In a hive mind plagued by viral attacks, a special agent is sent in a mission to collect intelligence about their origin from a defector. But will he win the battle of wits against him?A man of the written word, he has made himself a name in the literary community in the year 2035. But someone has dared to plagiarize his work. When he confronts the culprit, he learns that it was not a person but a computer programmed to replicate his identity. Trapped on all sides by an encroaching world of technology, he tires to escape in any way he can. When he can't do it, he acts out violently against the machines. They become the focus of his rage, and he tries to rally the world to his mission: to save humanity from itself.

Ava was in trouble again. This time it was for pummeling Dominik, that bully, when he was harassing sweet little Pia. Why did the teacher always blame Ava for everything that went wrong? The moment Ava was free from that one-room schoolhouse she headed for the mountains. An adventure was just what she needed. And it was about time to learn if that tumbled-down keep high in the craggy cliffs ...Ava was in trouble again. This time it was for pummeling Dominik, that bully, when he was harassing sweet little Pia. Why did the teacher always blame Ava for everything that went wrong? The moment Ava was free from that one-room schoolhouse she headed for the mountains. An adventure was just what she needed. And it was about time to learn if that tumbled-down keep high in the craggy cliffs was really as scary as the stories made it seem.A twisting path, some blossoms of edelweiss, and a rickety, swaying rope bridge - but at last the crumbling tower was in front of her. She would knock on the door just for politeness sake. And then she would head inside the abandoned building to explore.Except ...The door was pulled open ...* * *Aries - an Adventure of Mythology and Folklore is the first book in the Zodiac Maidens of Melk Short Stories series. These short stories are about 50 pages each and feature heroines who represent each astrological sign. They are set in a fantasy world based on medieval Austria. All of the Zodiac Maidens of Melk series contain no violence, no swearing, and no intimacy, so they are suitable for teens and up. You can read the books one-by-one as they are released or you can wait for the boxed set to be published once the series is complete with twelve books. Some people like to binge-read all at once. Others like to read as I write and offer feedback to guide the storyline. It's your choice! A portion of all proceeds benefits battered women's shelters.

A psychiatrist visits a patient in a public housing neighborhood, while series of strange phenomena are taking place.What do you get when you combine a no-nonsense federal agent, a high-profile murder and a demon turf war? Special Agent Kessa St. James is about to find out.Kessa’s life takes an unexpected twist when the FBI sends her to Gig Harbor, Washington. Her orders are to keep the media off the case and assist profiler Danny Harmon. She just wants to find the senator’s killer and go home. She doesn’t expect that elements from her past would become central to the investigation, nor did she ever dream she’d wield magic. Will Kessa set logic aside and rise to her role as Adept of the Ancients, or will the demons win the war and take the world?“Rising hooked me from the beginning and I had to keep reading. The setting and the characters made me want to stick around and live in their world. This is the reason that I read, to immerse myself in an alternate reality for a bit. Shanan Winters delivers that experience in her debut novel.” – Hillary Norton, Amazon Reviewer     “The strong female protagonist in Rising coming to discover hidden strengths all while learning to be vulnerable is completely relatable. Completely badass.” – Abby Fischer-Hess, Writer & Journalist