With one act of curiosity, Peytra Sike has unleashed a curse that has stolen away her new husband, the Duke Jors Ameros.

Determined to save him from a dark fate, Peytra must team up with her friends and journey northward through treacherous territory. They face an enemy that even the gods are afraid to confront, and they don’t have a lot of time to do it.

A story of love, magic and mystery in the vein of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, Laura Diaz de Arce's HANDS OF THE CARVER will delight fantasy romance readers who enjoy cinnamon roll heroes, passionate artists, and meddling gods.

In Absence is the fresh and frightening short story collection by Laura Diaz de Arce. Connected by grief, readers will enjoy tales from shape-shifting nature beasts, an affectionate giant squid, an ancient Greek drama on the subway, a Sinatra-loving were-goat, take a trip to a museum in Hell, and many more. Like MONSTROSITY: Tales of Transformation, readers are sure to find works that pull at their heartstrings while still delivering on gore and body horror.

When a budding artist Peytra finds herself swept into the strange world of nobility, she is drawn to the elusive duke Jors Ameros, a man who covers his entire skin from sight. Still, they find they can't keep away from each other and Peytra must discover if love and trust is something found in darkness.

Twelve Genre-bending, dark fiction short stories. Split into three parts, MONSTROSITY explores what it takes to be a “monster”.

“There is sci-fi, folklore and contemporary horror that varies beautifully. The characters are from different times and places with their own voices. From the first page Laura hits you hard, so be ready.” - V. Castro, for LatinHorror.com