When you ask a god for favors, be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.

From the bloody steel mill strikes of Pennsylvania rose a true man of steel, a steelworker transformed into something more by the power of the old gods. Josef Magarac was a brave man, a strong man, a hard-working immigrant who only wanted a better life for his family. Then he was murdered, and an ancient Slavic god brought him back to life, gave him new abilities, and a mission to protect those who can’t protect themselves.

Now he’s Joe Mack, and together with his allies, Secret Service agent Jack West and heiress Sarah Grace McAllen Harringworth, he handles the hard cases the regular feds won’t touch like magic-wielding mobsters, Lovecraftian monsters, and secret supernatural societies.

The Joe Mack Adventures: Volume One is a non-stop thrill ride full of paranormal action, found family, dark magic, and loyal friends.

This is a collection of four books in the Joe Mack Shadow Council Files by award-winning author team Gail Z. & Larry N. Martin, authors of the Spells, Salt, & Steel and the Wasteland Marshals series. The Shadow Council Case Files are historical fantasy novellas set in the world of Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter, that tell the true stories behind the tall tales surrounding some of the world’s most famous (and infamous) folk heroes.

This collection includes Cauldron, Black Sun, Chicagoland, and Spellbound.

You can order your copy here.

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C.H.A.R.O.N.

A Night Vigil Novel: Book Two

Your best hope to make it through the hour of the wolf.

Ex-priest Travis Dominick and former FBI agent Brent Lawson hunt demons, monsters, and supernatural troublemakers. When Brent gets a call for help from an old army buddy, he and Travis head to a small central Pennsylvania town beset by a series of unexplainable deaths and escalating paranormal activity. The murders mimic crimes from decades past, down to the smallest detail, and as Travis and Brent battle vengeful entities, rumors surface that shady government experiments helped make a bad situation even worse.

Torrential rain and rising rivers mean there’s no escaping the creatures hunting the shadows, beings that take shape from people’s deepest fears and feed on their terror. With the lives of everyone in South Fork at stake, Brent and Travis face their toughest case yet. They’ll have to confront the town’s dark secrets, the legacy of a covert supernatural psi-ops program, and their own painful memories to battle a bloodthirsty ancient creature and fight the deadly spirits that roam the night.

C.H.A.R.O.N. is a dark urban fantasy thrill ride filled with Old World spirits, legends and lore, vengeful ghosts, magic, secret government agencies, Vatican ninja-priests, found family, small-town secrets, badass bartenders, psychics, mediums, witches, small-town heroes, and an unshakable bond of friendship.

SPELLBOUND

Joe Mack Shadow Council Files Book 4

Werewolves, Vamps, and Thieves!

Joe Mack and his friends head to Pittsburgh to deal with a surge of disappearances, all people with psychic abilities going missing under highly questionable supernatural circumstances. That’s enough to keep anyone hopping, but Joe can’t ignore the feeling that there’s something even bigger going on behind the scenes.

Joe, West, and Sarah Grace team up with new allies to fight a whole new level of danger—and uncover the secrets behind why people with special abilities are vanishing and who’s taking them. What they learn could change the paranormal balance of power—permanently. It’s their job to keep the worst from happening, whatever it takes.

From the steel mills to the coal mines, Joe Magarac is the man to call for supernatural problems. After all, he does have a little help from Krukis, the god of blacksmiths, but immortality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Magarac left his old life behind him and now lives as Joe Mack, a literal man of steel and magic.

Spellbound is full of paranormal adventure, murdering mediums, creepy circuses, a theater full of vampires, malicious mesmerists, found family, secret supernatural agencies, dark magic, and loyal friends.

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Monster hunter and mechanic Mark Wojcik has his hands full protecting innocent monsters from horrible people and innocent people from horrible monsters.

His corner of rural Pennsylvania used to be relatively quiet—except for the ghosts, trolls, gnomes, and snallygasters. Then the Mob wars between the vampires and werewolves spilled over from the big city, along with supernatural bounty hunters, necromancer narcos, a monster trafficking ring, paranormal bookies, warring secret government agencies, and wicked witches.

To rein in the chaos, Mark will need to call on all his resources – Father Leo, Donny the Werewolf, the Scooby Gang of supernaturally-talented young adults he mentors, and other friends with the kind of special talents to handle things that go bump in the night. They’re making it up as they go, breaking all the rules, and kicking monster butt.

Spells, Salt, and Steel Season 2 is a high-energy, horror-comedy action-packed adventure filled with creepy cryptids, spooky magic, supernatural secrets, paranormal plots, found family, loyal friends, haunted houses, helpful ghosts, sneaky secret agents, and lots of explosions!

Spells, Salt, & Steel Season Two  includes the novellas: Night Moves, Monster Mash, Creature Feature, and House of Cards and is available in eBook, paperback, hardcover, and audio – find it here.

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Dark Haven and Dark Lady’s Chosen are back in eBook! It took longer than we expected, but both books (Chronicles of the Necromancer books 3 & 4) are available on multiple eBook platforms.

Dark Haven

King. Necromancer. Warrior.

Martris Drayke fought the Usurper and defeated both the blood mage Arontala and the spirit of the Obsidian King.

As the newly-crowned King of Margolan, Tris must rebuild a kingdom shattered by betrayal and bloodshed. Some of the Usurper’s loyalists evaded capture and remain a danger. Famine and hardship threaten to bring more chaos and divisions. And in his Court of Spirits, the necromancer-king is overwhelmed by the ghosts seeking retribution and release.

With their royal wedding just weeks away, Tris and Kiara Sharsequin, heir to the throne of Isencroft, will unite the rule and succession of two allied kingdoms. Not everyone is pleased to see that happen. As threats multiply, Tris and Kiara must guard against traitors and enemies both inside and outside the castle, determined to destroy them and everything they fought to gain.

Meanwhile, former smuggler and mercenary Jonmarc Vahanian, the new Lord of Dark Haven, finds himself at the center of a power struggle among the undead vayash moru. As he untangles a web of deception, Jonmarc realizes that the conflict in Dark Haven threatens not only the future of the Winter Kingdoms but also the fate of the living, dead and undead.

Dark Lady’s Chosen

Loyalty. Honor. Magic. Sacrifice.

Treachery & blood magic threaten King Martris Drayke’s hold on the throne he risked everything to win. As the battle against a traitor lord comes to its final days, war, plague & betrayal bring Margolan to the brink of destruction.

Civil war looms in Isencroft, forcing Kiara to make hard choices between her duty to her kingdom-by-blood and her commitments to her kingdom-by-marriage. Thrones and successions are at stake, and a wrong choice could change the history of the Winter Kingdoms forever.

In Dark Haven, Lord Jonmarc Vahanian has bargained his soul for vengeance, plunging into a conflict among ancient immortals based on grudges centuries in the making. If he succeeds, Jonmarc preserves the truce, stops the bloodshed, and saves what matters most. Failure brings destruction—and dooms his soul for eternity.

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It’s almost Labor Day weekend—and that means DragonCon! I’ll be on LOTS of panels all weekend, ranging from Supernatural to social media to gothic horror, spies, alternative history and more! I also have two readings and a signing. If you’re going, look for me on the DragonCon app to know where I’ll be popping up next!

Gail’s added a lot of new goodies to her YouTube Channel—Writing and Winchesters. Video readings from books and short stories, author interviews, book location and book trailers are now available, plus the channel is chock full of Thrifty Author writing videos, Supernatural video panels from ConTinual and lots of other fun playlists! It’s constantly growing and evolving, so come join the fun!

Update on what’s new and coming soon:

In edits…

• Spellbound – Joe Mack Adventures #4 set in 1929. Plenty of questionable clairvoyants, demonic divas, possessed performers and villainous vaudevillians! Now with the publisher.
• Dark Haven – Ready to go once Dark Lady’s Chosen is complete. They will be released at the same time.
• Dark Lady’s Chosen – final edits for re-release in ebook

Writing…

• Reckoning (Darkhurst Book 3)
• C.H.A.R.O.N. (Night Vigil Book 2) Sequel to Sons of Darkness

NEW! House of Cards

Spells, Salt, & Steel Volume 8

Gotta know when to fake ‘em, know when to stake them, know when to burn it down—and know when to let all hell break loose.

Some days, mechanic and monster hunter Mark Wojcik thinks that if it weren’t for bad luck, he’d have no luck at all. His corner of rural Pennsylvania used to be relatively quiet—except for the ghosts, trolls, gnomes, and snallygasters. But when people start disappearing and bodies pile up, Mark and his friends realize that big city problems have come to town, with deadly consequences.

Necromancer  narcos, a monster trafficking ring, and mafia witches would give anyone heartburn. It’s just Mark’s luck they all converge in his territory, along with an underground cryptid fight club and a secret casino catering to witches, werewolves, and the unwary.

The fight gets personal when Mark’s friends go missing, and all bets are off when he and Father Leo bring in a ringer to even the odds. They say the house always wins. Mark’s betting the farm that he and his friends can save the day. He’s got a couple of cards up his sleeve—but unless luck and magic go his way, they might turn out to be aces and eights.

The eighth book in the Spells, Salt, & Steel series brings Season Two to a close in explosive fashion! Available for KU, Kindle, and in print.

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Now Available!

The ghost of a jilted lover, an accidental hell-mouth, a soul-eating monster, cursed needlework, and a rogue’s gallery of sullied spirits—all this and more awaits!

Wander the shadowed paths through this spooktacular collection of short stories and novellas that take place around and between the novels in the Deadly Curiosities series.

An extension of the Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy novel series, this collection can be read as a standalone. It contains two novellas and five short stories: The Adventure of the Melted Saint, Keepsakes, Catspaw, The Piper’s Song, Innocence Lost, Crewel Fate, and Heap of Trouble.

Cassidy Kincaide owns Trifles and Folly, an antique shop with a secret history. Cassidy can read the history of objects by touching them. She and her allies use magic and paranormal abilities to keep Charleston and the world safe from supernatural threats.

Trifles and Folly 3 is a wickedly wonderful set of dark urban fantasy tales full of cursed curios, stolen relics, haunted heirlooms, creepy castles, menacing monsters, magic, and mayhem.

Warning: This collection includes a Morgan Brice MM Paranormal Romance novella set in the Deadly Curiosities’ universe with scenes only appropriate for readers 18+.

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Exile’s Quest

Assassins of Landria Book 4

A vacant throne. A dark mystic intent on the crown. Two fugitive assassins risking everything to save the kingdom that exiled them.

Rule-breaking, unconventional assassins Joel “Ridge” Breckenridge and Garrett “Rett” Kennar are caught between dangerous allies and deadly enemies as the future of Landria hangs in the balance. The council of regents controlled by the Witch Lord threatens the succession after King Kristoph’s murder. Rett escaped his brutal captors scarred in body and mind. Now he’s struggling to control the untested powers unleashed by his ordeal and dream walks to a hidden cloister full of forbidden magic. Falsely accused of treason, Ridge hunts the mage who damaged Rett and uncovers a terrifying new threat.

Can a desperate gamble by outlaws and exiles avenge the king and save the crown?

Exile’s Quest is an action-packed epic adventure filled with loyal friends, honorable fugitives, secret sanctuaries, hidden magic, and unexpected explosions.

Available now in Kindle Unlimited and for Kindle, coming soon in print and audio.

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Magic, monsters, action, and adventure without leaving your blanket fort! Hunker down and ignore the snow with a soft blanket and good books.

We’re sticking close to home, working on new stories, and trying to ignore the weather. Here’s hoping you are spending the winter nights with yummy snacks, snuggly pillows and plenty to read.

NEW! Wasteland Marshals: Volume One 

The world ended. Then things got tough.

Shane Collins and Lucas Maddox are the last two US Marshals after a global cataclysm that destroyed most of modern civilization. They’re still on the job, fighting the good fight, although they’re no longer fully human and maybe not entirely sane.

Witches and werewolves were not covered in their training as US Marshals. Then again, neither was the Apocalypse.

It’s hard enough trying to navigate a new world of monsters, magic, and no decent takeout. Then there’s the strange magic corrupting the land that affects them more now that Shane is tied to the collections of magical energy throughout the countryside, and Lucas has an ancient elemental spirit riding shotgun in his head.

Yeah, they never mentioned this stuff in training.

Available for Kindle, Paperback, and Hardcover. Order Yours.

Schedule changes. Coastal Magic Convention has chosen to go virtual again this year, so Gail will be attending online—count on plenty of fun! Also, given the continuing situation, Gail will not be attending the Arizona Renaissance Faire again this year. Here’s hoping for better luck in 2023!

DragonCon Urban Fantasy Track

Also on 1/28 at 7 pm ET—Live Zoom panel for DragonCon’s Urban Fantasy Track’s Supernatural Rewind for Season 10. We meet every month, discussing one season at a time! Watch live or catch the replay on YouTube.

Gail’s added a lot of new goodies to her YouTube Channel—Writing and Winchesters. Video readings from books and short stories, author interviews and book videos are now available, plus the channel is chock full of Thrifty Author writing videos, Supernatural video panels from ConTinual and lots of other fun playlists! It’s constantly growing and evolving, so come join the fun! Here.

Update on what’s new and coming soon:

In edits…

• Trifles and Folly 3 – Coming soon.
• Exile’s Quest (Assassin’s of Landria 4), awaiting a launch date.
• Dark Haven – edits for re-release in ebook
  
• Dark Lady’s Chosen – edits for re-release in ebook

Writing…

• Reckoning (Darkhurst Book 3)

We really hope to have additional books soon in all the active series, so hang in there—we’re writing as fast as we can!

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Summer is coming to an end, but it’s always the right season for a good book. Whether you’re still drinking iced tea or pumpkin spice something, it’s the perfect time to curl up and read!

Kickstarter Alert

Three Time Travelers Walk Into…

Gail has a story in the new Fantastic Books anthology Three Time Travelers Walk Into… and you can help to bring the collection to life by backing the Kickstarter! Here

New! Love the books? Get the T-shirt! (And mugs, stickers, totes, pins, masks, and more!)

We started a Tee Public store with cool stuff from all the Gail/Gail & Larry/Morgan books. Come check it out. Got an idea of something you’d like me to add? Let us know! Here

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

New YouTube Channel—Writing and Winchesters—chock full of Thrifty Author writing videos, Supernatural video panels from ConTinual, and lots of other fun playlists! It’s constantly growing and evolving, so come join the fun! Here

What else have we been up to?

We will not be at DragonCon in person this year.

Due to health concerns, we will not be attending DragonCon in person this year. Gail is on pre-recorded Zoom panels for several tracks that will air during the convention: Urban Fantasy, Writing, and Alternate History. We are sad about missing the con and hope to return next year.

Gail is also on live/recorded Zoom panels with DragonCon’s Urban Fantasy Track for Supernatural Rewind every month, discussing one season at a time! Watch live or catch the replay on YouTube. We’ll pick back up with Season 6 on September 30.

New panels posted daily in ConTinual—Fantasy, mystery, fandom, romance, horror, comics, Supernatural, writing tips, and more!

There’s never been a better time to check out our reader groups and social media! Something fun is always going on, from virtual video tours of book locations to guest author interviews, to online book-BINGO and live readings from our work-in-progress! Check out the info at the end of the newsletter to see what’s going on and where to find it!

Watching Walker? Gail writes reviews of each new episode for The Winchester Family Business blog, where she’s on staff as a columnist. (The WFB is the largest fan site for Supernatural-related content.) The new season returns October 28.

Update on what’s new and coming soon:

In edits…

• Legacy  (Deadly Curiosities Book 5) coming soon.
• Shutdown Crew (Wasteland Marshals 4) submitted to the publisher.
• Trifles and Folly 3 – coming soon.

Writing…

• Reckoning (Darkhurst Book 3)
• Exile’s Quest (Assassin’s of Landria 4)
  

We really hope to be able to have additional books soon in all the active series, so hang in there—we’re writing as fast as we can!

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We just wrapped up our annual Hawthorn Moon blog tour, check out the links below if you missed it.

• RisingShadow: Legacy, Memory and Magic Here
• Beauty in Ruins: Back to the Beginning Here
• Sci-Fi Chick: Writing During Quarantine Here
• I Smell Sheep: ConTinual—The Con That Never Ends Here
• Interview with Roland Hulme: Here

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