Romance may be in the atmo when Colin joins the Merry Swallow's crew on the beautiful ocean planet of Merak, but for Alan, it's just another day working the most important and stressful case of his career. Yet Alan's woes are only beginning. Not only does the pirate confederacy have ties to both the pyrean navy and human corporations, pyrean separatists have gotten involved, and Alan's employers are about to advance their own agenda, whether or not Alan supports it. Worse yet, the case is more personal than Alan could have realized. Steele, the man who murdered Sven's sister thirty years prior is not only alive and well, but ready to return to the public eye in grand, and bloody, fashion - and he has his sights set on the Swallow. A storm is on the horizon, and as Alan's fragile happiness aboard the Swallow comes to an end, the only question remaining is - when the storm breaks, will he and Sven be able to weather it?

The fire burns. The veil thins. Come and stay a while in the in-between. Stories flicker like embers in the dark - brief and searing - at the crossroads of reality and the unknown. This anthology of dark fantasy and sci-fi fiction holds unknown myths, unsettling dreams, and uncanny wonders for those who dare to take them in, down here at the edge of all things. Some of the tales include: Wrestling through a brutal storm on a frozen mountainside, a lone climber feels someone watching her from the whiteout. She knows there's no one out there. She also knows she's wrong. In the neon-choked slums of a corp-state, three hackers choose three different paths - but any way at all will cost them. In a world like this, survival is an algorithm of its own. The concert of a young woman's life turns into a waking nightmare when the music is cut short by what sounds like a gunshot. It could be a killer. What it is, and what it means¿ is much worse. A hunter tracks a missing person to an old stone bridge, expecting to find a werewolf. But what's hiding away there isn't a werewolf - and it isn't done hunting. To save the world (she tells herself), one young woman built YMIR: a path into the collective unconscious. To finish her work (they tell her), she must destroy the only person who ever truly understood her - and hang him in the stars. Gather round, and lean in close. The fire won't last forever.

A year has passed since the Republic of Pirates declared its independence from the IPC, leading to a massive shift in the interstellar powers. Making matters worse, the Republic claims Sven's beloved sister, Hildegarde, is their traitorous leader. Meanwhile, Alan languishes on Earth. Exiled from the Swallow, Alan has been branded a spy by the pyreans and faces charges of treason in the human courts. Though he's abandoned any hope of reuniting with Sven, his fortunes shift when he receives a surprise visit from an old friend. An unexpected ally has opened a final way forward. One last chance to bring Steele to justice. One last chance to discover the truth about Hilde. One last chance to uncover corruption within the IPC. And if Sven and Alan have to get married to crack the case? Well, there are worse sacrifices to make! Threads Unbound is the fourth book in the Triple Strike series, and it includes seven illustrations plus additional bonus content.

Alan Beringer's day takes an unexpected turn when he's kidnapped by alien space pirates. In all fairness, pyrean space pirates claiming they're "privateers" has become the norm since humans became an interstellar species. Pirates aren't the problem. The problem is Alan's job is to curtail space piracy. The problem is Alan may be more pyrean than he lets on. The problem is the alien space pirate captain, Sven Jiordson, has a growing infatuation with Alan. The problem is Alan kind of enjoys being kidnapped. But who has time for romance when there's a new, unknown threat to interstellar space travel? Kidnapping aside, Alan needs to do what he does best: use his brilliant detective skills to notice everything...except Sven flirting with him. As the pyreans say - romance is more fun when somebody's alive to enjoy it! Book 1 of the Triple Strike light novel series features seven original illustrations by the author as well as bonus art and comic shorts.