SHORT STORY OF THE SOUL BROKER SERIES The Reaper Hungers Like No Other. An old enemy from the other side of afterlife management cheated him out of his last soul. Now the Reaper seeks an ordinary meal of desperation, anguish, and despair from the next human on his docket. Unfortunately, interference in the way of a meddlesome mortal woman thwarts his plan. Naturally, this woman must pay. But Vivian Bedford is no ordinary mortal. Her interference in his reaping is decidedly supernatural. Lazarus Darkmore has been on the hunt for a challenge, an exquisitely damaged soul from whom he can siphon darkness. Vivian could be that soul. Then again, if she possesses the power of a Soul Broker, she could prove more valuable—if she survives the Reaper’s gauntlet.

The road to hell begins when the reaper darkens her door. A chance encounter with a dying stranger opens an empathic connection between down-on-her-luck caregiver Vivian Bedford and the world of spirits. Lazarus Darkmore, a grim reaper in a charming and seductive package, seeks to recruit her as a soul broker. Guardian spirit Ezra and his new apprentice Zeke offer protection from the reaper—so long as she works on their side of afterlife management. But these guardians are no angels, and their methods leave Vivian fearing the price of their protection. Her ability to channel conscious energy from the living, something no guardian or reaper can do, could be a game changer. If she can control it, she can use this power as leverage. And she needs a bargaining chip, especially when she discovers that incapacitated living mortals can supply energy for the spirit realm, making her disabled sister Mae a prime target for guardian and reaper alike. Can she move from pawn to major player in order to save Mae, and herself, from a horrific fate beyond the simple and fleeting terrors of death? Librarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ASIN B06X9DPNB2 here.

Afterlife management is a tricky business, especially for a living soul broker. Juggling normal life with her otherworldly responsibilities—like helping departed souls cross to the other side while collecting grief from the living through her empathetic connection—just got a whole lot more complicated. Her guardian spirit bosses, who make the mafia look tame, don’t like the side jobs she’s been taking to help living souls in peril. But they don’t know the half of it. She’s been working in secret with Lazarus Darkmore, a grim reaper and unlikely ally against the guardians’ hold on her. When a rogue guardian sends an ominous message that threatens to expose the alliance unless she stops, she has no choice but to put her trust in the reaper. But can a creature as dark and terrifying as Darkmore keep her safe, or will his appetite for cruelty and terror be her undoing? With a spirit world energy crisis looming and guardian spirits closing in, Vivian must choose—toe the line with the guardians, plunge into darkness with the reaper, or join a rebellion that could unleash hell on earth.

A Southern woman connected to the spirit world is running for her life in this supernatural thriller from the author of Raising the Dead. Alliances with reapers and demons, and a talent for freeing trapped souls, sparks the ire of the Archangel Guardian Spirit council, and now Vivian Bedford is public enemy number one. With a band of living soul brokers causing rebellion, can she trust them to help? The resistance is small, but their will to win thrives. When a traitor in their ranks threatens to bring down the operation, Vivian's fight for survival turns into a battle to save the rebellion and root out the turncoat. Vivian will need her wits to keep the many dangers at bay. But doing so just might cost her everything. Will she prevail in the war for freedom...and her soul? For fans of Patricia Briggs, Faith Hunter, Jeaniene Frost, Diana Rowland, Charlaine Harris, and K. F. Breene "A unique cast of characters drives this beautifully crafted tale that demands you keep a box of tissue on hand. A soul-wrenching look into the decisions one must make about life and death, not only for one's self, but for a loved one. Ms. Sieders knows how to put words on paper that touch the heart, and invigorate the mind."—InD'Tale Magazine