“What do you think a hero is? It’s just the right person in the right place making the right choice at the right time. Heroes aren’t born. They’re made.” A demonic assassin. A half-orc boxer. A ratman necromancer. Though they take many different shapes and forms, there are heroes all around us. Bravery can be found in the most unexpected places: a subterranean dwarven city; the sands of a temple courtyard in Ancient Egypt; a besieged castle, a Victorian brothel, a goblin warren, the post-apocalyptic ruins of a demon-infested village. Heroes dwell in the shadows as well as the light; you just have to look a little harder to find them. Who do they fight? Some heroes challenge injustice in all its numerous guises, while others hunt monsters both human and bestial. Others battle inner demons, the ghosts of their past, their deepest nightmares – or even the gods themselves. Why do they fight? For glory? Sometimes. For honor? Perhaps. There are those who instinctively strive to protect those weaker than themselves, and there are others emboldened only by a sense of obligation, or the promise of wealth. Whether by the blade or other means, they endeavor to take down all who threaten what is good and right in their world. By hook or by crook, through cunning or combat, with tooth and claw or iron and steel, they are all united in one goal, willingly or not: to live – and die, if necessary – a hero. Choose your weapon. Fight for what you believe in. Never give up. Nineteen fantasy writers gather to bring nineteen tales to life, each one a unique glimpse into a wholly original world.

Through the ashes, one man rises to power and seeks to take control over the kingdom. The Oracle prophesies destruction upon all who oppose him. The remaining members of the Order rally for one final mission. If they fail, the kingdom, and possibly all of mankind, will surely bend to his will. Death and flames are left in his wake, for no one dare deny the Shepherd of Fire.

BREAKING BAD meets READY PLAYER ONE in Azeroth. John Crussel has established himself as one of the most powerful players in the game, known in Alterlife as Ace the Great. But his quest for freedom came at a price. By unleashing the virus, thousands of lives were lost, and their blood is on his hands. Time has passed, and with it, the deaths seemed to have stopped - the virus is no more. Prosperity has returned to Alterlife, and to John's life. But the Gamemasters haven't forgotten about Ace the Great and what he has done. They lie in wait, patient and calculating. They seek to avenge their fallen brother, and are willing to use every tool in their arenal to deliver justice - even unleashing the gods themselves upon Alterlife. John Crussel thinks everything is back to normal. But there's a war coming to his doorstep.And he doesn't even see it coming.

On a night of pouring rain, in a cursed land called Carvelia, a warrior and thief meet, seemingly by random chance, the creature known to most as "Thotto the mad belblin" and to some as "The Green Eyed Sage." They could not have known it at first, but as soon as they set eyes on Thotto, they had begun a journey they never could have imagined. Drawn inexplicably to the belblin and his hefty sack of coins, they, along with other misfits, embark on a journey across Carvelia and beyond that will pit them against all of its dangers, even against legendary monsters such as the "Swampclops." Hunted by Hounds of War, dragons and more and without knowing why, they continued to search for a relic that Thotto seems obsessed with until their adventure finally climaxes in a face-to-face encounter with an insidious foe. This meeting will lead to a shocking revelation and causes them to question everything they have done thus far. So what were they all along?Being largely comical, "The Epic of Carvelia" is a tale of faith, friendship, love, betrayal, deliverance and monster slaying. By its conclusion armies of hob goblins will be felled, heads will roll and unbreakable friendships forged, but in the end all that matters will lie with a certain, curious belblin.

Waking up on a farm that appears to be out of the early 1800's, Cole has no recollection of the past. He stands in line as the landowner and his two farmhands explain the rules of the farm along with the consequences of breaking those rules. But for the sweet taste of freedom, questions will be asked and rules will have to be broken to find the truth, leaving Cole in the fight for his life as he seeks to fulfill the dying wish of an old man who longs to see the mankind back on top of the food chain once again.

ALTERLIFE is in the vein of BREAKING BAD and READY PLAYER ONE. Warning: ALTERLIFE is dark in nature. It contains graphic language, violence, and drug use, and is intended for a mature audience. A man's quest for freedom. A world of limitless possibilities. Down on his luck and with his back against a wall, John Crussel would do anything to provide for his family. Even rob a bank out of desperation. But when he hears of how he can make money in a virtual reality video game called Alterlife, he walks away from the robbery and decides to give it a shot. Couldn't be harder than robbing a bank, could it? John's world is about to change as he finds that Alterlife is easier than it seems. But being a hotshot new guy that seems to have all the luck draws the attention of some dangerous people in Alterlife - ones that want what he has and are willing to do anything for it.As the line between the real world and the virtual world begins to blur, John begins to question his sanity. He soon finds himself in a fight for his life and is forced to make a difficult choice, one that will change his future and shake the very foundation of everything he knows.The game setting of this book is modeled after the early MMO's and is likened to Ultima Online and Everquest. Readers can expect to find character progression in the game, quests, and items with various degrees of power and abilities. ALTERLIFE is not 'crunchy' with statistics.

Arkin's powers continue to grow as he trains in the eastern lands, but his mission to unite the clans is proving to be difficult. And he needs all the help he can get to stand against Victor and the ever-growing Religion. Will it be enough to stop the all powerful high priest? Lyla and the Order await Arkin's return before marching to war. They've trained tirelessly and have collected as many soul stones as possible in preparation for the fated day that swiftly approaches. Time is running out. Victor and the Religion continue the crusade and threaten all those who stand against them. But the most powerful man in the world desires more than what meets the eye. He wants to watch the world burn. The Soul Stone Trilogy: Book 1 - The Path of Man Book 2 - The Shepherd of Fire Book 3 - The End of Days

After an explosive showdown with the farmhands on Farm 33, Mr. Whyte urges Cole to travel to Farm 111 to meet the Creator. There, he learns about the Lifeline and the imminent threat that the machines pose to mankind's very existence. His mission is simple: travel to Lunar Base 9, become part of the inmate population and deliver the virus to the agent on the inside. The only problem is that Lunar Base 9 is a prison filled with gangs, guards, a menacing deputy, and a devious warden who runs a tight ship. It doesn't take long for Cole to find out that it's not so easy being the new guy in such a dangerous place. He'll need to keep his wits about him and use all the sarcastic charm he possesses to make friends before he becomes another casualty to the primal side of human nature. Will he succumb to the peril of the base, or will he fulfill his mission in destroying the machines once and for all?Time is running out. This is mankind's final stand.ABOUT LUNAR BASE 9Packed full of mystery and suspense, Lunar Base 9 is a page-turning, character driven thrill ride that you won't soon forget. It is the second and final book in The Emergence Mystery series.SELECTED PRAISE FOR MATT MOSS"I'm happy to say that this book just further cements Matt as an author to really watch in the genre and he continues to make a significant mark with his books." - on The Legend of the Soul Stones."This book was entertaining enough to me that I sat down and read it all the way through in one sitting!" - on The Farm"Could NOT put this book down!" - on AlterlifeNote: this novel is available in print paperback as well as an eBook on Kindle Fire and Kindle eReader. It is also available in Kindle Unlimited where subscribers can read for free.

At the start of the last century philosophical consensus was that names were more or less like descriptions, and, at its end, that names were utterly unlike descriptions. The former view, Classical Descriptivism, had it that each individual’s name was its name in virtue of the individual uniquely fitting some implicit characterization. Names were thus believed to have structure at the level of content: they expressed properties an object can have or fail to have. This view was in turn challenged beginning in the 1970s, most notably by Saul Kripke. Kripke’s claim was that an individual’s name has no structure at the level of content: it simply stands for a given individual. A name cannot characterize anything, and has no “meaning” save what it names. Kripke’s view, Referentialism, in turn became the new orthodoxy. In my dissertation, I challenge the arguments that have lead us to believe names and descriptions are expressions of two different kinds. But I do not vindicate the old orthodoxy.

Arkin's world is changed forever when a stranger rides into town looking for an artifact that Arkin's father would trade his own life to protect -- a book that holds the secrets of the past and possibly the fate of the future. Suddenly, Arkin is thrown into an age old war between the Order and the Dark Society. The kingdom is already in turmoil over the scarcity of jobs and the rationing of food, and now the church is trying to convert the people from their faith of old to a new and less holy religion. Arkin will need all the help he can get to save the people he loves and the land he calls home. Somewhere out there lies the Garden of Stones, a place of myth and magic that Arkin and his new band of friends and warriors are hoping will be the miracle they need to turn the tides of war. Choices made in the past ripple through time as Arkin puts the pieces together. His choices will determine the future of all as he follows The Path of Man.