Danger. Evil. Death.

Heroes can face it all, but they cannot do it alone.

Throughout history, creatures both big and small have stood alongside heroes and helped them through trying times, whether on the battlefield or in their laps. In these brand-new stories, sixteen bestselling authors regale us with adventures of animal companions and how they often are the ones rescuing the rescuer.

Purchasing this book supports animal rescue. Follow the contributors to learn more.

Parallel Worlds: The Heroes Within

Heroes and villains are not always on the opposite ends of the spectrum of good and evil. Sometimes, all that separates them is a fine line. The stories within “Parallel Worlds” explore the lives of such heroes and what drives them — and what keeps them from crossing over to the other side.

This anthology features nineteen stories from bestselling, award-winning, and emerging authors, and includes brand new, never-before seen stories from Jim Butcher’s, “Dresden Files,” Robert Asprin’s “The Myth-Adventures” by Jody Lynn Nye, and Neo Edmund’s “Red Riding Alpha Huntress Chronicles.”

Unlocking the Magic

In fantasy stories, we read about people with mental illness who are susceptible to magic, closer to breaks in reality, more likely to be able to see the invisible. Depression is depicted as just a symptom of the quest being too hard and a love interest will snap the character right out of it. People with schizophrenia can see spirits and demons, but these people are discarded as the detritus of society once they are no longer useful to the plot. Bipolar disorder is often represented in the villains, those with the visions of God and their own invulnerability. People with PTSD can just get over it as the plot requires.These narratives are damaging and ignore the lives of people with mental illness to the point of romanticizing and erasing their experiences. The stories in this anthology challenge those narratives and show what can be accomplished when we take care of ourselves and seek help. They show the reality of being mentally ill, even though the settings are fantastical and magic abounds. These stories reveal how mental illness and its treatment can affect the magic that lies within all of us.

Dragon Writers: An Anthology

Dragons are creatures of legend. Of magic. Of wisdom, nature, and the power of creation. They have been in every culture and mythology since the beginning of time. Writers are creatures of legend. With magic, wisdom, and the power of creation at their fingertips. They, too, are in every culture and have been creating their own mythologies since the beginning of time.

Within each writer is the power of a dragon. . . . The power of creation.

Gathered together are twenty-six stories from writers who dared to tame this power, including New York Times best-selling authors Brandon Sanderson, Jody Lynn Nye, Todd McCaffrey, and David Farland. Through fantasy, sci-fi, romance, and poetry, this anthology celebrates the magic and majesty of dragons, writers, and creativity. Within these pages, you’ll find dragons who fly through space, who raise hatchlings, who carry the power of life and death. Some dragons are even featured as swords, planes, and origami creatures. Dragon Writers is a special collection where magic and myth combine to create something legendary.

All profits benefit the Don Hodge Memorial Scholarship fund for the Superstars Writing Seminar.