
From Amazon bestselling and popular science fiction and fantasy authors comes Mayhem in the Air, a supernatural anthology of ten thrilling tales. Meet hot robots, hungry winds and the goddess of chaos. Explore alien planets, purgatorial realms, and a shocking place where people bury the living with their dead. Mayhem in the Air is the second, long-awaited story collection from the dynamic and inventive Untethered Realms group.
Excerpt: "Mass Transit" by Graeme Ing
Dylan joined her at the back of the room, waiting for the vac-tube pod. It gave her satisfaction that he looked worse than she felt.
They stepped inside and sat facing each other. A magfield fizzed into place instead of a door. There was a hiss of air, and a lurch in her stomach betrayed their rapid acceleration into the tube under the landing field.
“You look like shit,” he said.
Emily rubbed her tired eyes. “You’re such a charmer, you know that?”
“Why should I want to charm you? You aren’t my equal.”
“You’re right,” she replied. “I came top of the class. I earned this opportunity. Why the hell are you here?”
He stared at her with his arms folded. She wanted to slap the smirk from his face.
“It’s all about connections,” he said. “My father went over Erickson’s head. He’s just an instructor, nobody important. What does he know? I’m a better controller than you. Erickson just has a soft spot for you. Probably wants to get in your panties.”
She sucked in a breath. “You’re sick. Don’t speak to me anymore.”
“You’re so prim and proper. All right, let’s look at the stats, shall we?”
He made a series of gestures with one hand and a hologram filled the air between them. Bright light flickered off the walls as tables of data scrolled into view. A section entitled “Trainees” highlighted itself. She knew she should turn away, but curiosity got the better of her, and she scanned the data in front of her face.
Her eyes narrowed. “You landed 90,000 tons to my 40,000?”
He laughed and his nose creased like a pug’s. “As I said, you aren’t my equal.”
“No, you’re an asshole.”
He frowned, emphasizing his ridiculous thin eyebrows.
She blink-highlighted a row of data. “Twelve flight deviations to my one.”
“You gotta be bold,” he scoffed, “not such a timid girl.”
“That’s not bold. That’s dangerous. Even your rich father can’t protect you if you’re going to be stupid.”
He growled. “You’re the stupid mongrel.”
Stop falling for his tricks!
She forcibly relaxed her tight shoulders and leaned back in her seat. All she had to do was let him make one mistake too many and she’d come out on top.
I’m going to be the best damn controller I can. Forget this idiot.
“Maybe you’re right.” She shot him a huge smile.
His mouth sawed side to side, and he cocked his head, studying her. She met his stare and began to hum a song.
Untethered Realms Website: http://untetheredrealms.blogspot.com/
River Fairchild is somewhat odd, brandishes a dry sense of humor, owned by several cats. Lives in a fantasy world. A fabricator of magic. Makes stuff up and spins tales about it. Believes in Faerie crossings and never staying in one place for very long. Speculative Fiction wordsmith. The secret to her stories? Spread lies, blend in truths, add a pinch of snark and a dash of tears. Escape into her world. She left the porch light on so you can find your way down the rabbit hole. For more information, please visit her website at http://riverfairchild.blogspot.com.
Gwen Gardner is a native Californian living in sunny San Diego, where her love of reading and writing led to a BA in English literature. Life is now complete with her husband, two dogs and a daily call from her daughter. Since ghosts feature prominently in her young adult Indigo Eady Paranormal “Cozy” Mystery series, she has a secret desire to meet one face to face—but will run screaming for the hills if she ever does. Gwen adores travel and experiencing the cultures and foods of different countries. She is always up for an adventure and anything involving chocolate—not necessarily in that order. For more information, please visit her website at http://gwengardner.blogspot.com.
Misha Gerrick lives in the scenic Western Cape, South Africa, where she's currently working on some more books. Her Epic Fantasy Series, The War of Six Crowns, is out now. For more information on what she's writing and reading, visit her website at http://mishagerrick.tumblr.com.
Fantasy, science fiction, and the weird beckon to M. Pax, and she blames Oregon, a source of endless inspiration. She docents at Pine Mountain Observatory in the summers, and one of her cats has a crush on Mr. Spock. You can find out more by visiting her website mpaxauthor.com.
Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood but make her a great Jeopardy player. She has one novel and several novellas and short stories published. Her paranormal romance series, The 13th Floor, has been met with rave reviews. Her newest geeky romances were released by Ellora’s Cave early 2015. Please visit her website at http://christinerains.net/.
Cherie Reich has more books than she can ever read and more ideas than she can ever write, but that doesn’t stop this bookworm from trying, even if it means trying to curb her TV addiction. She is a speculative fiction writer and library assistant living in Virginia. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and her books include the paranormal horror collection Once upon a Nightmare and the fantasy series The Foxwick Chronicles and The Fate Challenges. Reborn is her debut novel. She is a member of the Virginia Writers Club, Valley Writers, and Untethered Realms. For more information, please visit her website at http://smarturl.it/CReichWebsite.
Catherine Stine’s fiction spans the range from contemporary to dark fantasy to sci-fi. Her futuristic companion thrillers Fireseed One and Ruby’s Fire are Amazon bestsellers and indie award-winners. Dorianna, her YA paranormal won Best Horror Novel in the Kindle Hub Awards. Her work is included in the boxed sets Future Tense and Secret Worlds as well as in the Untethered Realms anthologies Twisted Earths, Mayhem in the Air and Fantasy Uprising. In addition, Catherine writes new adult fiction as Kitsy Clare. She suspects her love of dark fantasy came from her father reading Edgar Allen Poe to her when she was a child. She teaches creative writing workshops and is a member of SFWA, RWA and SCBWI. Visit her at catherinestine.com.