D. J. Bodden

Love can make a man do terrible things. Somewhere within the Library, a clock is winding down. With Wendy safe, Alan needs to focus on paying his debt to the Plague Doctors of Wyrdtide by the end of the month. But a slip of the tongue doubles the amount, turning a hard task into an impossible one. His only option is to ask the master of assassins for work. But murder for money isn't the only thing Alan needs to worry about. The gods are upset with him, his old colleagues want him dead, and the Circle of Brewers is hiding more than the secrets of Alchemy. And there's something else, something deadlier, and it's reaching through time to seize everything Alan loves in its fist. Try as he might, it may have been too late from the start. From James A. Hunter-author of Viridian Gate Online, Rogue Dungeon, Bibliomancer, and the Shadowcroft Academy for Dungeons-and D. J. Bodden, author of Starborn Heir, comes an epic new entry into the Expanded Universe of Viridian Gate Online that you won't want to put down

He's a part-time Imperial hero, full-time thief. Lucky for him, she's not that kind of Inquisitor. Illusionist and novice spy Alan Campbell just got out of one relationship only to have another woman walk into his life: the Lady Camilla Favonius of the Imperial Inquisition. He's close to broke and left without orders. She wears plate armor in the field and around her heart. Is the lady just what the Plague Doctor ordered, or will his efforts to get a job and woo her only leave him jaded...or dead? From the city of Harrowick to the perilous depths of the Grass Sea, Alan will have to fight a corrupt syndicate, earn his place in the Thieves' Union, and face down monsters and the risen dead if he wants a happy ending. All the while, in the real world, Robert Osmark is as close to losing his company as he's ever been, and both Sandra and Jeff will have to pick sides once the battle lines are drawn. Brazen thievery, Death caught off-balance, the Dawn Elves' dirty secret, and unexpected love in Inquisitor's Foil, the third book of the Illusionist series. From James A. Hunter-author of Viridian Gate Online, Rogue Dungeon, War God's Mantle, and the Yancy Lazarus Series-and D. J. Bodden, author of The Black Year Series, comes an epic new entry into the Expanded Universe of Viridian Gate Online that you won't want to put down

Viridian Gate Online is more than just a game... and now, it's Alan Campbell's whole world. Recently deceased and squishy as hell, Alan, a newly minted Illusionist, is forced to flee for his life. He needs time to deal with his loss, both in-game and IRL, but first he'll have to escape his crazy ex, the treacherous Firebrand, Thalia Daceran. On his way to safety and revenge, he'll team up with Titus, the Imperial spymaster, as well as a crew of pirates, commandos, and even a shapeshifting Mimic with a taste for blood. His path leads to Wyrdtide, a gaslit city hidden in mists and governed by dark demigods. But even with Alan dead, the world marches on. Will the government seize control of V. G. O.? Did Horace, the blind beggar, really die? And whatever happened to Jeff? Find answers, new purpose, and the machinations of the gods in this action-packed continuation of the Illusionist Series. From James A. Hunter-author of Viridian Gate Online, Rogue Dungeon, War God's Mantle, and the Yancy Lazarus Series-and D. J. Bodden, author of The Black Year Series, comes an epic new entry into the Expanded Universe of Viridian Gate Online that you won't want to put down

If you had to choose between your life and your dreams, would you ever wake up? Alan Campbell thought he'd gotten his dream job working on a revolutionary VRMMORPG with Osmark Technologies, until the project was canceled. He has one weekend to dive into an untested world full of intrigue, violence, and corruption to prove that Viridian Gate Online works, but the AIs running the game have their own plans for his soul. Set a year before the events of "Viridian Gate Online: Cataclysm," The Illusionist: Nomad Soul takes you back to when VGO was just a game, or so it seemed. From James A. Hunter-author of Viridian Gate Online, Rogue Dungeon, and War God's Mantle-and D. J. Bodden, author of The Black Year Series, comes an epic new entry into the Expanded Universe of Viridian Gate Online that you won't want to put down

He's a part-time Imperial hero, full-time thief. Lucky for him, she's not that kind of Inquisitor. Illusionist and novice spy Alan Campbell just got out of one relationship only to have another woman walk into his life: the Lady Camilla Favonius of the Imperial Inquisition. He's close to broke and left without orders. She wears plate armor in the field and around her heart. Is the lady just what the Plague Doctor ordered, or will his efforts to get a job and woo her only leave him jaded...or dead? From the city of Harrowick to the perilous depths of the Grass Sea, Alan will have to fight a corrupt syndicate, earn his place in the Thieves' Union, and face down monsters and the risen dead if he wants a happy ending. All the while, in the real world, Robert Osmark is as close to losing his company as he's ever been, and both Sandra and Jeff will have to pick sides once the battle lines are drawn. Brazen thievery, Death caught off-balance, the Dawn Elves' dirty secret, and unexpected love in Inquisitor's Foil, the third book of the Illusionist series. From James A. Hunter-author of Viridian Gate Online, Rogue Dungeon, War God's Mantle, and the Yancy Lazarus Series-and D. J. Bodden, author of The Black Year Series, comes an epic new entry into the Expanded Universe of Viridian Gate Online that you won't want to put down

Viridian Gate Online is more than just a game... and now, it's Alan Campbell's whole world. Recently deceased and squishy as hell, Alan, a newly minted Illusionist, is forced to flee for his life. He needs time to deal with his loss, both in-game and IRL, but first he'll have to escape his crazy ex, the treacherous Firebrand, Thalia Daceran. On his way to safety and revenge, he'll team up with Titus, the Imperial spymaster, as well as a crew of pirates, commandos, and even a shapeshifting Mimic with a taste for blood. His path leads to Wyrdtide, a gaslit city hidden in mists and governed by dark demigods. But even with Alan dead, the world marches on. Will the government seize control of V. G. O.? Did Horace, the blind beggar, really die? And whatever happened to Jeff? Find answers, new purpose, and the machinations of the gods in this action-packed continuation of the Illusionist Series. From James A. Hunter-author of Viridian Gate Online, Rogue Dungeon, War God's Mantle, and the Yancy Lazarus Series-and D. J. Bodden, author of The Black Year Series, comes an epic new entry into the Expanded Universe of Viridian Gate Online that you won't want to put down

If you had to choose between your life and your dreams, would you ever wake up? Alan Campbell thought he'd gotten his dream job working on a revolutionary VRMMORPG with Osmark Technologies, until the project was canceled. He has one weekend to dive into an untested world full of intrigue, violence, and corruption to prove that Viridian Gate Online works, but the AIs running the game have their own plans for his soul. Set a year before the events of "Viridian Gate Online: Cataclysm," The Illusionist: Nomad Soul takes you back to when VGO was just a game, or so it seemed. From James A. Hunter-author of Viridian Gate Online, Rogue Dungeon, and War God's Mantle-and D. J. Bodden, author of The Black Year Series, comes an epic new entry into the Expanded Universe of Viridian Gate Online that you won't want to put down

The End is Coming. An extinction-level asteroid is cannonballing toward Earth. In humanity's final hours, a lucky few earn a one-way ticket to the brand-new, ultra-immersive, fantasy-based VRMMORPG, Viridian Gate Online. Making that leap of faith might mean survival, but it comes with a steep price tag: "Travelers" will forever be stranded as digital avatars inside a fantastical world filled with vicious monsters, all-powerful AIs, and cutthroat players. Let the games begin ... Six amazing authors. Six incredible new tales. All set in the best-selling Viridian Gate Online Universe. Side Quests is an anthology for fans, by the fans Included in Side Quests: "A Gentleman's Work" by James A. HunterWhen an Imperial Inquisitor captures a Thieves Guild Operative, Cutter must undertake a deadly rescue mission while using every grift in the book to stay one step ahead of a Headsman's Blade. And the prize for this extraordinary quest? Nothing short of the keys to the Rowanheath Thieves Guild. Deception, subterfuge, and heavy drinking-all in a day's work for a Gentleman ..." The Funeral Parlor" by Raymond JohnsonA young spiderling is stranded in an alien land, surrounded by hostile creatures. Forced to fight for her life in a bid to find her way home, she must transform into the predator she is destined to become or die alone and forgotten, trapped in a dark world know as the Shadowverse." The Raiding of Rowanheath" by J. D. AstraThe Crimson Alliance has breached the walls of Rowanheath, inciting Aleixo Carrera's rage. Now Abby and her rag-tag invasion crew must reach the keep's Command Center before the defending troops mobilize and shut down the takeover, else they'll lose the battle and the war for Eldgard's freedom." The Ballad of Jaro Edgewalker" by N. H. PaxtonJaro is an assassin, and he's good at it. But when he finds a foe that is insurmountable by normal means and uncovers a plot to destroy everything he loves, Jaro has to balance his morality with his love for his friends and make an incredibly difficult decision." Buried Alive" by Nicholas ReidCarlos Vega thinks he's escaping certain death by entering the virtual world of V. G. O., but instead he's swallowed alive by the deadly Barren Sands. He'll have to overcome the riddles and horrors of a long-forgotten temple in order to escape, but can he do it before the evil sealed there centuries ago finds him?" A Final Kindness" by D. J. BoddenAlan Campbell was a talker, not a fighter, until someone murdered his girl. He'd almost given up on finding the killers; now he's got a fresh lead, a trio of mercenaries who outclass him in every way but his wits. He'll cheat, bluff, and steal to get his revenge, and as one of V. G. O.'s immortal travelers, he's willing to die trying. Want to keep up with the Viridian Gate Online Universe? Visit Shadow Alley Press and subscribe to our mailing list

Dirty Politics. Werewolves gone mad. There's sulfur in the air. When humans decided to destroy the Agency, they forgot about Alice Black. With the end of the world barely averted and the secret of the supernatural world made public, teenage half-vampire agent Jonas thought he might be able to take a breather, but the dominos keep falling one by one. The US government thinks they can muscle in on the Agency. There's a crazed werewolf pack eating its way through Vermont. Worse, magic is being released back into the world, and Jonas is about to find out firsthand how much power corrupts. If Jonas is going to survive the end of an era, he's going to have to keep his friends close, and his weapons within reach. He's never needed friends more than now, but his relationship with Kieran and Eve is damaged, hopefully not broken. And then there's his mother, ancient and powerful, now restored to her full strength for the first time in decades. Jonas is starting to understand why she was the boogeyman for generations of supernatural, and the Agency's enemies may have bitten off more than they can chew. Red Spring is the thrilling third book in the Black Year series, a YA urban fantasy story about the end of this world, and the beginning of something new. Faced with old enemies and new closing in, Jonas is about to learn the cost of power and growing up. Buy Red Spring to survive the apocalypse today

Ancient magic. Antediluvian sorcerers. There are werewolf politics in the air, and when a meat shortage hits Manhattan, there will be blood on the streets. Former high-schooler and now half-vampire teenage badass has been made a provisional member of the Agency, the elite supernatural police force, and school's out forever. Assigned a reluctant but powerful mentor, Jonas Black has a lot to learn about the secret world of vampires, werewolves, and oath-magic, and he may not have much time. With best friends Kieran and Eve, a winter wolf with silver claws and a vampire puppeteer who can bend others to her will, Jonas has to uncover a secret older than Babylon. If he doesn't, the werewolves of New York may turn on the human population and each other. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and someone has a bone to pick that might break open the world. Full of the same wise-cracking dark humor, intricate world-building, and badass supernaturals as Black Fall, White Winter is a fast-paced YA urban fantasy book that will change the characters and the world forever. Buy White Winter to honor the ancient pact today

Secret identities. Bloodsucking organizations. When a high-schooler unlocks mystical abilities, will he be the newest target on a deadly list? Modern-day Manhattan. Jonas Black longs to wash his hands of existential drama. But with his mom increasingly paranoid, the worried sixteen-year-old nearly jumps out of his skin when paranormal predators invade his home hunting for his missing dad. And after his mother finally reveals that he's the world's one-and-only natural-born vampire, he resolves to unlock otherworldly skills and rescue his lost father. Invited to train at an elite supernatural academy, Jonas dives fangs-first into arduous classes to prepare for sneak attacks from family enemies. And as he marvels at wisecracking werewolves, telepathic liches, and mind-bending powers, he vows to unleash his inner badass and pry out the truth... even if it puts his life on the line. With the odds against him getting longer by the minute, can Jonas outsmart those hellbent on bringing down his bloodline? Black Fall is the thrilling first book in The Black Year YA urban fantasy series. If you like awkward heroes, dark humor, and surprise twists, then you'll love D. J. Bodden's fast-paced battle. Buy Black Fall to wipe the floor with villains today