Loose Leaf Stories
Nonfiction, novels & adult novellas by Erica Lindquist and Aron Christensen
What’s new?
My Guide to RPG Storytelling is now available as an audiobook!Loaded Dice 3 and the Loaded Dice boxed set are now available for purchase.400 Horsepower of the Apocalypse is now available as an audiobook, too!
Role-playing Game Nonfiction
My Guide to RPG Storytelling
I’ve been role-playing all my life and I’ve run a lot of well-received campaigns. My players asked me what made my games work and this book is the result. This isn’t a rulebook for any gaming system, but it’s a how-to for my style of creating memorable NPCs, planning games, and engaging with your players.
My Storytelling Guide Companion
This companion to My Guide to RPG Storytelling goes deeper into creating in-game crises, with lists of example scenarios and twists. The second half covers using voices, mannerisms, and archetypes to create NPCs, including some of the most memorable NPCs from my own games and what made them work.
From Dream to Dice
Now it’s time to put those tools to the test – making an actual RPG campaign. I’ll start with the seed of a story idea, go through world-building and character creation, then expanding that basic plot out into scenes, combats and crises. This is an up-close, behind the scenes look at how I make a game. Then I’ll run the campaign for my group. The second half of this book details what went right, what went wrong, how I kept the game moving and my friends entertained.
My Storytelling Guides boxed set
Get all 3 of the Storytelling Guides in one volume >>
Loaded Dice
This is a collection of our best and favorite articles from the first year and a half year of RPGuide posts. We’ve got advice for handling players, building NPCs, and we debate rules and play styles. If you’re an old hand at role-playing, maybe you’ll find a new trick to put up your sleeve, or a fresh way of looking at gaming. And if you’re new to RPGs, then you’re welcome to learn from our mistakes and take advantage of our experience.
Loaded Dice 2
After two years of writing for The RPGuide, we’ve talked a lot about running and playing role-playing games. This is a collection of our best articles from the second year. This volume of Loaded Dice has sections on Storytelling, plotting your game – including romantic arcs – more about non-player characters (NPCs), juggling game mechanics, and advice for players to create characters and then play them in a team sport like RPGs.
Loaded Dice 3
Three years of RPGuide posts! Thank you for listening for all these years! Whether you’re new to role-playing games or have been gaming for years, come learn from our mistakes and take advantage of our experience. We recommend reading at least the first Loaded Dice, but also consider My Guide to RPG Storytelling, My Storytelling Guide Companion, or From Dream to Dice. You don’t need to read them, but it might help.
Loaded Dice boxed set
Get all a bundle of all 3 Loaded Dice collections >>
Fantasy & Science Fiction Novels
400 Horsepower of the Apocalypse
Jasmine “Jaz” O’Neil wants out of Kansas fast. But escaping her dead-end mechanic job seems just as outlandish as her haunting apocalyptic visions. So when a hunky biker named Leo with a misbehaving machine offers her an out, she ignores her fears and takes it. But they’ve barely begun their trip when they find Leo’s gang supernaturally slaughtered.
Reeling from the bloody sight, Jaz discovers she and her sexy companion share the same prophetic nightmares.
Whisperworld
Julia has never seen what lies beyond Angel City. The Wrath of God destroyed the old world, leaving only endless deserts and terrible sandstorms that can flay the skin from any human caught outside the city walls. Only the Tear, a vast, strange black sphere at the heart of her home, protects the people of Angel City. No one knows what it is or how it works, but now the sphere is failing, falling silent, and not even the Gardeners who care for it know why.
In the House of Five Dragons
Thirty years have passed since the bloody battle of Njorn Pass, since Rikard Mazrem traded his life away to the Alterra to save his dying men. Defeat became victory and an empire was born. For decades, the people of Carce have revered Rikard as a hero.
But now Rikard has returned to find the world changed. Or perhaps he is the one who has changed…
Crucible of Stars
Maeve Cavainna is running and her wings won’t save her. The infamous bounty hunter, Logan Coldhand, chases close behind her. When he finally corners her, the long chase seems to be over… until a frightened alien girl stumbles into their fight and begs for their protection. Maeve and Logan call a reluctant end to their battle, but can the fragile peace between hunter and mark hold?
Crucible of Stars is the first book of the Reforged Trilogy.
Sword of Dreams
For a church dedicated to the worship of death, the Cult of Nihil stubbornly refuses to die. When word Logan Coldhand that the Central World Alliance is willing to pay for cultists, he takes the job.
Halfway across the galaxy, Maeve and the rest of the Blue Phoenix crew agree to take on their own simple simple job,but find themselves pitted against old enemies and ancient terrors.
Sword of Dreams is the second book of the Reforged Trilogy.
Forged: 4 Reforged Short Stories
Before Maeve and the crew of the Blue Phoenix make their desperate bid to reforge the galaxy, each of them were first forged themselves in the crucible of galactic events.
Forged includes four short stories that take place before Crucible of Stars and the rest of the Reforged Trilogy. Suggested order of reading is after Sword of Dreams in order to be familiar with all of the characters involved.
Hammer of Time
Duaal may have banished Xartasia and the Devourers, but they’re not gone. Maeve has gone to warn the Central World Alliance, but they have no interest in fairy tales or stories of monsters. So now it falls to her friends to discover what is happening. Maeve has little doubt that Xartasia is this White Queen, but then how can Devourers help her to bring back the kingdom that they themselves destroyed a century ago? Whatever the answer, it promises nothing good for the rest of the galaxy…
Hammer of Time is the third book of the Reforged Trilogy.
Reforged boxed set
Get the Reforged Trilogy plus all 4 Forged stories in one volume >>
Fireflies
A haunted train, the gods’ retirement home, a spirit of vengeance who doesn’t know her purpose, a man guarding secrets he doesn’t remember, an ancient star brings a spaceship to life, and laws of the dead that prove tricky.
Fireflies is a short stories collection.
Judgment Valley
Jane doesn’t care about the war that Hell won against Heaven. That happened centuries ago. She made her deal with one of the demons who rule over what remains and lost everything, so now Jane is crawling alone through the desert of Arizona in search of the Verde River and its promise of a new life.
Ben only cares about one thing: Ana, the woman he has been searching all the shattered world to find. He’s been wandering the West for a long time, chasing Ana and his own dreams.
Their search will lead them to a hidden valley, and a river that will carry Jane and Ben to their destinies.
Urban Fantasy Erotica
Explicit sexual content warning! 18+ only!
Lily Quinn #1: Wanted Undead or Alive
My name is Lily Quinn. I’m a bounty hunter. I work for the College of wizards to hunt down monsters that go bump in the night. If they’re hot, sometimes I bump right back.
There’s a vampire in my city and my employers want him dead. His creator, too, if I can find the guy. I don’t have much to go on, but I think I can oblige my magical bosses. Vampires are deadly and beautiful – just the way I like them. If I’m not careful, I’ll be the one who ends up dead.
Lily Quinn #2: All’s Fae in Love and War
My name is Lily Quinn. I’m a half-succubus bounty hunter. I work for the College, a secret cabal of wizards who pay me well to deal with monsters. You wouldn’t believe my résumé – or my little black book.
But speaking of books, some kind of ancient tome has gone missing from the College’s library. I’m not sure why this book is so important, but the wizards are offering a huge reward to return it, and a bonus if I can bring in the thief.
So now I’ve got a lead on an Unseelie fairy who likes leather and a challenge. What a coincidence – so do I.
Lily Quinn #3: The Beast Within
Let me introduce myself. My name is Lilith Quinn, but you can just call me Lily. I’m a sex-powered half-succubus bounty hunter working for a College of sorcerers who pay me to deal with monsters. My life just gets weirder from there.
There’s a werewolf loose in the city. I don’t know who the hell he is, but it’s my job to catch the guy before he can hurt anyone or spread his demonic curse. The College wants me to take him alive, but werewolves are strong, fast and tough as hell to catch. This is going to be a challenging hunt and I’ll need a lot of power to finish it.
Lily Quinn #4: In Too Deep
My name is Lily Quinn and I’m the best monster hunter in the city. But I wasn’t always as good at it as I am now. My first job was Adähr, a water spirit who likes to steal from humans and flaunt his powers. He’s the one who got away.
Now Adähr’s back. He’s being chased by Remy Saville, a French bounty hunter who’s been after the water spirit for years and is determined to finally finish the job. Remy’s handsome and experienced, but there’s no way I’m letting him or anyone else beat me this time. Adähr is mine.
So let the games begin. I’m going to play dirty.
Lily Quinn #5: Max’s Long Night
My name is Maxwell Ferguson. Max. My best friend is Lily Quinn… but she’s probably not like your best friend. For one, she’s not entirely human. Lily’s half succubus and uses the power that sex gives her to hunt down monsters on behalf of the College of wizards. So let’s just say that being Lily’s friend can get really interesting.
Now she’s invited me out to dinner for Valentine’s Day. The restaurant is nice and everything seems pretty normal so far, but there’s no way things will go that smoothly. You know Lily better than that. What have I gotten myself into this time?
Lily Quinn boxed set #1
Volume One includes books 1 - 5 >>
Lily Quinn #6: Raising the Dead
I’m a sex-powered half-demon monster hunter. That sets my bar for weird pretty high. So trust me when I say there’s something really weird about this job.
I’ve got two dead College wizards, murdered by a… cute junior advertising executive? Rick Sung is no kind of monster I know of, so how the hell did an ordinary human manage to kill a pair of trained mages?
I have about a million questions for Rick, but first I need to catch him before he can kill anyone else. That shouldn’t be too hard. The guy is only human… right?
Lily Quinn #7: One Night Sand
The College has a problem. A mummy has managed to secure a stranglehold on real quicksilver, a rare alchemical reagent. I don’t do magic, but that’s exactly why they called me – wizards aren’t welcome in Egypt. So the High Magus is sending me in alone. First I need to get permission from the djinni to enter their lands and then try to negotiate with an immortal alchemist on behalf of the entire Merlinic order for a resource unobtainable anywhere else on Earth.
No pressure. But I have some ideas on how to get them on my side. I can be very persuasive…
Lily Quinn #8: Tangled Limbs
Right now, I have two jobs: take down a particularly bloodthirsty vampire, and make sure that Max’s new girlfriend is good enough for him. Two tasks of equal importance, if you ask me. Both of them seemed to be going just great, but then Max found something that reminds us both of a werewolf.
No one’s said anything about a werewolf in the city, but there’s something out there. Something dangerous. Well, that’s what they pay me the big bucks to deal with. Now I need to figure out what I’m up against and how to find it.
I’ve got some long nights ahead of me.
Lily Quinn #9: Coming Into Power
I’m Lily Quinn: half-succubus, monster hunter, insatiable sex fiend… but you know all that by now. So maybe it’s finally time to tell the first story, the one about how all of this began.
How I discovered the whole supernatural world and my place in it.
How I met Evaine and everything she taught me.
How I managed to convince the College that I wasn’t a monster.
How I nearly lost Max forever.
How I became… me.
Lily Quinn boxed set #2
Volume Two includes books 6 - 9 >>
Lily Quinn #10: A Made Man
In nine years of monster hunting, I’ve never faced anything like this. The College calls him a golem, and we’re not talking about a cute little homunculus. Someone has sliced up a human and stitched him together with parts of a demon, and the result frightens even me.
Now I’ve been forbidden to pursue the golem. But why would anyone make a creature like him? And why am I being told to leave it alone? Something weird is going on here and I’m going to find out what. I like a challenge, but this one may be too big for me to handle.
Lily Quinn #11: Deep Woods
I was supposed to be the best monster hunter in the city. After everything that’s happened, though, I’m not even sure I want to do this job anymore. I’ve lost everything. But what else is a girl like me going to do with herself?
So I’ve taken another bounty, one high in the mountains where a yeti’s been tearing it up. And I don’t mean throwing parties. This job might take a while and my powers only last about a day, so I’m bringing something with me that I never have before – Max.
Deep Woods also includes the bonus short story ‘Dirty Hands.’
Lily Quinn #12: Spells of Binding
I’ve got a lead on the wizard who summoned up my demonic trouble from the Nether and nothing in this world or any other will keep me from hunting him down. But the College has put the rest of the bounty hunters on the job and barred me from joining in!
This won’t be easy, but I like hard just fine. Even the little information I’ve been able to uncover is suspicious as hell. To find my answers and some measure of justice, I’ll have to face my own demons – and considering I’m half succubus, that’s saying something.
Lily Quinn #13: Sealed With a Kiss
My name is Lily Quinn and this could be my last story.
It’s been a long, strange year. The strangest of my life and you know by now just how weird that is. I fought off everything that Asmodai could throw at me and thought it was all finally over. I thought the world was safe and Asmodai had no more tricks left to pull.
I was wrong.
Lily Quinn boxed set #3
Volume Three includes books 10 - 13 >>
Magic Max: A Lily Quinn Epilogue
They say everything changes after marriage and kids. Well, it’s true for me and Max, but not in the way most people think. Now I have to juggle raising our daughter, Eva, and being a half-demon bounty hunter. First, I’ll pick up some milk at the store and then I’ll hunt down a supernatural seductress that’s been sucking the life out of the city’s male strippers.
I’ve got this all handled. Right?
Howling for More: A Lily Quinn Novel
My name is Stefano Rossi. I’ve been hunting werewolves most of my life and it’s a dangerous job – but now it’s almost done. There are only a few left in the entire world and when they’re gone, the curse will be over.
I may have saved the worst for last, though. Now I’m hunting the biggest, baddest wolf of them all. The one savage and strong enough to escape every hunter before me. It’s going to take every weapon I have and every trick in my spellbook to finally bring her in.
And to make this job even worse… this time I have a partner.
Miss Rose
Miss Rose includes three stories of increasing length:
Advanced Studies: Despite all of college freshman Alex’s studious ambition, he still requires instruction in the basics.
Cold Case: Alex is now an intern, working with local police detectives to find a missing man. The cops don’t think that the bondage equipment they found has any bearing on the case, but Alex believes differently and goes to Miss Rose for a lesson in dominance and submission.
Blooming: Alex has graduated from college and joined the police force, just like he has always wanted. He’s even met a girl and fallen in love. But after she is assaulted on the job, their relationship and her career are in jeopardy.