown children and has traveled extensively including to Iceland, Australia,
Greece, Italy, South America, and many other places nationally and
internationally.
Two boys fall in love in a deadly world, but it’s the secrets they keep that might kill them.
Seventeen-year-old Zach was visiting his uncle in a small Montana town when a mysterious illness ripped through the world. Most died, but those who survived the Infection became mindless killers, spreading the disease with a single scratch. Now, a year later, civilization lies in ruins, and Zach is the town’s sole survivor. Desperately lonely, he longs to return to his family in Seattle, but his fears hold him captive.
Eighteen-year-old Aiden is on a critical mission for the covert Scientific Collective, delivering vials whose contents could cure the Infection. Tortured by his boyfriend’s death, he welcomes the risks of the perilous journey. When a militia attacks Aiden, he flees to Zach’s town.
The boys escape together and soon form a bond as they comfort each other in this desolate and broken world. The farther they travel, the more their affection grows, as do the forces pulling them apart. But their greatest threats are the secrets they keep. Zach hides details of his uncle’s death, and Aiden conceals the vials’ sinister origins. In order to survive, they’ll have to confront the truths that could tear their love apart.
It’s hard to get over how desolate the world is now. I haven’t seen another soul for over a week. And if I want to stay alive, I hope to keep it that way.
The road cuts a winding path through a dense forest, the cone of my headlights revealing just enough to see ahead. Everything else is stark blackness. Daft Punk and GRiZ blast through the car’s speakers—an EDM mix I made last year as a DJ for my high school. Back when DJs and high schools existed, that is. The bass rumbling through the seat makes me feel connected to the car.
With one eye on the road, I paw at the backpack resting on the passenger seat. It’s the third time this hour I’ve checked on the vials. The familiar shape of the protective aluminum case through the nylon fabric helps ease my anxiety. For the moment, anyway. It may be a little obsessive, but the vials are my critical cargo. They’re what I’m risking my life for. And I’m doing this for Marcus.
The slightest thought of him sends waves of grief flooding over me. I fight those feelings and bury them away. Letting emotions control me is the surest way of getting killed.
When I pull up to a rest area, the car cuts a path through an inch of pine needles spread over the parking lot. Weeds spring up through every possible crack, and vines are well on their way to swallowing the restrooms whole. The sheer relentlessness of Mother Nature is startling.
Since man-made light is a thing of the past, it’s impossible to see your hand six inches in front of your face, especially on a cloudy, moonless night in rural Montana. The headlights are my only guide through the darkness, so I leave them turned on.
As I open the door, I’m hit with a cold blast of air and the smell of sap. It must be low forties out. My breaths puff out in misty clouds.
Looters often overlook vending machines at rest stops, so I always check them out. I’m pleasantly surprised to find the machines undamaged and nearly full. With a few pries of a crowbar, the lock springs open. I load what I can into my backpack and stuff the rest in a black plastic bag.
After doing my business in the restroom, I return to my faded red ’97 Integra, crunching through the thick layer of decaying pine needles. I stop suddenly, staring at another pair of footprints that cross over mine, head up to my car door, and then into the woods. They were not here before. I’m sure of it.
Did I remember to lock the door?
In a flash, I run to the car and reach for the handle. Locked. Thank god. The second I’m in, I fire up the engine. Debris kicks up from the tires as I hit the gas and speed away.
For the next several minutes, I’m hypervigilant, keeping my eye on the mirrors and looking ahead for a potential ambush. Those footprints could have been from a member of a local militia. Their scouts are notorious for spotting lone cars and radioing for backup.
Or the footprints could have been from one of the people sick with that damn disease. The Infected. It’s unlikely since they went right up to the car door. Once the fever has done its damage, the Infected don’t really have that level of cognitive ability. The path would have been more random.
Either way, I’m glad to put the rest area behind me. As time passes, my nerves start to settle. Guess I got lucky. Maybe it was nothing, like a local survivor passing through.
As the minutes drift by, my eyes get heavy. It’s no use fighting sleep, so I scan the highway for a side road with enough cover to pull over and rest for the night.
That’s when headlights shine in my rearview mirror.
Goddamn it.
Carjackers.
Ornery Owl's Review
Rating: Four out of Five Stars
This well-written dystopian science fiction story is fast-paced and filled with action and adventure. The romance between the two protagonists, Aiden and Zach, is more a subplot than the main focus of the tale. Nonetheless, the bond between the pair is critical. Both have lost people they love and have been alone in their struggles for a long time. The author does an excellent job of describing the challenging world the characters inhabit and of making readers care about those characters.
Because of violence and adult subject matter such as an attempted sexual assault, this story is not appropriate for younger readers. It is a good choice for adults and older teens who enjoy the zombie apocalypse genre. The descriptions of attacks by the Infected and hostile individuals such as those pursuing Aiden are, in fact, less graphic than would be depicted in a television series such as The Walking Dead.
Paul is a lifelong creative writer whose life is filled with queer joy. His passion is to spread that joy through storytelling, writing books where you might not typically see queer characters. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his husband and two tuxedo kitties and might have a slight addiction to reading gay romance. But it’s not a problem. He could stop any time he wants. Honestly.
When Jennifer and her group of survivors arrived at the castle, she thought they were safe at last. With strong walls and strong soldiers surrounding them, the threat of infected became negligible, and she could finally relax for the first time in what felt like forever. But the need for a cure outweighed Jennifer’s personal comfort, and the castle didn’t have the facilities needed to synthesize a vaccine from her blood.
She should have known safety wouldn’t last.
Back out in the world plagued by infected, Jennifer and her group head to Paris, where they could begin to find a cure for the virus that decimated humanity. But things don’t go according to plan, and they are left scrambling to get away with their lives.
Determined to find a safe place to hunker down and ride out the worst of the apocalypse, Jennifer and her broken but hopeful group return to the UK. Once there, they soon find that the infected aren’t the only threat.
A story about found family and overcoming the odds, The Safe Zone is the thrilling conclusion to the Survivors duology.
She didn’t know anything was amiss for hours as she sat by the tranquil water, her mind blissfully empty of thoughts. Fishing allowed her to destress; she liked to imagine the river carrying her worries away as she stretched her legs out. Her serene morning came to an abrupt end as the first bodies drifted by, and she jumped to her feet, adrenaline pooling in her stomach.
Her phone, which had been switched off in her bag, showed six missed calls from her wife and three each from her brother and nephew. Ringing back proved fruitless. She packed her equipment away as quickly as she could, her shaking hands belying her efficient movements. Panic stuck her tongue to the roof of her mouth, and dread made breathing difficult. She raced back to her car—
To find it wasn’t where she’d left it.
Heather couldn’t hold back the terror any longer. Shouts and screams crowded the air all around her. What’s going on? Her town was usually a quiet place. She made her way onto the street, resolving to run home if needed, and stopped dead in her tracks.
Madness greeted her wide eyes.
Everywhere she looked, chaos reigned. People fought each other in the middle of the street, running in all directions, damaging cars and buildings. Even as she watched, a man lunged for another, punched him in the stomach, and bit into his arm as he doubled over in pain.
The paramedic in Heather froze, and she’d seen a lot in her twenty-year career. A tyre blew out on a car, causing it to flip, and all three occupants had walked away without a scratch. A five-car pile-up where no one had walked away. She’d held a thirteen-year-old boy in her arms as he bled out from a knife wound. She had lost count of the number of babies she’d delivered. She’d seen the best humanity had to offer and the worst, and the scene unfolding in front of her was up there with the worst.
The panic flooding her veins was thankfully tempered by her training, and her body got to work before her mind had a chance to catch up. The man who had attacked the other had left him slumped on the ground, so Heather dashed over to him. She dumped her fishing equipment at her side.
“Hi, there,” she said as she checked around him for danger. “I’m Heather, and I’m a paramedic. Can you tell me where you’re hurting?”
The man’s glassy eyes blinked as he struggled to focus on her. “My arm,” he croaked.
Heather identified the bite wound immediately. It looked nasty already. She reached into her bags for her first aid kit—she never went anywhere without one—and pulled out some gloves and alcohol wipes as well as gauze for bandaging it. She cleaned the wound as quickly as she could, but she never got the chance to wrap it.
A heavyset woman tackled her from behind, and the two of them went sprawling over the injured man. Heather banged her head against the concrete, her vision flashing white as she struggled to right herself. Nausea hit her stomach, but she didn’t vomit, thankfully. Damnit!
The woman wasn’t there when Heather pushed herself into a seated position. She didn’t know where she’d gone, and frankly, she didn’t care. Pushing aside her head injury—she could feel blood seeping from a cut, but it wasn’t bad—she looked around for the injured man. He was nowhere to be seen either.
Cursing again, she regained her footing only to have to jump out of the way of two men grappling with each other. What on Earth is happening? She ran back to her bags, pulled her phone out, and rang her wife again. Still nothing. With a frustrated growl, Heather shoved the phone into her pocket and straightened, determined to run home.
As a child Amy loved reading and writing, so naturally she graduated with a degree in biomedical science and has worked in a microbiology laboratory ever since. Her passion is writing however, and she started her first novel while still at university. When she is not writing about surviving apocalypses, exploring space, and conquering magic—all featuring LGBTQ characters—she can be found reading or playing games about those very things. She lives by the sea with her wife and fifteen-year-old cat who still runs around like a kitten.
Giveaway
One lucky winner will receive a $50.00 NineStar Press Gift Code!
In a world where so many dark things go bump in the night, terror awaits around every corner as these authors take horror stories to the next level. Discover ghosts, demons, and your worst nightmares. Read at your own risk.
Featuring stories by Stephen A. Roddewig, Warren Benedetto, Barend Nieuwstraten III, Dylan Roche, Edgar Mahaffey, Toni Mobley, C.L. Hart, and J.E. Feldman.
About the Author:
Currently residing in Los Angeles, Toni was raised in Australia and Japan. She spends her free time worshipping her two cats, who she can't disprove aren't vengeful deities. She has several short stories that have been featured in anthologies, and is the author of two novels: Accolades of Wolves and A Winged Embrace. When not lost in her daydreams, most of her days are spent reminiscing about what rain looks like.
With my nose pressed against the living room bay window, I peered between the wooden slats adhered to the outside, eager to see a glimpse of that white truck.
We both knew there was nothing that could be done now. Even though I had yet to glimpse the telltale symptom, the one thing that would confirm it wasn’t just a terrible cold.
Fantasy - Dark Fantasy - Epic Fantasy - Post Apocalyptic Fantasy.
Date Published: October 28, 2023
This is not a save-the-world story.
In a fading world on the brink of its end, Sunmine stands besieged by the
Jungle of Rot. Tensions simmer between the Woodfolk and the Sun Empire
Citizens, trapped together in these shrinking lands.
Amidst this turmoil, a figure stands out: Anpô, the sole outsider to
ever come from beyond the Rot and survive. He arrived a mere baby in his
mother's arms, an ominous bloodred tattoo marking his chest — but her
death came fast, robbing Anpô and the city of any answers she might
have held.
Is Anpô to be the doom of Sunmine, as so many claim? A cursed
Rotspawn, touched from birth by the Black Rot that devours the world? Or
could the whirls of ink on his chest hide the answers they seek?
Seeking acceptance, Anpô chases the sacred Art of Burning, his true
nature becoming entwined with the hopes and hatred of Sunmine's inhabitants
as the forces of this decaying world converge around him. Will he carve
himself a place in these lands that are not his, unlocking the secrets
shrouding his past? Or will he crumble under the weight of their fear and
mistrust, unleashing whichever dark destiny might lurk within him?
About the Author
P.T.M. Parizotto is the author of the epic fantasy The Rot Within as well
as the content creator behind the YouTube channel P.T.M. Parizotto
(GeekZotto), which focuses on the critical analysis of storytelling. He is
currently finishing his Master's Degree in São Paulo, Brazil.
“The Bucket of Blood” by Paul Malott is a darkly-funny comedy
that takes readers on a thrilling and immersive journey into a dystopian
Detroit ruled by the enigmatic Granny Schmif. This sassy splatterpunk
graphic novel combines elements of humor, action, and horror to create a
unique blend of genres that keeps readers engaged from beginning to
end.
Fans of stoner, darkly-funny comedies will enjoy this adventure epic about
freelance spies meandering in the streets of Detroit.
About the Author
Paul Malott is a writer, procurement leader, and organizational management
expert who's also a self-proclaimed lover of all things comics, 3D printing,
history, and human inventiveness and perseverance. He's a big believer in
the power of laughter and has made it his mission to help people trust in
the adage that ‘laughter is the best medicine’.
In his graphic novel "The Bucket of Blood" Paul offers a
facetious and humorous perspective on today’s struggles through the
lens of some unique characters such as Granny Schmif. Paul believes that the
ability to balance seriousness with humor leads to success in all areas of
life, from relationships to career, and his graphic novel provides readers a
witty narrative providing substance to his lifestyle.
But, Paul’s not just a one-trick pony. He's held various leadership
positions in fortune 500 companies throughout his career and has honed his
skills in leadership, problem-solving, procurement, and strategic planning.
When he's not writing or working, Paul can be found indulging his family and
getting lost in his other passions, which include playing the drums,
watching sci-fi movies, and trying to master the art of cooking. He also has
a knack for making people laugh ..he’s told his sense of humor shines
through in his writing, and readers can expect to be entertained as well as
informed.
In short, Paul Malott is a multi-talented writer and expert who's
passionate about communication, laughter, and helping people achieve their
goals. His unique blend of expertise, humor, and satire makes him an
invaluable writer and resource.
