Matthew S. Cox

Most Citizens hold Outcasts in dim regard, but Sima never expected they'd throw her off the planet. In 2411, overpopulation has spread a plaque of filthy, congested city to the corners of the Earth. Government has raised corruption to an art form, and no one hears the cries of those left to die in the dark passageways of civilization. Following the End of Nations, people cling to the only division left: social status. Since running away from home four years ago, she's managed to stay a step ahead of death―or worse. At sixteen, she's getting too old to survive from begging, despite her best effort to pretend she's younger. Worse, the sidewalks teem with little kids edging in on her turf, monopolizing Citizens' charity with their wide, pleading eyes and genuine innocence. A chance meeting with suspiciously nice cops leaves her more confused than ever. Between deadly gangs, unforgiving security forces, and a terrifying madam eager to exploit a girl her age, merely getting older is the biggest threat to her life. With no good choice to make, she risks the least of three evils. Sima thought her life on Earth had been dangerous... She hasn't seen anything yet.

Agent Kirsten Wren thought she'd seen the true face of evil on the Moon, but the demon Avarazel didn't prepare her for an even more insidious enemy―politics. After a month to recover, Kirsten returns to active duty with a heavy heart, already missing having all day to spend with her adopted son. Reeling from her disastrous last attempt at a relationship, she takes things slow with Sam, unsure if she's even capable of welcoming a man into her life. The influential Senator Preston Winchester catches her off guard, requesting her by name to dispel a haunting at his earthbound vacation home. A subsequent string of escalating spectral assaults on seemingly random, unrelated people strikes her as too coincidental, and when the angry spirit attacks her son, Kirsten suspects she is the spirit's true target. Her investigation leads her to doubt Winchester is as squeaky clean as he appears. She is determined to bring him down, but following her moral compass threatens her guardianship of Evan, as well as the very existence of Division 0.

Eleven year old Kiera Quinn is sure she's having a nightmare. She doesn't believe a nap that started in her suburban bedroom ends in an empty wasteland. She doesn't believe everyone she's ever known may have never existed―and she definitely doesn't believe an old man who tells her she will resurrect the world. The odd shaman clad in junk and old computer parts claims she is 'the child born of the earth, ' humanity's only chance to survive. Desperate and scared, Kiera humors him, hoping her bad dream ends soon. Fate has a funny habit of getting in the way of destiny. New parents and a new home―even a super-primitive tribal village―feel like the best place for a child to be, not off saving the world. Adjusting to life without video games isn't easy, but her new mom and dad give her what her old ones couldn't: time and attention. Alas, Kiera's discovery of a secret within ancient ruins makes the ruler of the Citadel want to kill her. Her only chance is to hope a crazy old man wasn't so crazy―and that saving her parents won't destroy the whole planet

From J. R. Rain and Matthew S. Cox, the bestselling duo that brought you New Moon Rising and Convergence, comes Silver Light, the first in a brand-new fantasy series starring Alexis Silver, mermaid detective For centuries, tales have told of merfolk haunting the seas, strange creatures teasing or helping sailors at their whim, occasionally having them for dinner. And not in a cordial sense. Alexis Silver was ahead of her time, a woman too smart to fit into society at the turn of the century. She gave up her dreams of higher education for love, marrying young, but her husband, and the life she wanted, perished in World War I soon after. Heartbroken and restless, she booked passage on a cruise along the West Coast in search of adventure, but adventure found her. The ship capsized, killing everyone on board, except for her. As she drifted far beneath the waves, inexplicably alive, the reason for her survival flashed by in a streak of silver: a Merman. He had passed along the curse-or gift as Alexis sees it. A century later, she breaks up the monotony of immortality in the Pacific Northwest working as a private investigator. The long-dormant maternal instincts of her resident Dark Master kick in when a nice older couple hire her to find their missing son and his family. Her instincts tell her this isn't like her usual jilted-spouse cases. If she doesn't work fast, a little girl is going to die.

Some soldiers don't let anything sway them from their mission-not even death from high explosives. Free from her troubled past, Agent Kirsten Wren finds peace in mentoring Evan, a little boy with psionic talents similar to hers, and soon develops strong protective feelings for him. A team of corporate "issue resolution consultants" tears up the city, continuing their mission to kill a man in the afterlife. Kirsten pursues the unusually potent spirits, trying to stop their rampage before more people die. Her investigation leads her to a strange ritual circle that gives off energy darker than any wraith she has yet encountered. Unable to make sense of the ancient pictographs, she seeks help from the only person in the area capable of understanding them, an enigmatic billionaire who takes a strange fancy to her. His opinion that she's chasing demons calls into question everything she believes. Kirsten's not about to let superstition scare her away from protecting an innocent ghost. Alas, the demons give her an impossible choice: back off and let a man die-or they take the boy she considers a son.

Agent Kirsten Wren has her fair share of demons to deal with-and some are literal. Despite discovering the world beyond death is more complicated than simple ghosts, she's almost got her life in order. Her effort to adopt Evan appears to be on track, no one's tried to kill her for a whole week, and most unbelievable of all, a billionaire is in love with her. Kirsten's bleak childhood has left her with great contempt for the wealthy and a deep mental scar that makes intimacy terrifying. Konstantin's high-society world is not for her, but thoughts of leaving him make her physically ill. A series of murders with ritualistic overtones leads her to suspect someone's using paranormal means to destabilize the nation. Stuck between her tortured past, an even scarier future, and a government doubting her stories of the Abyss, she has a mere week to find the killer before all hell breaks loose. However, the demons are far closer than she expects.

Sophie lives in a most peculiar cottage at the center of the Forgotten Forest, its inside much larger than its outside. You see, the house must be large, for it holds a great troll as well as a little girl. As one might expect, working for such a creature is rather frightening to a seven-year-old, but the endless expanse of black trees outside is even scarier. She's afraid to make even the slightest sound, for the troll abhors loud children. He's not terribly fond of quiet children either―unless they're in his stew. Sophie's precious light offers comfort in her darkest moments. She can't remember where it came from, but it's her only source of hope holding back the gloom that yearns to devour her soul. Trolls are covetous beasts, and when he spots her shiny bauble and steals it, Sophie faces two terrible options: Stay and suffer the wrath of a furious troll, or take her chances in a forest of her deepest fears.

At eighteen, Sarah Wright never had to cope with a death in her family before―least of all her own. Two weeks after waking up as a vampire, she's starting to feel comfortable in her fangs. Sarah's doing okay, if you don't count wicked mood swings, crushing guilt, and a pervasive sense of existential dread. On the upside, her family is adjusting to the new normal of supernatural in stride and she's even testing the waters with a new guy. However, something's changed with her best friend Ashley, who's not acting at all like herself. To make matters worse, someone's stalking Sarah. Mom copes with her daughter's undeath by largely ignoring it, sending her on errands during the day when her powers won't work and she's scared of being killed for good. Formal entry into vampire society sends her down a dangerous path, right into the middle of a war between elders―that her sire started. All Sarah wants is some semblance of a normal unlife, but she finds herself stuck between two groups of angry vampires itching to spill blood... And they don't care if it's from her innocent family.

The second book in the new paranormal mystery series by #1 bestselling authors J. R. Rain and Matthew S. Cox For fans of The Witch and the Gentleman, A Discovery of Witches and Jessica Jones... Magical forces don't always play nice. In fact, they can be downright evil. Life is going fairly well for Detective Maddy Wimsey. At thirty-five, she's an accomplished detective, practicing Wiccan, has a wonderful relationship with her long-time boyfriend, and even a much-needed vacation after dealing with a cursed gem. Alas, her break doesn't last long. A creeping darkness interrupts the solace of the woods with a supernatural vendetta against her coven. Maddy had opened a particular can of worms looking into the past, and the entity has decided to make her a target. With a deadly supernatural entity on the loose, the last thing she needs is for her day job to get in the way, but a new murder case lands right in her lap at the worst possible time. A sadistic serial killer and no good leads guts Maddy's confidence. With each new victim she fails to save, her guilt grows. Duty to her coven clashes with her oath to protect the citizens. Taking time from the case to fight a supernatural war means more innocents will die, but a worse foe than mortals or even shadow men stalks her: doubt.

Death isn't a big deal in the virtual world of online gaming, but after poking her nose where it doesn't belong, Dakota Marx finds herself running for her life―and reality doesn't come with a respawn. At twenty-two, she's still slinging coffee at an Amazon Cafe despite having a degree in programming. It's not because she's unlucky, unmotivated, or even that she fancies herself an underground activist crusading against evil corporations... hunting for a 'real' job would take time away from her game. Axillon99 is the world's most popular multiplayer online experience, with a universe containing billions of planets to explore. Ever since video games broke the screen barrier, plunging players fully into their characters, reality just can't compete. Cognition Systems International announces a ten million dollar prize to celebrate the release of the next generation Neurona 4 interface helmet. After her crew decides to try chasing the money, Dakota discovers a sinister intent behind the new technology. Going public threatens the lives of her friends, but keeping CSI's secret could destroy the very fabric of society.

Sarah Wright woke up a few times after parties in strange places―but the morgue's a first. At eighteen, she's eager for a taste of independence, moving out of state to attend college. A change of scenery is extra-needed due to a bad breakup with her boyfriend, Scott. However, soon after escaping the body cooler, she makes two startling realizations: vampires are real, and she is one. There's nothing quite like an untimely death to ruin plans. California's sunny beaches aren't the best place for vampires to chill, and worse, not only does she wind up stuck in Seattle, she's still living (figuratively) with her parents. They take the news surprisingly well―after all, it's better than burying her―even helping move her bedroom to the basement. A disinterested sire, distraught friends, nosy Men in Black, and awestruck younger siblings complicate her adjustment to the new normal of being an immortal still subject to her parents' rules. Undeath has its perks, but it also brings enemies. Without a copy of 'Fangs for Dummies, ' Sarah's left scrambling for answers when one such new enemy attacks her siblings and friends. If she can't figure out how to vampire, her attempt to spare her family the grief of losing her may wind up killing them

Under the watchful eye of the Mother Shrine, twelve-year-old Wisp ekes out a simple, but challenging life with Dad, foraging for food and losing herself in old books from the world that came before. She loves the Endless Forest―except when the Tree Walkers come for her. In ages past, the great rain of fire and ash destroyed the Earth, wiping out the ancients and everything they had made. Nature has reclaimed much since then, spreading out in a vast forest full of wonder and dread. Ever in fear of being taken away, she follows Dad's rules without question while learning to survive off the land. No longer a small child, she accompanies Dad on one of his treks, her first time more than a few steps away from the cabin. A day exploring with him is the happiest time of her life, but joy is short-lived. A monster follows them home. Safe in her Haven, she hides while Dad goes outside to confront the beast. She wakes alone the next morning, and waits. Alas, her hope of his return fades with the daylight. Desperate, she breaks his strictest rule and goes outside alone. Not far from the cabin, she discovers his rifle abandoned next to the monster's strange footprints. Afraid but determined, Wisp sets off on her own into the Endless Forest to find Dad―before the Tree Walkers catch her.

Coping with being attacked and left for dead isn't easy, but Samantha Moon is grateful that she survived - until she suspects she didn't. Vanishing from mirrors is only the first of a series of bizarre events that defies explanation, even to her trained investigative mind. A severe allergy to the sun, alertness at night, inability to eat food that isn't blood, and worst of all: she can't remember the last time she needed the bathroom. Of course, it's not all bad. Years have fallen off her face, her hair is perfect, her senses are honed, and (assuming she hasn't gone crazy) she can even see in the dark. It's all too much to process, so she does the only thing that makes any sense: tries to go back to work. A huge hat, shades, and half a bottle of high-test sunscreen later, she's back out inspecting properties with her partner Chad. Her first day, she suspects a HUD recipient of having undeclared income. Determined to cling to the career she worked so hard for, Sam traces the money back to small-time arms dealers selling big-time weapons. Everything seems to be routine until her sluggish reflexes get someone shot - and her husband suffers an emotional breakdown. Worse, she faces a more insidious and dangerous enemy than an apocalyptic militia group with military hardware... Daytime.

The new paranormal mystery series by #1 bestselling authors J. R. Rain and Matthew S. Cox For fans of The Witch and the Gentleman, A Discovery of Witches and Jessica Jones... Detective Madeline Wimsey tends to stand out with her wild red hair, pentacle amulets, and offbeat methods, but she has a tool few other cops use - magic. Maddy knows the universe wants to balance itself out, so she isn't above tossing around a spell or two whenever a killer's karma needs a little nudge in the right direction. As a member of a practicing coven, she's used to strange looks, hushed whispers, and rolled eyes, but couldn't care less what people think of her. After a man turns up dead in a grisly satanic rite, her fellow detectives are quick to crack jokes. Since they can't tell a pentacle from a pentagram, Maddy's happy to get the case. She suspects the ritual to be the work of amateurs, a theory that pans out when they track down the pack of clueless high school students who made the shrine in the woods. Convinced all is not as it appears to be, Maddy asks the Goddess for a push in the right direction and learns a disturbing truth: The Devil's Eye is watching her.

Mother, wife, federal agent...mortal. Samantha Moon hadn't always been a vampire. Once, she had been a wife and mother, happily married to her soul mate and raising two adorable kids. Once, she had been a federal agent investigating a world teeming with sophisticated scams, drugs, human trafficking and violence. She had hippie parents and a caring sister. She had a small home with an irritatingly detached garage. She had friends, colleagues and normalcy. That is, until she caught the eye of something evil... But first, she has a job to do. When her HUD team of federal agents is sent in as backup on a drug raid, she spots a mysterious business card on the fridge. Later, she finds the same card during a routine inspection. Convinced the narcotics traffickers are more widespread than initially thought and are taking advantage of those in need, Sam can't let it go - even after the gang tries to send her a message written in lead. Yes, her days at the Department of Housing and Urban Development are typically boring, her worst fear, a paper cut, but little does she know that she has attracted the attention of something dark and hungry. Something that's about to steal her mortal life... and change her forever.