Synopses & Reviews
NO STONE UNTURNED
Alexandra Belarus was an artist stuck working in her New York familys business
until she discovered her true legacya deep and ancient magic. Lexi became the last practicing Spellmason, with the power to breathe life into stone. And as her powers awoke, so did her familys most faithful protector: a gargoyle named Stanis. But when a centuries-old evil threatened her family and her city, Stanis sacrificed himself to save everything Lexi held dear.
With Stanis gone, Lexis efforts to master Spellmasonryeven with the help of her dedicated friendsare faltering. Hidden forces both watch her and threaten her, and she finds herself suddenly under the mysterious wing of a secret religious society determined to keep magic hidden from the world.
But the question of Staniss fate haunts herand as the storm around her grows, so does the fear that she wont be able to save him in her turn.
Review
"Simon Canderous is a reformed thief and a psychometrist. By turns despondent over his luck with the ladies (not always living) and his struggle with the hierarchy of his mysterious department (not always truthful), Simon's life veers from crisis to crisis. Following Simon's adventures is like being the pinball in an especially antic game, but it's well worth the wear and tear."
--Charlaine Harris
"Urban fantasy with a wink and a nod. Anton Strout has written a good- hearted send-up of the urban fantasy genre. Dead To Me is a genuinely fun book with a fresh and firmly tongue-in-cheek take on the idea of paranormal police. The laughs are frequent as are the wry smiles. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does next."
- Kelly McCullough, author of Cybermancy, Webmage and Codespell
"Part Ghostbusters, part Men-in-Black, StroutÆs debut is both dark and funny, with quirky characters, an eminently likable protagonist, and the comfortable, familiar voice of a close friend. His mix of (mostly) secret bureaucratic bickering and offbeat action shows New York like weÆve never seen it before. Make room on the shelf, Æcause youÆre going to want to keep this one!"
-Rachel Vincent, author of Stray and Rogue
Review
Praise for the novels of Anton Strout
“Following Simons adventures is like being the pinball in an especially antic game, but its well worth the wear and tear.”—Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Make room on the shelf, ‘cause youre going to want to keep this one!”—Rachel Vincent
Synopsis
Simon Canderous, of the Department of Extraordinary Affairs, is used to fighting vampires and zombies. But the strange murder of a professor has everyone stumped. And it's making some people crazy. Literally.
Synopsis
NO STONE UNTURNED
Alexandra Belarus was an artist stuck working in her New York family s business until she discovered her true legacy a deep and ancient magic.Lexi became the last practicing Spellmason, with the power to breathe life into stone. And as her powers awoke, so did her family s most faithful protector: a gargoyle named Stanis. But when a centuries-old evil threatened her family and her city, Stanis sacrificed himself to save everything Lexi held dear.
With Stanis gone, Lexi s efforts to master Spellmasonry even with the help of her dedicated friends are faltering. Hidden forces both watch her and threaten her, and she finds herself suddenly under the mysterious wing of a secret religious society determined to keep magic hidden from the world.
But the question of Stanis s fate haunts her and as the storm around her grows, so does the fear that she won t be able to save him in her turn."
Synopsis
A new urban fantasy featuring a man working on the right side of law-with talents that come from left field. Psychometry-the power to touch an object and divine information about its history-has meant a life of petty crime for Simon Canderous, but now he's gone over to the good side. At New York's underfunded and (mostly) secret Department of Extraordinary Affairs, he's learning about red tape, office politics, and the basics of paranormal investigation. But it's not the paperwork that has him breathless.
After Simon spills his coffee on (okay, through) the ghost of a beautiful woman- who doesn't know she's dead-he and his mentor plan to find her killers. But Simon's not prepared for the nefarious plot that unfolds before him, involving politically correct cultists, a large wooden fish, a homicidal bookcase, and the forces of Darkness, which kind of have a crush on him.
Synopsis
Once a fabled Blade of Namara, Aral Kingslayer fought for justice and his goddess alongside his familiar, a living shadow called Triss. Now with their goddess murdered and her temple destroyed, they are among the last of their kind. Surviving on the fringes of society, Aral becomes a drunken, broken, and wanted man, working whatever shadowy deal comes his way. Until a mysterious woman hires him to deliver a secret message-one that can either redeem him or doom him.
Synopsis
A Houston college student, McKenzie Lewis can track fae by reading the shadows they leave behind. For years she has been working for the fae King, tracking rebels who would claim the Realm. Her job isn't her only secret. She's in love with Kyol, the King's sword-master-but human and fae relationships are forbidden. When McKenzie is captured by Aren, the fierce rebel leader, she learns that not everything is as she thought. And McKenzie must decide who to trust and where she stands in the face of a cataclysmic civil war.
Synopsis
It’s hard to defeat evil on a budget. Just ask Simon Canderous. FROM THE AUTHOR OF DEAD TO ME.
View our feature on Anton Strout’s Deader Still. It’s been 737 days since the Department of Extraordinary Affairs’ last vampire incursion, but that streak appears to have ended when a boat full of dead lawyers is found in the Hudson River. Using the power of psychometry—the ability to divine the history of an object by touching it—agent Simon Canderous discovers that the booze cruise was crashed by something that sucked all the blood out of the litigators. Now, his workday may never end—until his life does.
Synopsis
Shaking up the spirits of Manhattan
The spirit populace of Manhattan doesn't appreciate its well-deserved RIP being disturbed, and Department of Extraordinary Affairs Agent Simon Canderous is sent in to do damage control. Meanwhile, his vacationing partner, Connor Christos, is in a sorry state, and he tells Simon that each night he's being haunted by visions of his long-lost brother at his window. Simon is worried that his partner may be going crazy-or worse, maybe he's not...
About the Author
Kelly McCullough has sold short fiction to publications including Weird Tales, Absolute Magnitude, and Cosmic SF. An illustrated collection of Kelly's short science fiction, The Chronicles of the Wandering Star, is part of InterActions in Physical Science, an NSF funded middle school science curriculum. He lives in western Wisconsin.