An Artifact Of Death

"An exhilarating entry in a thoroughly enjoyable series." ~ Kirkus Reviews A botched execution. A reverend on the run. Can she solve the mystery before she's caught in the crosshairs? The fourth installment in the Kirkus Reviews, National Indie Excellence Awards and Publishers Weekly award-winning series by USA Today Best-Selling Author, J. J. Cagney: Reverend Cici Gurule went to the sacred Chaco Canyon in search of a sign. She's been offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in a megachurch, but taking the position would mean abandoning her Southwestern home and the man she's grown to love as much more than a friend. She's so caught up in her thoughts that she doesn't realize when she stumbles upon a group of heavily armed operatives on the verge of an execution. Soon, Cici's dodging bullets and scaling mesas with the mysterious man she saved from certain death. With a little help from her twin sister's ghost and restless ancestral spirits, they venture deeper into the maze-like rocky terrain. But her new companion's deadly aim makes her wonder if she can afford to trust his side of the story. To make it out of the canyon alive, Cici must unearth the true story behind the man and a sacred Navajo artifact before the next blood shed on sacred ground is hers. ★ WHY READERS CAN'T PUT DOWN REV. CICI GURULE'S MYSTERIES ★ A 2019 Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize finalist. "Written in a clear, distinct style, Padgett uses the prose to elicit tension and emotion and creates a tense, fast-paced story." ~ The BookLife Prize "Hold on to your hat, this story is fast paced and really gets your blood moving." ~ Joanne Hampton, Goodreads Review "This story is filled with what makes the dessert Southwest so beautiful and terrifying. Truly one of the best books in the series." ~ Suzy Sims, Goodreads Review

He thought he was investigating money laundering, but the case is far more menacing. It’s murder… Detective Sam Chastain has been dreading his next case: he must investigate his father-in-law’s role in a federal money-laundering scheme. When a grisly murder reframes the case, he must find answers before he loses another witness. At the same time, new evidence sheds light on the decades-old drowning death of Cici’s uncle. She’s one of the few tenuous threads that connects the two murders. And a brand-new one. As Sam and Cici race to uncover the identity of the latest victim, they realize the killer never leaves loose ends… Like Cici. A Counsel for Death is the sixth book in the multi-award-winning Rev. Cici Gurule Mystery series. Buckle in for a thrill ride full of twists and page-turning action. "An action-packed murder mystery with a touch of the paranormal, the sixth book in the Reverend Cici Gurule Mystery series puts newlywed Cici in a murderer’s crosshairs." The Booklife Prize

The fourth installment in the Kirkus Reviews, National Indie Excellence Awards, and Publishers Weekly award-winning series by J. J. Cagney: The first victim rolls out of a rain barrel. Soon, Cici Gurule dreams of other women's attacks, thanks to visions from her dead twin. The victims' watery graves torment Cici, feeding her growing fear of water. The killer targets Cici's congregants and friends, taunting her and her lover, Detective Sam Chastain. Sam partners with the SFPD to investigate the widening web of assault, death, and pain... all while Cici struggles with the choices she made in Chaco Canyon. When the killer lures a teen girl from her family, Cici and Sam's desperation to identify him becomes critical. But the clues, from the disappearance of Sam's ex-lover, to a cat with a chilling message for Cici, are leading them further from the truth, rather than toward saving the kidnapped girl. ★ WHY READERS CAN'T PUT DOWN THE REV. CICI GURULE'S MYSTERIES★ "The prose is...sublimely concise. An exhilarating entry in a thoroughly enjoyable series." -- Kirkus Reviews "Written in a clear, distinct style, Padgett (J. J. Cagney) uses the prose to elicit tension and emotion and creates a tense, fast-paced story. -- The BookLife Prize "An exciting mix of murder, mayhem and romance featuring a heroine who is one tough cookie in a book that packs a powerful punch–emotionally and action-wise–right through to the climactic ending."- IndieReader "Vivid, alluring, and heart-wrenching, Alexa Padgett's A Pilgrimage to Death is every reason I love mystery. A breathtaking tale." - Darynda Jones, New York Times Bestselling Author "You're not going to find this kind of absorbing, engaging, enticing suspense anywhere else, so grab this one today!" - BookAddict

Deputy sheriff Manny Rivera investigates the murder of a ranch hand whose body was found in the remote canyon country near Moab, Utah.

This book provides insight and instruction for bereaved readers and those who work with them.

Rowan and Bex have been through the noktum and come out the other side stronger. They work directly for the queen, searching for Giant artifacts to help Humanity. But all of their wit and skills are tested when darkness descends across the entire continent of Noksonon. It's the beginning of a war that the Humans can't win. All they can do is survive. Luckily Rowan still carries the Grief Draw, a lantern that can push back the darkness and keep a small scrap of Humanity alive in the dark. But when a Giant out of legend comes after the Grief Draw--and anyone who has ever held it--Rowan and Bex must lead their friends and families across the continent to keep them safe. Their only hope lies in Tera, the companion they left behind on the island of Taur. She is a fighter and the only one among them they would trust to face a Giant. And she has ties to a legendary weapon, a final artifact hidden in a stronghold that might keep them safe. They just have to find Tera. And make her a Giant killer.

Envision a naive young man beguiled, robbed, and ridiculed by a beautiful sorceress. Imagine the young man became the greatest assassin that ever lived. See in your mind's eye an assassin consumed by hatred of all things Magick and committed to their destruction. Visualize the creation- through the power of a Wish- of an artifact of great power to assist his quest. Picture the assassin's second Wish- a Wish for more time and a labyrinth to keep his treasure forever secure from any that might seek the artifact. Realize the consequences of the imperfect Wish- albeit difficult, a path to the assassin's treasure, the Death of Magick. Envision the struggle across space and time between a just and powerful sorceress with rainbow tresses and a demon of timeless evil. The sorceress must seek the weapon created to bring about her destruction.The strongest and wisest of two very different worlds attempt to unravel the mysteries of ancient parchments and devise a plan to defeat the demon threatening both worlds. A new generation of Donothor and Parallan- empowered by Light, Dark, and Illusory Magick- accepts the challenge and assists their king and mentors. What roles have a beautiful mysterious red-haired elf, the bloodline of an enemy, and an artifact of evil? Will the sacrifices of generations be for naught? If they find the Death of Magick, will the weapon destroy them before they face the demon?

We are born, live, and die with technologies. This book is about the role technology plays in sustaining narratives of living, dying, and coming to be. Contributing authors examine how technologies connect, disrupt, or help us reorganize ways of parenting and nurturing life. They further consider how technology sustains our ways of thinking and being, hopefully reconciling the distance between who we are and who we aspire to be. Finally, they address the role technology plays in helping us come to terms with death, looking at technologically enhanced memorials, online rituals of mourning, and patterns of grief enabled through technology. Ultimately, this volume is about using technology to reimagine the art of life.