J. D. Astra

New worlds get new kings, and that's exactly what Abby thinks she's found in her boss' hacked code. With a cataclysmic asteroid careening toward Earth, the VRMMORPG project Viridian Gate Online has become more than just a game, and Abby thinks her boss, Robert Osmark, wants to be more than just its founding father. Now, Abby holds a hacked key to the kingdom that could earn her a punishment worse than death. To uncover the secret that drug lords and corrupt politicians paid millions for, Abby must dive into the game she helped create and team up with one of its AI creations. It's a race against the clock as she tries to discover what's hidden in the secret code before Osmark can crown himself ruler over all that remains of humanity. From James A. Hunter-author of Viridian Gate Online, Rogue Dungeon, War God's Mantle, and the Yancy Lazarus Series-and debut author J. D. Astra, comes an epic new entry into the Expanded Universe of Viridian Gate Online that you won't want to put down

A single spark begets an inferno. The theft of the drug lord Carrera's Faction Seal has set Osmark's empire-to-be ablaze with the hunt for Abby and Otto's heads, but her quest to discover the truth about the ultra-rare item won't wait. There are only days left until Earth's destruction, and the Faction Seal plays some role in Osmark's plan to rule over Viridian Gate Online, the immersive VRMMO game turned humanity's lifeboat. With nowhere left to turn in Harrowick, Abby and Otto have no choice but to flee to the rebel undergrounds of Alaunhylles-a fading light that was once a beacon of hope in the Imperial aligned city. They come seeking answers in the Grand Archives, but the rebels have their own problems, and their own priorities... Priorities that might just get Abby and Otto killed before they can find the answers they need. The enterprising rebel Firebrand will have to dig deep to complete her quest or see all her hopes go up in flames in this next installment of the Firebrand series: Embers of Rebellion. From James A. Hunter-author of Viridian Gate Online, Rogue Dungeon, War God's Mantle, and the Yancy Lazarus Series-and author J. D. Astra, comes an epic new entry into the Expanded Universe of Viridian Gate Online that you won't want to put down

Can a single promise change the world? Even with the Crimson Alliance formed, Rowanheath taken, and Carrera dispatched, the onslaught never ends for Abby Hollander. Keeping the Spider Queen in check and handling water provisions was never what Abby wanted to do with her life, but it's what the war demands of her. To add to that never-ending list of demands, suddenly Naitee Mungal has need of Abby as well, and unfortunately, Abby already promised she would answer if Naitee called. Now Abby will have to go where no Traveler has ever been allowed before, face a series of grueling trials, and battle the gods themselves, risking everything to return balance and save her sorceric brethren. If she fails, the realm of Gaia could once again be overrun by the power of the elements. If she succeeds, she'll become the greatest Firebrand in all of Eldgard. From James A. Hunter-author of Viridian Gate Online, Rogue Dungeon, Bibliomancer, and the Yancy Lazarus Series-and bestselling author J. D. Astra, comes an epic new entry into the Expanded Universe of Viridian Gate Online that you won't want to put down

A single spark begets an inferno. The theft of the drug lord Carrera's Faction Seal has set Osmark's empire-to-be ablaze with the hunt for Abby and Otto's heads, but her quest to discover the truth about the ultra-rare item won't wait. There are only days left until Earth's destruction, and the Faction Seal plays some role in Osmark's plan to rule over Viridian Gate Online, the immersive VRMMO game turned humanity's lifeboat. With nowhere left to turn in Harrowick, Abby and Otto have no choice but to flee to the rebel undergrounds of Alaunhylles-a fading light that was once a beacon of hope in the Imperial aligned city. They come seeking answers in the Grand Archives, but the rebels have their own problems, and their own priorities... Priorities that might just get Abby and Otto killed before they can find the answers they need. The enterprising rebel Firebrand will have to dig deep to complete her quest or see all her hopes go up in flames in this next installment of the Firebrand series: Embers of Rebellion. From James A. Hunter-author of Viridian Gate Online, Rogue Dungeon, War God's Mantle, and the Yancy Lazarus Series-and author J. D. Astra, 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