Showing results by narrator "Ivy Tara Blair" in All Categories

A Cinnabar Moth Publishing anthology, A Cold Christmas and the Darkest of Winters is a collection of short stories with themes that range from sad to dark to horrifying. Each story is set during Christmas or in Winter. Many talented authors worked to create these short stories, and we are proud to present them to you in this anthology.

Tuesday and Zed Furst are perfectly normal children with perfectly strange parents. Their father won’t discuss his job, their mother never leaves the house without her guard dog, and the topic of the family tree is off limits. When a last minute “business trip” gets the adults out of the way, Zed and Tuesday decide to get to the bottom of things once and for all. Too bad some thugs with shape-shifting weapons have other ideas.

Grace Morgan has been on the music scene long enough to know the life of sex, drugs, and rock & roll is just a dream. But after a messy divorce, Grace wants to give her dream of being a music journalist one last shot. She moves to LA with her 21-year-old foster son, Zeus. They live in a motel on cup noodles and hope, until Grace finally gets a break: a story about Inez Carter, hot-mess frontwoman of the popular band Karma Korn.

Folks know 14-year-old Clare isn't normal, even for a tomboy. She runs too much, talks too little, carries a gun too often, and holds a grudge forever. Only her papa's job at the bank keeps gossip quiet. It's unwise to risk the cold anger of the man who knows everyone's secrets. Clare can read the signs everyone else is determined to ignore. A murder was only the beginning. Esther needs protection, whether she wants it or not, and Clare won't abandon her friend just because things are hard. Maybe one day she'll be forgiven for doing what's needed.

Twelve-year-old Josephine Russing lives alone with her father. Mr. Russing is a distant, cold man, best known for his insistence that every member of their town wear gloves at all times. One day, Josephine meets an odd, silent boy named Fargus who mysteriously disappears. Trying to find him, Josephine soon finds herself in another world called Gulm, which is ruled by the "Master", a terrifying villain who has taken all of the town's children. With Fargus by her side and joined by his fiery friend Ida, Josephine tries to return to the safety of home.

Remy Alexander wants revolution. After watching Vale fall back into the hands of the Sector, she will stop at nothing to reveal the corruption in Okaria. When she joins a secret Outsider network in the underbelly of the capital city, she must use all her skills as a fighter and an artist to show the people the truth.

Remy Alexander wants justice. After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Sector only to watch her world burn around her, she will defy everyone to find her revenge. Valerian Orlean wants truth. After learning what evils the Sector is truly capable of, he must confront his past in order to create a better future. In a world where deadly secrets lurk around every corner and the food you eat can enlighten or enslave you, Remy and Vale must walk the line between hope and hate, love and loss, violence and vengeance, in order to unite - or destroy - their world.

Valerian Orlean wants answers: to why the girl he was in love with disappeared three years ago, why she joined the Resistance - a covert organization sworn to destroy everything he believes in. When he is appointed to lead a government program whose mission is to hunt and destroy the Resistance, he may finally find his answers - and Remy.

When a young dancer burns to death on stage, her friend Génet Shilling wants to know why. That puzzle leads Génet through strange underworlds, upending everything she thought was real. An urban faerie tale from the author behind Mage, Deliria, and Powerchords, Red Shoes explores a realm where music becomes magic; love, death, and energy converge; and time is just a state of sound.

For Zed and Tuesday, adjusting to life in modern-meets-medieval Falinnheim means normal is relative. Normally, schools aren’t in underground bunkers full of secret agents, and the chore list doesn’t involve herding dodos. The one thing that hasn’t changed: All the adults treat them like they’re invisible. When a security breach interrupts a field trip, the siblings find themselves locked out of the Resistance base. With the adults trapped inside, it’s up to Tuesday, Zed, and their friends to save the day. And for once, being ignored and underestimated is coming in handy.