Nicole Frail Books

07/10/2025

I’m thrilled to announce that my short story, “Of Sound Mind” will be a part of Not As It Seems: A Gothic Anthology. Huge thanks to and an imprint of for this opportunity! 🖤

07/10/2025

07/10/2025

🌟Congratulations to Amy Kelly!🌟

NFB & Imprints would like to say congrats to one of our authors, Amy Kelly, on the publication of her short story, "Wild Game" by Scribbled! 👏

Please follow Amy to learn more about her work, including the publication of "Another Fish in the Sea" next week!

Read on for the inspiration behind "Wild Game" and check the link in the Comments to read it now!

📖Summary📖

Amy says, "I wrote this story in response to the fact that women were more afraid of a bear in the woods than a man. What if it were the bears and men that needed to watch their backs?"

07/10/2025

✨Announcement!✨

And You Press, an imprint of Nicole Frail Books, and anthology editor Courtney Umphress are proud to announce the short stories and authors that were selected for our gothic anthology!

Congratulations to:

Caroline Baccene
Rosie Beech
Sarah Bjork - Author
LM Copeland
Jesse Ramon Ferreras
Sarah Kennedy Keys
Cora Laine
Edmund McKenzie
Yesenia Monique
Derek Moreland
Elizabeth Faye Moxen
Katherine Rea
Constance Renfrow
Grace Silva-Ortiz
Elizabeth Torres
Meranda Tuttle
Roxanne Werner

Today, the authors will be posting teasers about each of their stories mostly on Instagram! Head over to the NFB Instagram account to see them.

And if you'd like access to these seventeen stories before pub this September, sign up for the NFB Street Team and consider joining the Plunge into Books Tours team, too!

✨ Are you a gothic fiction reader? Which title are you most drawn to? ✨

07/09/2025

🐠 COVER REVEAL! 🐠

I am so excited to show off the cover for Amy Kelly's short story, ANOTHER FISH IN THE SEA, available from Attic Ebooks, an imprint of Nicole Frail Books, on July 17, 2025.

Cover by FracinneaShelves

🌊 🌊 🌊

SUMMARY

Dating was survival of the fittest for Marie—until a disastrous blind date ended in a car accident. As she recovers post-surgery, she wonders if it’s the lingering effects of the anesthetic or something more when she hears the voice of a stranger singing along with her behind the curtain in the post-op room. Their brief, strange moment ends as he’s wheeled away—but not before he mentions he’s a chef at Dockside.

Thanks to her friend Janey’s careful orchestrations, Marie soon discovers the man behind the curtain’s name is Jack, and he is, indeed, the Dockside chef. Through texts, she discovers he’s eager to get to know her, but Marie has sworn off first dates—too many heartbreaks and pain, and a broken leg to prove it. Jack hatches a plan to never go on a first date with her at all.

Could undating Jack become the relationship Marie has always wanted, or will he be just another fish in the sea?

A variation of this story originally appeared in Recipes for Romance, published by in January 2025. This ebook expands on that story, inviting the reader to see what Marie and Jack got up to after their hilarious post-op meet-cute.

🌊 🌊 🌊

Preorder for $0.99 today!

Join the NFB Street Team for early reads and to be part of a community focused on helping authors get the word out about their new books!

07/07/2025

🎁NEW SHORT STORY CONTEST🎁

✨The Gift Exchange✨

PROMPT:

What could be more nerve-racking than shopping for someone special during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season? Watching them open it and awaiting their reaction!

Whether it's a handmade card, a long-awaited surprise, or something entirely unexpected, the stories we’re looking for in this collection should highlight how your characters choose, give, and react to gifts during the most magical time of the year.

✨RULES✨
• Deadline to submit: Saturday, August 16, 2025
• No prior publishing experience necessary.
• Open internationally to writers 18 and older
• Main characters must be teenagers
• Word Count: 2k to 6k
• Target reading audience: age 12-18+
• Genres accepted: Contemporary fiction; romance; science fiction and fantasy (low; aspects of these genres [e.g., magic, AI, space travel] incorporated into our modern world)
• All winter holidays are welcome, though try to lean more toward merriment, community, family, friendship, peace, winter, etc. in your story rather than focusing on the religion/spiritual belief featured/mentioned.

✨FAQs✨

What do I get if I win?
• Winners will be published in the eighth anthology from , an imprint of , to be released this holiday season in paperback and ebook.

Is there a submission fee?
• Yes, $10 per story. Fee goes toward cover design, marketing and promotion of the anthology.

Can I submit more than one story?
• Yes, you CAN submit more than one story, but only one may appear in the anthology.

What do I get if I am not selected for the anthology?
• All who submit will receive feedback on their story from a professional editor.

Can I use AI to write my story?
• You sure can, but stories suspected of being written using AI will be automatically rejected.

Do I need to be active on socials and/or have a website to enter?
• If chosen for publication, contributors will be asked to be an active participant in the book’s promotion via social media.

Visit andyoupress.com for more information.

07/07/2025

🎄NEW SHORT STORY CONTEST🎄

✨Home for the Holidays✨

PROMPT:

What does it mean to be home for the holidays?

Whether it's a long-awaited reunion, a road trip full of detours, a surprise visit, or even creating a new definition of “home,” these stories should capture the spirit (and oftentimes struggle) and joy of reconnecting with family and friends during the holiday season.

✨RULES✨
• Deadline to submit: Saturday, August 16, 2025
• No prior publishing experience necessary.
• Open internationally to writers 18 and older
• Word Count: 3k to 10k
• Target reading audience: age 18+
• Genres accepted: Contemporary fiction; (closed-door romance); historical fiction (1900s); light fantasy (a touch of magic)
• All winter holidays are welcome, though try to lean more toward merriment, community, family, friendship, peace, winter, etc. in your story rather than focusing on the religion/spiritual belief featured/mentioned.

✨FAQs✨

What do I get if I win?
• Winners will be published in the seventh anthology from And You Press, an imprint of Nicole Frail Books, to be released this holiday season in paperback and ebook formats.

Is there a submission fee?
• Yes, $10 per story. Fee goes toward cover design, marketing, and promotion of the anthology.

Can I submit more than one story?
• Yes, you CAN submit more than one story, but only one may appear in the anthology.

What do I get if I am not selected for the anthology?
• All who submit will receive feedback on their story from a professional editor.

Can I use AI to write my story?
• You sure can, but stories suspected of being written using AI will be automatically rejected. So I'd skip it.

Do I need to be active on socials and/or have a website to enter?
• If chosen for publication, contributors will be asked to be an active participant in the book’s promotion via social media. Existing accounts should be public, or contributors should be willing to create a bookish page before publication to assist in getting the word out about our book! Assistance will be provided, if needed.

Visit andyoupress.com for more information.

07/07/2025

✨News!✨

Attic Ebooks is excited to announce the acquisition of SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF CONFIT: A Feline Short Story by Allison E. Crisostomo.

An intrepid cat longs to travel the stars. She must prove herself the catstronaut for the job, but a sleepy French village, a tempting dinner, and companions new and old stand in the way of her ambition.

We cannot wait to share Jaclyn's story with readers, and cat lovers, everywhere. 💙🐾

To learn more about SWEET DREAMS... and Allison's work, follow her at aecwrites on Instagram.

For updates and early reads on this title and others from Attic Ebooks, please join the NFB Street Team and sign up for the Nicole Frail Books newsletter.

07/05/2025

☀️New Release!☀️

You don't need to leave NEPA this summer to have an adventure! The twelve short stories in this new collection focus on travel (US road trips and international) and summer romance. Pick up a copy at The Makers Marketplace at 900 today!

07/05/2025

🌟Congratulations to Rowen Burrows!🌟

NFB & Imprints would like to say happy pub day to one of our authors, Rowen Burrows, Author, on her newest indie release THE ROBIN DEFENDER! 👏

Please follow Rowen to learn more about her work! (She has a bunch of sales happening this month, too.) Read on for a summary of the book.

📖Summary📖
Prince Conrad Clayton has been in love with his best friend for years, but when a secret is revealed, he realizes his friend is not the man he thought he was.

Finnigan Murphy has a past. One he has spent years running from. When Conrad finds out, Finnigan is terrified of losing the man he cares for most.

Another threat looms over the Bird Shifter Province. Conrad will do what is necessary to protect his sister and his people.

That means working with Finnigan no matter how betrayed he feels.

They have a destiny that links them together. One that will change their lives and their future entirely.

Can they navigate this threat and their destiny together, or will it pull them apart forever?

Find it here: https://a.co/d/d8Hk3yK