Paroled felon. Rich doctor's wife. Famous clairvoyant. Cassie Chadwick, one of history's most successful con artists, was a master of reinvention. In the dusk of the Gilded Age, she swept from town to town, assuming fresh identities to swindle a fortune so large that it rivaled the robber barons of the time.

Then came arguably the greatest con in American history. Using forged documents and her peerless wits, Cassie convinced prominent men from Cleveland to New York City that she was the illegitimate daughter of the world's wealthiest man--Andrew Carnegie.

Businessmen loaned her hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time; the ensuing crash shattered banks and bankers alike. Her sensational trial made her a household name. The newspapers called her the Queen of Swindlers, the Duchess of Diamonds, the High Priestess of Fraudulent Finance.

Interspersing Cassie's crimes with stories of an unsuspecting Andrew Carnegie, author Annie Reed spins an enthralling, page-turning tale of true crime. Long before Anna Delvey captivated national attention, there was Cassie Chadwick--mother of the American con.

Predator or prey? On the Internet, how can you tell?

When private investigator Abby Maxon answers a call for help from an old college friend, she never expects to find herself searching for a missing teenage girl. Abby investigates accidents and tracks down reluctant witnesses for a living. The last thing she wants is to get involved in a missing person case, especially when that case leads to murder.

Pretty fifteen-year-old Rachel Ellison got in over her head when she played a flirtatious online game of let's pretend with a married man. Now Rachel's dead and Abby's old college friend is the prime suspect. The only clue to the identity of Rachel's killer is a ceramic horse missing from the dead girl's bedroom.

Online chat rooms can be a dangerous place for the unwary. Including Abby's own teenage daughter, another pretty fifteen-year-old who wants to meet a boy she's only talked to online.

In Private Investigator Abby Maxon, Annie Reed has created a believable, sympathetic character readers can relate to. I can't wait to read Abby's next adventure! -Marcelle Dubé, award-winning author of THE WEEPING WOMAN

Five stories of crime, criminals, and people who refuse to remain victims. In Missy and the Man, a little girl gets more than she bargained for when she sneaks into her neighbor's garage to see his new kittens. The baseball-loving pickpocket in Strike Two has a sweet gig working The Strip in Las Vegas until he lifts a wallet from a woman who's nobody's victim. When a college student's purse is stolen in Thief, no one except the student and her new boyfriend seem to care. Two kids with too much time on their hands set fire to an empty house in Firebug, only the game doesn't go exactly as planned. And in For A Few Lattes More, a Starbucks barista comes face to face with a movie-hero cowboy only to discover that in real life, heroes are never around when you need them most.

Eight stories celebrating the inner strength and courage of women by award-winning writer Annie Reed. From a little girl orphaned in the war in Afghanistan to a widow learning to cope with life on her own to the woman who discovers an unexpected chance at love in the unlikeliest of places, each of these women face a sudden change in their lives head on and come out stronger on the other side. Sometimes harrowing, sometimes magical, the stories of their lives will touch your heart.

Is the glimmer on the horizon a lake, shimmering under the hot desert sun - or a flying saucer visiting from a distant planet? Are those swirling clouds dust devils or djinn? In Mirages and Speculations seventeen authors of science fiction and fantasy take you on journeys to high mountain deserts, scorching sands, and wind-swept plateaus. Their stories will make you laugh and make you cry, as you visit worlds both futuristic and fantastic, the products of imaginations baked under desert skies until only Mirages and Speculations remain.

It's time to turn the man and his dog wandering through a dystopian world trope on its head, and tell the stories about cats and their women - their badass women

Cat Ladies of the Apocalypse wanders through broken worlds with stories of survival, technology, magic, and sheer determination. But - like their cats - the authors frequently slipped out the upstairs window or knocked things off of countertops, and their stories are stronger for it.

In these pages, cats help their women find a better life, protect and defend and fight for the women who have sheltered and protected them - and vice-versa. Because these are not only stories about surviving troubled times, but of the relationships between the women and their cats, between the members of communities both small and large, and how they thrive, even in the face of catastrophic loss.

Cat Ladies of the Apocalypse - it's time to take them seriously

Contains stories by Mia Moss, Hannah Hulbert, L.C.W. Allingham, Audrey McLennan, Hannah Trusty, Annie Reed, Caryn Larrinaga, Karli Sullivan, Misha Herwin, Joy Kennedy-O'Neill, Leigh Saunders, J. Ivanel Johnson, Carol Gyzander, Joanna Z. Weston, Kathryn Carson, Meyari McFarland, Sidney Williams, Joe Borrelli, Virginia Elizabeth Hayes, Wayland Smith, and C.J. Erick. Edited by Lyn Worthen

A LIGHT-HEARTED BLEND OF COZY MYSTERY AND PARANORMAL FANTASY. All served up with a dash of romance and a healthy helping of holiday charm.

From New Year's to Christmas (and holidays in between), Diz and Dee investigate missing persons cases the way only a human precog and a gorgeous if grumpy elf can.

Whether they're looking for Santa's missing stand-in, the New Year's baby momma gone walkabout, or a bird-napped Thanksgiving rescue turkey named Simpkins, Diz and Dee are on the job and in for a mess of holiday shenanigans.

Snuggle up with our favorite detectives and take a break from the stress of the season with these heartwarming cozy holiday mysteries by award-winning writer Annie Reed.

Stories include:
The Case of the Missing Elf
Omens, Oracles, and Eros, Oh My
Just My Luck
My Cousin, the Rabbit
Gobbler, Gobbler, Who's Got the Gobbler?
The New Year That Almost Wasn't

One of the best writers I've come across in years. I love these Diz and Dee short stories. -Kristine Kathryn Rush, award-winning editor and writer of The Fey series

ANNIE REED has been called one of the best writers of her generation and for good reason. She writes in multiple genres, including urban and contemporary fantasy; a variety of mystery subgenres, from hardboiled to cozy, including her popular Diz & Dee cozy paranormal mysteries; science fiction; contemporary romance; and thrillers. Sometimes she even writes a story that doesn't fall into any one specific category.

She's won awards as diverse as her writing. A multiple Derringer finalist, she's been honored with appearances in five year's best mystery and crime volumes, including an amazing three years in a row in the prestigious BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR (2022, 2023, AND 2024) edited by Otto Penzler. She's a founding member and frequent contributor to the innovation UNCOLLECTED ANTHOLOGY. Her stories appear regularly in PULPHOUSE FICTION MAGAZINE, MYSTERY, CRIME & MAYHEM, and THRILL RIDE - THE MAGAZINE. Her recent novels include the GRAY LADY RISING series co-written with USA Today bestselling author Robert Jeschonek, the Abby Maxon mysteries, and ROAD OF NO RETURN.

A BRUTAL MURDER PITS SHERIFF JILL JORDAN AGAINST THE GOOD-OLD-BOYS NETWORK THAT RUNS A RURAL WESTERN TOWN IN A DEATH IN CUMBERLAND.

Embroiled in a hotly contested race for re-election against her own chief deputy, Sheriff Jill Jordan finds herself going up against the town's most influential citizen when she investigates the bludgeoning death of a reclusive resident of the rural Nevada town of Cumberland.

Hal Taylor, the head of Cumberland's good-old-boys network, used his money and influence to put Cumberland on the map. Hal would like nothing better than to see Jill's investigation fail, especially since Hal's son and his buddies had a history with the murder victim. A violent history that Hal paid good money to make go away. Hal's not above throwing his weight around to make sure that Cumberland's first female sheriff loses the election-provided her opponent makes sure the investigation goes away.

But when Jill first took office, she swore to uphold the law for all of Cumberland's citizens, not just the rich and powerful. If she has to dig up a past everyone would prefer stay buried in order to solve this crime, that's what she'll do.

Even if it costs her the election.

Even if it costs her life.

Five stories of a distant -- and not so distant -- future. The title story The Forever Soldier features a far-future infantry soldier who can't stop fighting, no matter how many times she dies. A journalist searching for that one big story in Human Interest uncovers more than he bargained for on a mining colony at the edge of known space. The Liar finds one woman preparing for the end of the world in her own unique way. In Reboot, a time travel pioneer facing forced retirement sends himself on the most important mission of his life. And in the award-winning, near-future story One Sun, No Waiting, an old motel owner tries to maintain an oasis of normal in the Nevada desert as the sun dims and civilization falls apart around him. Annie Reed draws a pitch-perfect portrait of the Nevada desert and peoples it with folks so real I want to drive out by Vegas and check up on how everyone's doing. Its quiet voice and fast pace weave together to make any reader care. -- Cindie Geddes, Editor, Lucky Bat Books. A friend recommended the works of Annie Reed. I was not disappointed. In fact, if her other shorts are as good as this one, I plan to read many more. -- Carol Davis Luce, author of NIGHT GAME (reviewing Annie Reed's short story CHANGELING) The appearance of a new Annie Reed story is a treat. Try one and you'll be hooked. -- Dave Hendrickson, author of CRACKING THE ICE, forthcoming from WestSide Press Author Annie Reed is a prolific, award-winning writer whose stories have been published in numerous science fiction and fantasy anthologies, as well as in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. Annie can be found on the web at www.annie-reed.com.

Award-winning writer Annie Reed likes to scare us, charm us, haunt us, and make us fall in love. She does all of this and more in this collection of stories set in her home state of Nevada. A lonely desert highway provides the backdrop for a mother and daughter facing an uncertain future in Night Passage. A simple day at a man-made lake turns out to be anything but in Lady of the Deep. In For a Few Lattes More, a barista encounters a hero from her childhood, while a former party girl faces the toughest decision of her life in Bait. Life in witness protection takes a sudden left turn for a former hitman in Night of the Cruisers. Luck runs cold for the petty thief of Strike Two, while the world itself chills down for the old motel owner of One Sun, No Waiting. And in Love Among the Llamas, a woman finds unexpected romance waiting around a bend in the road.

Before there was Anna Delvey or Elizabeth Holmes, there was Cassie Chadwick. The first woman-using criminal cunning, some confidence, and a bit of charm--to bring down a federal agent, a bank, and a city's worth of men.

Paroled felon. Rich doctor's wife. Famous clairvoyant. The best con artists know how to reinvent themselves, time and time again. Cassie Chadwick, one of history's most successful con artists, was a master of the trade. Over the course of fifteen years, she swept from town to town, assuming new identities and running new swindles at each railroad stop. In the dusk of the Gilded Age, years after the robber barons had amassed their fortunes, she was amassing her own.
Then came the Carnegie con. Using her wits and a series of forged documents, Cassie convinced prominent men from Cleveland to New York City that she was Andrew Carnegie's illegitimate daughter. Blinded by the name of the most powerful man in the world, businessmen lined up to loan her hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time. The con made her impossibly rich. The crash shattered banks and bankers alike. Her sensational trial drew the eyes of a nation that couldn't get enough of the woman, who newspapers called the Queen of Swindlers, the Duchess of Diamonds, the High Priestess of Fraudulent Finance. Indeed, when Charles Ponzi's infamous scheme collapsed in 1920, reporters scoffed that Ponzi is a piker compared to Cassie.
Interspersing Cassie's crimes with stories of an unsuspecting Andrew Carnegie, author Annie Reed spins an enthralling, page turning tale of true crime. Could the rumors be true? Can Cassie's money last? Will she escape the electric chair?

Told with a gossip columnists' charm and wit, THE IMPOSTER HEIRESS, is a rollicky trickster's tale that will appeal to history buffs and true crime aficionados alike to bring one of the greatest swindlers of all time back into the public eye.

Laugh at holiday escapades that go from bad to worse and shenanigans that just might land these characters on Santa's naughty list!
Contains stories by Annie Reed, Rebecca M. Senese, L.D.B. Taylor, Lauryn Christopher, C.J. Mattison, Katharina Gerlach, Kelly Zimmer, Michele Bazan Reed, R.W. Wallace, and Sarah Czarnecki. Edited by Lyn Worthen.

Nine thrilling stories from nine masters of suspense

Intriguing characters, surprising situations, and mysterious twists-you'll find it all in this spectacular collection of suspense fiction. Grab your copy today

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, NICK JAMES DID THE RIGHT THING. HE reported a crime. But doing the right thing came at a terrible cost: the loss of everything and everyone he held dear.

Nick James used to be a cop with a promising career. Now he works as a bartender at a sleezy Las Vegas strip club. Friendless and alone, he lives as far under the radar as he can get.

Until one night when a simple act of kindness blows his anonymous life to bits, sending him on a collision course with the one person he's been hiding from all these years: his former partner, a violent, crooked ex-cop with mob connections who blames Nick for sending him to prison.

In order to survive, Nick must do something he never thought he'd do. Turn the tables on his pursuer. Come out of the shadows to become the hunter instead of the hunted. All he needs is a little luck on his side.

But luck can be a fickle lady, especially in a town like Las Vegas.

Everyone's favorite Jolly Old Elf takes center stage in six surprising stories from the inventive mind of award-winning writer Annie Reed.

From an old guy just trying to remain useful in today's ever-changing world to a backfiring spell that lands a young woman in hot water with the big man himself...

From a young boy who makes a surprising Christmas wish to a haunting tale of songs from a bygone era brought to life again on one special night...

These stories will make you smile, make you laugh, and pull at your heartstrings in the best possible way. See why Annie Reed's been called a master of short fiction and why her Unexpected series of short-story collections feature some of her finest work.

One of the best writers I've come across in years.
Kristine Kathryn Rusch

THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY-WITH A DEFINITE TWIST-TAKES CENTER STAGE in five unexpected stories from the inventive mind of award-winning writer Annie Reed.

From lonely women who find unexpected companionship and new purpose in life in A New Home for Christmas and Essy and the Christmas Kitten to a conman who comes face to face with his own chance at redemption in Carl of the Bells.

From a child's fervent wish for his family in Roger's Christmas Wish to a holiday favorite who reinvents himself in a decidedly unique way in The Old Guy.

These feel-good holiday stories will make you smile, make you laugh, and pull at your heartstrings in the best possible way. See why Annie Reed's been called a master of short fiction and her Unexpected series of short-story collections feature her finest work.

One of the best writers I've come across in years.
Kristine Kathryn Rusch

THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY TAKES CENTER STAGE in five unexpected holiday stories from the inventive mind of award-winning writer Annie Reed.

From a detective called by an old friend to investigate a decidedly odd crime in The Magi of St. Michael's to a couple whose lives are irrevocably changed by the power of A Wish to Build a Life On.

From private investigator Dee and her hunky elf partner Diz as they tackle The Case of the Disappearing Decorations to an elderly woman trying to regain her Holiday Spirit to a Killer Party that no one in the neighborhood will ever forget.

These Christmas stories will make you smile, make you laugh or give you a chill, and most of all will pull at your heartstrings in the best possible way. See why Annie Reed's been called a master of short fiction and why her Unexpected series of short-story collections feature some of her finest work.

Annie excels at whatever genre of fiction she chooses to write. -Kristine Kathryn Rusch, award-winning editor and writer of The Fey series

Annie Reed is considered by many to be one of the best new writers appearing in fiction. - Dean Wesley Smith, Editor, PULPHOUSE FICTION MAGAZINE

Powerhouse writers Robert Jeschonek and Annie Reed join forces to bring you the first book in a rousing new series that proves you're never too old to kick some ass.

Thirty years ago, military armor jock Augusta Gus Light led a last-ditch battle to save the people of Shepard's Moon from a bloody guerilla uprising. She earned a medal-and the nickname Gray Lady-for her heroism but lost everything she held dear, including the newborn son she was forced to leave behind.

Now an army of guerilla fighters led by a megalomaniacal warlord are staging a bloody takeover of Shepard's Moon, and this time the guerillas are winning. When the Free Worlds Alliance refuses to send troops to defend the planet against this new menace, the take-no-prisoners Gray Lady comes out of retirement for one last battle.

Nobody but nobody threatens her son.

Meanwhile, charming smuggler Mephistopheles Drake also finds himself in a worrisome situation. With business a little on the slow side and dock fees piling up, he's in no position to say no when a gray-haired woman with a take-charge attitude hires his ship for transport. Especially when she pays his fees in advance and clears up all his debts.

He's not even too worried when she loads a couple of tons of armor and a bucketload of ammo in his cargo bay. He's been in the smuggling business a long time. He can handle anything. Then she tells him where she's headed: into the middle of a raging civil war.

Nobody but nobody puts Drake and his ship in danger.

Against a backdrop of action-packed conflicts and intergalactic politics, Gus and Drake go toe to toe in a battle of wills-and mutual attraction. But that's only a prelude to the biggest battle of all: the fight for the heart and soul of Shepard's Moon.

Annie... and Bob? Writing together? Folks, this is epic!- Dean Wesley Smith, Editor, Pulphouse Fiction Magazine

Two lonely people discover that love is the best Christmas present of all.

Jeannie Carlson thought she'd be spending all her Christmases alone. Her husband, the one true love of her life, passed away unexpectedly in January, leaving Jeannie a widow at forty-two.

When an invitation to her Christmas-themed high school reunion takes her back to her old hometown, the last thing Jeannie expects to find is romance with a handsome stranger.

Raymond Ellis has a successful real estate firm, a precious six-year-old daughter, and a conniving ex-wife. Still reeling from his bitter divorce, he's given up on ever finding someone to share his life with again.

Against his better judgment, he agrees to be the plus-one for his gay cousin's Christmas-themed high school reunion. If it wasn't for his daughter, Raymond wouldn't even be celebrating Christmas. Then he meets a beautiful, enchanting widow. A woman he can imagine spending the rest of his life with.

Set against the backdrop of a special night filled with old music, old friends, and old memories, A CHRISTMAS REUNION is the heartwarming story of two people who learn that it's never too late to find true love again-especially at Christmas.