Spiral Publishing's March Reads

The End of the Rainbow by Jason A. Adams

Sometimes life goes down the toilet.

Andrew Fleming: ex-Marine, wanna-be writer, bathroom prisoner.

Until a mysterious visitor offers to free him...for a price.

Join Luchorpán Limited’s newest Special Operative as he embarks on an amazing new life.

Just don’t accept any special deals along the way.

An excerpt from The End of the Rainbow:

“Look,” Andrew said, desperate to get out of this unscathed and un-asylumed. “I swear I won’t write about leprechauns anymore. Whaddaya say?” He held out his right hand, hoping to seal the deal.

“Oh, I think not,” the leprechaun said, turning to face him. His voice had gone greasy, and he had a twinkle in his eye Andrew really didn’t like at all.

“Methinks you do deserve a deal,” he continued. “You’re obviously surprised to see me, so I don’t think you knew you were stepping on any toes.”

He began pacing again, hands clasped behind his back, head down.

“I’ve got it,” he said, rising up and looking Andrew in the eye. “Here’s the very thing. You’ll love it. I’ll release you on the condition that you work off your debt in my employ.”

The Definition of Crime by Kari Kilgore

An Appalachian Crime Story

Private Investigator Helen Hartsock returns home to the Appalachian Mountains.

Searching for a missing person hardly anyone misses.

She finds Martha Phelps: a woman with a mysterious past and fiercely loyal friends.

And a deep knowledge of the secrets the mountains hold.

Will Helen get answers, or regret asking in the first place?

Originally appeared in Mystery, Crime, and Mayhem Private Eyes

Also available in the Spiral Publishing Anthology Shadows Mountain Deep

An excerpt from The Definition of Crime:

A Mystery Almost No One Cares to Solve

Helen was determined to follow the path to wherever Rodney Blevins ended his days, no matter how it twisted or turned. Almost as determined as his family, even if no one else seemed to care.

She pretended to read and watched Martha load everything into one washer while everyone else was still busy sorting into two, sometimes three machines. All typical behavior for this crew.

But instead of standing around and chatting with her friends, Martha stared right at Helen.

Not good.

Then she walked over and sat beside her, which was worse.

"Figured I should introduce myself," Martha said, her voice quiet but a bit rough, as if she'd shouted a lot in her life. "Since we seem to have noticed each other for several days in a row now."

Resurrecting Ruby by Jason A. Adams

Sometimes, New Friends Help Old Friends

For decades, Ruby stood guard over the Holbrook land.

Then spring storms raged across the mountains.

When a piece of his childhood falls, Jesse grieves.

Will new friends help Jesse resurrect Ruby in time?

An excerpt from Resurrecting Ruby:

The big storm from yesterday had blown itself along down the ridges, but a breeze ruffled Jesse’s hair and sent a few leaves skittering across what little yard wasn’t buried under the tree.

Funny how a low sound like that can sound just like…

“Hey, now! Watch yourself, big fella!”

Jesse jumped so bad he near tossed the wheelbarrow clean down the mountain.

Straying from Her Human Lifetime by Kari Kilgore