Blackstone Publishing

Ray Hogan remains one of the masters of Western fiction. His stories are especially notable for their compelling characters united with a narrative style that is as intensely interesting as it is emotionally involving.

Between Life and Death

Recently released from prison, Dade Lockett was serving time as an accessory to robbery. His partner in crime, Pete Dillard, was not captured. In fact, Dillard abandoned Lockett during the chase, taking all the money with him. While on his way to confront Dillard and settle the score, Lockett witnesses a raid on a ranch defended by a young woman, her younger brother, and an old man. The last thing Lockett wants is to be distracted from his purpose, but his fundamental sense of decency compels him to act. With the element of surprise on his side, he joins in the fray.

Wanted: Dead or Alive

In the second novel in this duo, Ben Jordan leaves Mexico after receiving a job offer from Tom Ashburn, an old friend of Ben's late father. But while making the journey north, Ben is caught in a terrific thunderstorm in which he loses his horse and gear. He manages to take shelter in a seemingly abandoned cabin, only to find the mortally wounded Walt Woodward. Woodward tells Ben that he is carrying $20,000 in his saddlebags, the proceeds from selling his ranch. If Ben will deliver the money to Woodward's wife, he can keep $1,000 for himself. But a gang of thieves has been on Woodward's trail from the very beginning-and they'll kill anyone who stands between them and the money.

Ray Hogan (1908-1998) was born in Willow Springs, Missouri, but moved to New Mexico with his parents at the age of five. Before he began his writing career, Hogan worked as a truck salesman, a bookkeeper, and a tire store manager. He took a correspondence course in journalism as well as some English courses and began to write short stories for magazines, later becoming a regular contributor to sports journals such as Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, and Hunting & Fishing. Hogan's first book, Ex-Marshall, was published in 1956. He went on to write over a hundred novels.

An anthology more than half a century in the making, The Last Dangerous Visions is the third and final installment of the legendary science fiction anthology series.

In 1973 celebrated writer and editor Harlan Ellison announced the third and final volume of his unprecedented anthology series, which began with Dangerous Visions and continued with Again, Dangerous Visions. But for reasons undisclosed, The Last Dangerous Visions was never completed.

Now, six years after Ellison's passing, science fiction's most famous unpublished book is here. And with it, the heartbreaking true story of the troubled genius behind it.

Provocative and controversial, socially conscious and politically charged, wildly imaginative yet deeply grounded, the thirty-two never-before-published stories, essays, and poems in The Last Dangerous Visions stand as a testament to Ellison's lifelong pursuit of art, uniting a diverse range of science fiction writers both famous and newly minted, including Max Brooks, Edward Bryant, Cecil Castellucci, James S. A. Corey, Howard Fast, Patricia Hodgell, Dan Simmons, Robert Sheckley, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Mildred Downey Broxon, and Cory Doctorow, among others.

The historic publication of The Last Dangerous Visions completes the long-awaited final chapter in an incredible literary legacy.

Najwa Zebian: The Collected Poems is an audio collection of Zebian's bestselling poetry, including the full text of Mind Platter, The Nectar of Pain, and Sparks of Phoenix. This bundled audiobook allows readers to access all of Zebian's moving work in one place, in the author's own voice.

Major Rodger Y. Murphy should have died when his helicopter crashed off the coast of Mogadishu in November, 1993. Instead, he woke up in August, 2125, in a binary star system 152 light years from home. Without any memory of the otherworldly abductors who spirited them away in cold sleep, Murphy and 100 other "Lost Soldiers" have been retrieved and awakened by officers of the Consolidated Terran Republic.

Promising to return to the 55 Tauri B system after completing a distant mission, they leave the twentieth century castaways with a daunting objective: establish a base of operations on the main world, using local allies they have yet to recruit and enemy equipment they have yet to seize.

If that weren't hard enough, 55 Tauri A, the system's primary star, is rapidly approaching, and the technologically superior powers from that neighboring system always visit during the close approach ... to raid, pillage, and cull the locals.

Worse, the Lost Soldiers left behind with Murphy were the losers and ne'er-do-wells deemed "sub-optimal" for inclusion on the rescue mission. Defiant and determined to live down that judgment, they have given themselves a different, more suitable label:

Murphy's Lawless

Bestselling author Jen Ruiz takes readers on a trip around the globe in 12 Trips in 12 Months, defying societal expectations of what a woman is supposed to be--and empowering others to do the same.

The year before her thirtieth birthday, Jen Ruiz decided to change everything. Despite being professionally accomplished and contributing to the world as an attorney at a nonprofit, she had yet to achieve the most important goal, according to society: becoming a wife and mother. So, after more ghostings than a graveyard, tired of dating apps and sitting in a windowless office, Jen embarked on an epic challenge to send her twenties out in style.

Twelve months, twelve trips, no excuses.

She started booking flights instead of swiping right, teaching English online to cover costs. Over the course of the year, Jen descended into a volcano in Iceland, volunteered at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, called in sick to fly in a hot air balloon, and went scuba diving at an underwater museum in Mexico.

She ended up taking twenty trips, almost double her original goal.

In a moving and inspiring story, Jen invites readers along through the year wherein she decided to stop waiting for others and start living for herself, discovered the power of solo travel magic, challenged herself physically and emotionally, made meaningful connections ... and learned that she could feel fulfilled and happy on her own.

A collection of award-winning short stories by Harlan Ellison, an eight-time Hugo Award winner, five-time Bram Stoker Award winner, and four-time Nebula Award winner

Harlan Ellison's work shaped the science-fiction, fantasy, and horror genres in the twentieth century, and this collection of his best-known and most-acclaimed stories is a perfect treasury for old Ellison fans as well as listeners discovering this zany, polyphonic writer for the first time.

Featuring these stories and many more: "'Repent Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" - Hugo Award winner"Jeffty Is Five" - British Fantasy Award winner"The Whimper of Whipped Dogs" - Edgar Allan Poe Award winner

Includes two bonus stories: "The Prowler in the City at the Edge of the World" "Shattered Like a Glass Goblin"

This immersive new autobiography provides insight into the early life and illustrious career of the late great Ramsey Lewis, one of the most popular jazz pianists of all time.

Beginning with his childhood growing up in Chicago's Cabrini Green neighborhood, Ramsey Lewis recounts his memories of the music in his parents' church and his early piano lessons. As he learned classical technique, Lewis also absorbed countless jazz records and heard gospel music weekly, finally becoming a performer himself in his teenage years. With his coauthor and collaborator, Aaron Cohen, Lewis describes his early steps in jazz from joining the Clefs in the '50s, to eventually establishing the Ramsey Lewis Trio.

This memoir provides an evocative tour of Lewis's life from the club circuit of the early 1960s and recording with Chess Records to working with producer Maurice White and musicians such as Stevie Wonder. In this deep dive into an exceptional life and expansive career, Lewis takes us through his artistic challenges, offers insight and perspective on his own musical growth and the creative process, and describes his eventual foray into symphonic composition and performance.

Gentleman of Jazz: A Life in Music is an inspiration to young musicians eager to follow in his footsteps and a tribute to the legacy of Ramsey Lewis and is sure to appeal to longtime fans as well as those new to the jazz scene.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Rise of Kyoshi and Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Shadow of Kyoshi comes a thrilling new chapter in the Chronicles of the Avatar series.

Common enemies make for strange friends ...

Avatar Yangchen has succeeded in bringing a measure of stability to Bin-Er, but her successes have been limited to a single city, and rumors concerning Unanimity--a weapon capable of total obliteration--have led to increasing tensions among the Four Nations.

Desperate to restore diplomacy, Yangchen attempts to de-escalate hostilities between heads of state. But in the wake of a brutal assassination and the freeing of Unanimity, Yangchen is forced to bring Kavik--the trusted former companion whose betrayal crushed her--back into her fold.

As the Four Nations teeter on the brink of conflict and she begins to unravel the power-hungry Zongdu Chaisee's true agenda, Yangchen is forced to measure the worth of humanity and how much can be sacrificed in the name of balance.

This taut and provocative fourth installment in the Chronicles of the Avatar series follows Avatar Yangchen as she charts the course of her legacy, finally making peace with her choices and facing Avatarhood with the courage it demands.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Rise of Kyoshi and Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Shadow of Kyoshi comes the thrilling third chapter in the Chronicles of the Avatar series. Yangchen's inexperience may prove to be her greatest asset.

Plagued by the voices of Avatars before her for as long as she can remember, Yangchen has not yet earned the respect felt for Avatar Szeto, her predecessor. In an era when loyalty is bought rather than earned, she has little reason to trust her counsel.

When Yangchen travels to Bin-Er in the Earth Kingdom on political business, a chance encounter with an informant named Kavik leads to a wary partnership. Bin-Er is a city ruled by corrupt shang merchants who have become resentful of the mercurial Earth King and his whims. To extract themselves from his influence, the shangs have one solution in mind: a mysterious weapon of mass destruction that would place power squarely in their hands.

As Yangchen and Kavik seek to thwart the shangs' plan, their unlikely friendship deepens. But for Yangchen to chart her course as a singularly powerful Avatar, she must learn to rely on her own wisdom above all else.

This propulsive third installment in the Chronicles of the Avatar series illuminates Avatar Yangchen's journey from uncertain young woman to revered leader.

Assemble Artifacts

A short story magazine that assembles a thrilling new mix of stories from genres including horror, science-fiction, comedy, and suspense. Buried at the heart of every story in the magazine is a unique artifact, an object that has inspired our storytellers to create a big idea, an irresistible question, a new immersive world, or a sense of wonder. Unearth your next great read with Assemble Artifacts.

"Nothing Was Already Here" by April WolfeIn the frigid Arctic, a crew of researchers is on the verge of losing their minds. Suddenly, a duplicate research base and crew appear out of nowhere, throwing them into a mind-bending mystery. As they confront their darkest fears, they begin to question if their true adversary is themselves.

"Labyrinth Loop" by Isabel J. KimA precocious teenager thinks his father is at work to break them out of the time loop they've been stuck in for years, but a chance encounter with another prisoner unravels the conspiracy behind their confinement.

"Divine" by Michael GriffoA stunningly irresistible man with mounting debts finds himself thrown into a world of seduction and espionage when he catches the eye of Dionysus, the Greek god of pleasure. With his charm, he is tasked with spying on the gods who have been living as powerful titans of industry on Earth. Will he succumb to their temptations or use his newfound power to bring them down?

"Dismantle" by Joshua SkyAfter losing his wife, a widower is offered the opportunity to reconnect with her using cutting-edge technology. However, what initially seems like a dream come true quickly becomes a nightmare when he discovers the sinister intentions of the corporation behind it and what he must do to dismantle the entire system.

"The Twelve Gates Barber Shop" by K.T. JayneAn ex-convict visits an enigmatic barber on his release, only to discover that he is in limbo between heaven and hell until he finishes paying his dues.

"Refrain" by Gretchen McNeilLooking for inspiration, an up-and-coming music producer frequents garage sales in search of rare vinyl. One of the records she discovers turns out to be cursed, featuring a mesmerizing track that haunts and ultimately kills anyone unlucky enough to hear it ...