Date Published: 09-15-2026

Publisher: Ink &
Magick

 

Wisconsin, 2050. Kallista Marquis
doesn’t expect much anymore. When poor air quality and undrinkable water
are everyday problems, the pessimistic gardener is just glad to have a roof
over her head. But when a handsome glassblower informs her she’s a
natural witch, she eagerly learns the illicit craft as she discovers her
ability to finally impact the world.

Fort Meade. Evan Wells should be
thrilled with his special assignment. Desperate to keep taking the
wish-granting drug that makes him feel invincible, the Army specialist focuses
on hunting down naturals and avoiding the snarky yet attractive private who
hardly gives him a moment’s peace. But when his lack of progress again
threatens a court-martial, his spiraling anxiety endangers more than he’s
willing to risk.

Trapped by the economic, governmental, and environmental
pressures of their time, these opposing sides believe magic is the only
glimmer of hope either of them has. But is that power worth it? Is it worth
dying for? Is it worth killing for?

 

Uncertainty, love,
secrets, and sorcery tangle the threads of fate in this slice-of-life
dystopian fantasy.

 

 D. Lieber writes character-driven stories for every mood. Her characters
breathe as if they have souls, and her effortlessly immersive worlds hold
inner harmonies that cleverly tie everything together.

Beyond her skeptic
and slightly pessimistic mind, Lieber wants to believe. She is a romantic
idealist at heart, always fighting to keep her feet on the ground and her head
in the clouds. When she isn’t planning her next physical adventure,
she’s recklessly jumping from one fictional world to another. Her love
of reading led her to earn a Bachelor’s in English from Wright State
University. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband (John) and cats (Yin and
Nox).