Blog - C Gockel Writes

Featured Sci-Fi: Between Mountain and Sea by Louisa Locke

April 4, 2026 by Carolynn

FREE as of April 4, 2026
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Mei Lin Yu should have been looking forward to the next stage in her life. As a descendant of one of the Founding Families who led the exodus from a dying Earth and now rule New Eden, Mei’s choices are endless. But she has never felt part of the Yu Family or the world of technological marvels and genetic perfection the Founders created.

All that will change the summer she spends at Mynyddamore, the home her ancestor Mabel Yu built in western Caelestis. Here, living among the Ddaerans, the original inhabitants of New Eden, Mei will discover secrets about Mabel Yu that her family want to keep buried and a truth about herself that will forever change her own destiny.

Between Mountain and Sea is a coming of age novel, the first book in USA Today Bestselling author Louisa Locke’s Caelestis series in the Paradisi Chronicles (an open source, science fiction world created by multiple authors).

Featured Sci-fi: The Skylark of Space (Skylark Book 1) by E. E. Doc Smith and Lee Hawkins Garby

April 1, 2026 by Carolynn

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This epic space opera from the father of the genre is an “adventure of an unprecedented kind . . . The first great ‘classic’ of American science fiction” (Isaac Asimov).

From Science Fiction– and Fantasy Hall of Fame–inductee E. E. Smith, The Skylark of Space chronicles the groundbreaking adventures of scientist Richard Seaton. After stumbling upon the secrets of atomic energy during a laboratory accident, Seaton partners with wealthy engineer Martin Crane, eager to share his discovery with the world by creating space travel. But this life-changing invention brings grave danger as greedy competitors want to exploit Seaton’s secret for their own means, including the unscrupulous Dr. Marc “Blackie” DuQuesne. But DuQuesne’s attempt to destroy Seaton and Crane sends the three men out into deep space, where their struggle to persevere leads to an epic tale of intergalactic space battles.

“With the exception of the works of H. G. Wells, possibly those of Jules Verne—and almost no other writer—[The Skylark of Space] has . . . done more to change the nature of all the science fiction written after it than almost any other single work.” —Frederik Pohl, Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author

Featured Fantasy: The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Dragons & Magical Creatures (The Dragon Society Papers Book 2) by AJ Ponder

April 1, 2026 by Carolynn

New Release
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Mandy has escaped the Dragon Pacification Society with her fae dragon, Beeble, and her new companion, the mysterious marble demon, Stan.

But she was forced to leave her enslaved family behind. And the clock is ticking.

Mandy’s little brother, Binky, and his dragon, have been sold. She has a week to rescue him before he’s taken to work as an indentured rider in a far away world.

The one hope Mandy has is that she can find help at The Library of Alexandria.

Unfortunately, Mandy’s timing couldn’t be worse. The Library of Alexandria is still recovering after being raided by demons, so when she turns up with her demon friend, Stan, the guards assume they’re spies and throw them both into a cell. A comfortable cell. But a cell, nonetheless.

Pick up your copy of The Society for the Protection of Dragons & Magical Creatures & Demons for the final instalment of Mandy’s cosy adventures in The Dragon Society Papers.

Featured Fantasy: The Wayward Wizard (Magic & Mayhem Book 1) by Alesha Escobar

March 31, 2026 by Carolynn

99¢ as of March 31, 2026
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I’m the last person a secret government agency wants to call for help.

I spend my days selling New Age trinkets to humans and my nights drinking with a street-hustling alchemist. Not exactly the law and order type. But when monsters from our childhood nightmares become flesh and blood, snatching people from the streets, I’m one of the few wizards alive who can uncover who’s behind it.

My past threatens to catch up with me, and I’m not sure I can outrun it.

After losing my family in a fire and being whisked away by my caretaker to train at the Akashic Academy, my life was further turned upside down when I emerged from my final test to find three dead master wizards. Despite being cleared of all charges, most in my community believe I killed them.

They call me the Wayward Wizard.

Featured Science Fiction: Double Edged (The Bulari Saga Book 1) by Jessie Kwak

March 31, 2026 by Carolynn

FREE as of March 31, 2026
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With stakes this high, humanity doesn’t need a hero. They need someone who can win.

**Series complete! (5 books)**

Willem Jaantzen didn’t ask to be a hero. He just wants to keep his family safe in the shifting sands of Bulari’s underground—and to get the city’s upper crust to acknowledge just how far he’s come since his days as an orphaned street kid. With his businesses thriving and his dark past swept into the annals of history, it looks like he has everything he could ever ask for. Until, that is, his oldest rival turns up murdered and the blame—and champagne—begins to flow.

It turns out Thala Coeur died as she lived: sowing chaos. And when a mysterious package bearing her call sign shows up on Jaantzen’s doorstep, he and his family are quickly swallowed up in a web of lies, betrayals, and interplanetary politics. It’ll only take one stray spark to start another civil war in the underworld, and Jaantzen’s going to have to pull out every play from his notorious past if he wants to keep his city from going up in flames.

Jaantzen never wanted to be a hero, but that might just be a good thing. Because a hero could never stop the trouble that’s heading humanity’s way.

DOUBLE EDGED is the first book of the Bulari Saga, a five book series featuring gunfights, dinner parties, explosions, motorcycle chases, underworld intrigue, and a fiercely plucky found family who have each other’s backs at every step. Perfect for fans of The Expanse, Firefly, and The Godfather. Download Double Edged and start the adventure today.

Download Double Edged and start the adventure today.

Featured Fantasy: Speak of the Devil (Vegas Slayers Book 1) by Christine Pope

March 29, 2026 by Carolynn

Featured Fantasy: Speak of the Devel (Vegas Slayers Book 1) by Christine Pope

FREE as of March 29, 2026
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Their supernatural talents could make them the perfect team — if Hell doesn’t claim them first.

Caleb Lockwood has a foolproof system for winning big in Las Vegas. Being part demon helps. Fresh from his escape from Hell, he’s looking to lie low and build a new life, starting with flipping a haunted house. Too bad his realtor has a knack for spotting supernatural trouble.

Delia Dunne’s business card might advertise “luxury real estate,” but her true expertise lies in cleansing properties of unwanted spectral tenants. When a casino executive hires her to investigate a streak of suspicious wins, she never expects her newest client — the charming house flipper with seemingly unlimited funds — to be at the center of it all.

From the moment Caleb and Delia step into a ghost-infested property, things get complicated: sparks fly between them, spirits vanish mysteriously, and demons start showing up with deadly intent. As Delia digs deeper into Caleb’s past, she uncovers a two-year-old disappearance, a rebellion in Hell, and a secret that could get them both killed. Worse, the powerful figure behind it all is closer than either of them realized — and he’s playing for keeps.

The stakes are high, the odds are stacked, and in Vegas, the house always wins. Unless you’ve got a quarter-demon and a ghost hunter in your corner.

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