Three minor characters in a mystery story come to life.Story is set in a house located in the woods beside Lake Michigan.Three minor characters are in a book.The book is in the authors house beside Lake Michigan in northwest Michagan.One of the three, a female characters, has come to life and is out of the book at the begining of the story.At the story climax she gets the other two to leave the book and come to life.

Thomas Gordon's life was going just fine, until a chain of inexplicable mishaps results in Thomas getting fired. Fed up, he starts the search for a better life. Along the way, he meets a group of scientists with an intriguing escape route: human cryogenic preservation. Thomas and his 2 companions emerge in the 23rd century, and quickly discover it isn't exactly the "better world" they expected...Abby refuses to marry the monster to whom she is betrothed. As she flees, she meets a mysterious stranger at a wayside inn. His startling proposition will either save her, or leave her mired in scandal.

From Jeffery Deaver--the *New York Times* bestselling author of the upcoming Lincoln Rhyme novel THE KILL ROOM (on sale June 4, 2013)--comes an original short story featuring Rhyme. When a young woman is found brutally murdered in a parking garage, with a veritable mountain of potential evidence to sift through, it may be the most challenging case former NYPD detective Lincoln Rhyme has ever taken on.

Anastasia's tenth year has some good things, like falling in love and really getting to know her grandmother, and some bad things, like finding out about an impending baby brother.

Thomas Charles Betterton, a famous scientist, has vanished. Conflicting reports of sightings of the missing man have come in from all over Europe. Then, his wife of six months decides to take a holiday to Morocco for a rest. That's when a strange and surprising series of events begins to unfold. A superb and different mystery from a master at her best.

Trapped in a World Running Out of Ideas...Thousands of years ago, before he was trapped on an isolated computer system, Flatline was programmed to conquer the world. Today he’s escaped back to the World Wide Web, where he hopes to find his way back to the real world. Except the World Wide Web has forgotten there ever was a real world.Trapped in a World Running Out of Ideas...Thousands of years ago, before he was trapped on an isolated computer system, Flatline was programmed to conquer the world. Today he’s escaped back to the World Wide Web, where he hopes to find his way back to the real world. Except the World Wide Web has forgotten there ever was a real world.The inhabitants of this future Web reside in a closed system, where all possible experiences will soon be exhausted. The Web is winding down, falling into stasis. Here, Flatline is a brief infusion of novelty, bringing chaos to the system.

An ancient virus is accidentally unleashed on a sleepy unsuspecting town. As the virus rapidly spreads through the town, killing the residents and resurrecting them as bloodthirsty zombies, Lori, a nurse, fights to stay alive and protect her family. What readers have said so far:"...it got me in from the start!Plenty of action!" DeanThe twenty original Twilight Zone-like short stories of this diverse fantasy and science fiction collection take place mostly on contemporary Earth, or on some slightly futuristic or altered Earth, where a technology, ghost, dragon, demon, curse, or space-alien intrudes. Vampires and zombies are avoided. Sometimes calamity is averted, sometimes it is not. The perspective is an adult one; a PG rating may be appropriate for some stories, as sex or violence is sometimes alluded to though not graphically depicted. A list of contents with links to each story is provided to aid reader navigation through the collection, and a link back to the contents list is provided after each story. (Note: some e-book formats do not support this feature.) The last story is a continuation of the first story, otherwise the stories are not related to each other and do not appear in any particular order, though some of them are related to subsequent e-book novels. In the list of contents a brief phrase describing each short story has been included to aid story selection. The brief introduction which precedes the stories provides the author's perspective on short story advantages compared to novels. Finally, following the short stories a brief description of the author and pending near-term e-book novels is included.

Nancy must help Mark Rubin, a bumbling young private investigator working on an embezzling case, before he makes any more mistakes.

In a society, where every citizen is a suspected terrorist, where the secret services instrument terror scenarios to emphasize their importance, and where some leading politicians use any means to enrich themselves, we find Mr. Smith and his assistant Eric Gusto. Their efforts are described in 5 stories, in which they for non-idealistic purposes incidentally oppose this trend among civil servantsIn this book, we are concerned with our security agents, and if the tenor of this description is right, we are then dealing with the greatest terrorists, according to their accomplishments. In contrast, normal citizens are treated as their enemies, so far without justification since we tolerate their actions without noteworthy resistance. Ironically, if you redefine a terrorist from their destruction of civil rights, the biggest terrorists of our time will be found in various governments. But when the ministers of the interior (home secretaries) actually (and exceptionally) defend human rights, I excuse this comparison. May he or she be successful with this task; be sure there is a lot to do after the grave setbacks experienced in the first part of the Third Millennium.The five stories are dealing with different aspects of this conflict: In ‘Crime Does Pay,’ the biggest false-flag attack of modern time (9/11) is the topic. ‘Honour the Liars’ is dealing with whistleblowers and their fight for truth – in vain – as the “weapons of mass destruction” lead to war against Iraq. The murder of Dr. David Kelly is given particular attention in this connection. In ‘Civil Servants,’ various so-called security organizations plan a large false-flag attack. In 'What a Waste,' toxic and radioactive waste is scheduled for transport to the Third World, disguised as relief-aid. Finally, the subway-attack in London in 2005 is given attention in the last story, ‘Dark Shadows’.But rather than disclosing these crimes here (I have done so in various essays on my homepage), the stories are fictionally packed as detective stories, unmistakably inspired by Rex Stout’s main characters, Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, here in a local Danish version.

Seven tales of woe ranging from dark to devilish! Obsession for a young woman takes a deadly twist. A death row inmate bids farewell to a world that never really knew him. A girl facing the end of the world loses her last friend and receives some eerie visitors. Sit back, relax, and take comfort in knowing that your worst days don't get quite THIS bad!Everyone has bad days, but not many get as bad as these! These seven tales of woe range from dark to devilish! In Vespine, a dangerous obsession takes a dark and unexpected twist. In If Only in my Dreams, a man shares his darkest secret with a captive audience. In A Terrible Itch, a spaceship finds itself carrying unwelcome cargo and must choose between the unthinkable and the unimaginable. In A Gambling Man, an addict at the end of his rope is given one last, terrible chance to escape the consequences of a lifetime of bad choices. In Shallow Graves, the end of civilization is just the beginning for a young girl who loses her last friend just before receiving some unwanted visitors. In Desperate Times, a man fallen on terrible times wrestles with his conscience, without knowing just how high the stakes really are. And finally, in Last Day on Earth, A death row inmate bids a rather surprising farewell to a world he has no respect for. Sit back, relax, and take comfort in knowing that your bad days don't get quite this bad!

"Reading the The Sultan of Monte Cristo is like meeting old friends who have not changed over time, a sense of pure delight. This book is a must read for all Alexander Dumas fans and also those who have a craving for complex plots and fabulous characterization.Though one can find Dumas' characters in this book, there are many new characters." Sporty Neha's review"For so many years, passionate fans of The Count of Monte Cristo have suffered a loss upon finishing Alexandre Dumas' last words. It is a grieving of sorts that has long been unmitigable... until now. The mysterious Holy Ghost Writer has penned "The Sultan of Monte Cristo" as a direct continuance of the story readers have long struggled against leaving behind. The adventure-laden journeys of Edmond Dantes continues in (Dumas') newly-honed role as investigative reporter who publishes his (original) book as part of (this) story. New life is breathed into those characters we all knew and loved (or loved to hate) in the original Count of Monte Cristo tale (what can now, finally, be referred to as Book 1). Haydee, the infamous Villeforts, and even Countess G are lifted from the stalemate of our beloved story and given new life, and readers will also be introduced to a host of colorful new characters (like the memorable Raymee) whose lives, loves, and circumstance flow comprehensively and effortlessly through the entire narrative. Amazingly, the prose so closely matches the mood, tone, pacing, and richness of environment of Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo that this feels like the natural continuance of those lives. The sequel manages to introduce such a microscopic view into the full-flesh world our colorful characters engage in that readers can't help being sucked in. We cannot help but run breathlessly alongside them throughout the journey, to imagine the consequences between their words, to ponder on their insights and their woe-filled courses of action. We stand next to Mercedes as she lives and breathes; we get that rare glimpse into the future of the characters that Alexandre Dumas himself surely intended. Through well-defined and multilayered plotlines, the story's laser-point pacing, and rich character building, this work lends the quagmire of adventures, missteps, and danger-filled mysteries a guarantee of unforeseen, adventurous turns and cathartic "a-ha" insights. The Holy Ghost Writer seems a literary time-traveller: the swiftness with which he carries us straight into the 1800s is mind-boggling and a rare feat even in the best historical fiction writing. Excellent novel, and highly recommended!" Peanut's review.

A dangerous secret...an overheard conversation...and a woman who is not what she seems. Will hidden pasts ruin their hope of finding love?

Successful author Josh Brantley becomes bored and restless with his life and decides to go on a walk in the forest. Going down a dark path he has a fall and loses consciousness. When he awakens he is unable to separate dream from reality as he is met by 3 impossibly intelligent humming birds, and a spectacularly beautiful goddess of a girl. Will his life ever be the same again?(Rated 'PG') Josh Brantley is a successful writer with very few friends and no social life -- a.k.a., NO girl to call his own. He is lonely but doesn't realize it, and it's making him restless. On impulse he decides to take a long break from the drudgery of everyday life -- a vacation of sorts, which translates into a long drive to a forest in driving distance. Arriving at the woods he goes on a short hike, has a fall and loses consciousness. What follows may be real or may be imagined -- including three intelligent humming birds, a lost cabin, and the most beautiful and strangely innocent girl he has ever seen! Will he ever be able to go back to his normal life?

"Murder at Naughton Pharms" is a crime story with humorous edges. It starts out with the everyday zaniness at a drug research facility in Fargo, North Dakota. When our hero Kelly gets a complaint about an old guy asleep in one of the women's barracks, it turns out to be the company COO, and that's just the start.Naughton Pharmaceuticals is a busy, sometimes chaotic place as scores of test subjects undergo clinical trials. Two more managers are knocked off and Kelly becomes a suspect. This threatens his dream of becoming a police officer right when he's about to take the preliminary exams. Meanwhile, his boss makes him an offer almost too good to refuse, perhaps hoping Kelly will overlook shady dealings. It's tempting, but does Kelly really want to abandon his law enforcement ambitions? Ultimately, he discovers the surprising murderer, and more importantly, a much greater danger.

Thousands of years after the brothers of man left Earth, an Empire was born. Far out of the Warren’s reach, The Great Empire inspired hope and prosperity. But deep inside lay conspiracy, deceit and betrayal.Grand Design - Bianca. Thousands of years after the brothers of man left Earth, an Empire was born. Far out of the Warren’s reach, The Great Empire inspired hope and prosperity. But deep inside lay conspiracy, deceit and betrayal. Nine independent kingdoms made up the Empire, Meeran was ruled by Jacob, the last remaining pure human outside of the reservations. Jacob and his step sister Bianca dreamed of uniting the empire under their rule and removing the Warren from Earth forever. A dream turned to obsession that could lead to the next galactic war.

I don't mean in any way to debunk or defame the story of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. But just for a moment, imagine the possibility, that maybe it was a little different than we've been told.In this story you will find magic, truths, brotherly love, and the answer to the question that children of all ages have asked since the myth began.How do, reindeer fly?My story consist of two young boys. The first boy is: 8-year-old Nathan, he is a boy that is full of excitement and joy and likes to have fun, a boy who loves his grandfather and is enthralled by the wonderful story his grandfather tells one Thanksgiving night.The second is Bobby, a character in Grandfather’s story, who partakes on an exciting adventure with his truck driving uncle; an adventure that takes him first to a secret warehouse where his uncle picks up a most unusual load and then to the North Pole, where Bobby meets Santa and his elves and makes an incredible discovery in the barn where the reindeer sleep.TEASE:Eight year old Nathan awakes Thanksgiving Day morning quite excited about his grandfather coming to dinner.At bedtime Nathans grandfather reads him a story from a book about a young boys adventure with his Uncle on a trip to the North Pole where he meets Santa Clause and discovers what make reindeer fly and other secrets.After his grandfather leaves the room Nathan accidentally knocks the book onto the floor and discovers that the book his grandfather had just read from is filled with blank pages.To whom it may concern:I am introducing quite possibly the most radical and conceptually different way of marking and publishing a book unlike anything that has ever been done. Coming from a complete unknown author it will be quite a challenge. I wish (upon a star;hint, hint) to find an agent and or publisher that is looking for something new and exciting and would pick up my story and marketing strategy and run with it.This is the first of two books in English (Spanish version coming soon (working on it)) with the same exact title. This book primary function is to be read by individuals of any age for their own enjoyment and or read it to a child and or children.The second is not a different version but a whole new radically different concept.The second books cover is to match the first exactly and is also in English (Spanish) version coming soon (easier, only the cover) with the same title contains nothing but blank pages; its primary function is to be found by the child and or children. Should you have chosen to have read the first version, you will understand how the blank version is marketable. The first version (including the text) is a stand alone item, it is an excellent tale. The second version (blank) needs the first to work. The first is a already an working title using the electronic formats (ebook) look for it everywhere (please).I am also looking for an illustrator; obviously an illustrated version would stand on its own merit. Obviously both the text with or without the blank version as well as the illustrated version are extremely time sensitive. The end product would have to hit the shelves running on or before Thanks Giving Day.Works in progress:"Rosa's"A true life story of a Mexican women who wants for a better place for her children to grow up in and the trials and tribulations she had to endure at the hands of an abusive husband because of illegal immigration rules and regulations and the constant threat of deportation."Billiam"Everyone knows how to share; it is a process you learn as a child. Have something, divide it into multiple parts, keep one, give the rest to others. It is a process adults generally do not think about. But what if the process had to be shared with ones self. This is a story of two individual men who share one body.

Part 1 of All The Days of John Mann. Long years after the virus made the leap, Choke survivor John Mann vows to track a taken boy whilst he himself is hunted by those who would use him, either as source for a vaccine, or as weapon.Part 1 of All the Days of John Mann.Long years after the virus made the leap, the people of England live in scattered communities, the threat of slow starvation and swift outbreaks of the choke darken their days. What is left of society teeters always on the brink of collapse and a rag-tag military barely keeps order.John Mann, preacher and healer, travels the byways plying his trade amongst the old and the sick, keeping to the shadows, always watching the road at his back.John Mann is haunted, the only known survivor of exposure to the virus and perhaps the sole source of a vaccine. But he is hunted by many who would use him, not to save lives but to bring a choking end to those who would oppose them.John Mann now finds himself bound by a promise to track a taken boy, a promise that will force him back out of the shadows, onto the grid, and into a fugitive life once more.John Mann is an outlaw, to be feared and betrayed, and when cornered he will visit a terrible justice on anyone who threatens what he holds dear.

'Nightcap at Ningi Creek' by Ken Blowers, is a delightful collection of eight light-hearted short stories. Perfect in content and length to read when relaxing with your evening nightcap, and guaranteed to leave a smile on your face!'Nightcap at Ningi Creek' by Ken Blowers, is a delightful collection of eight light-hearted short stories. Perfect in content and length to read when relaxing with your evening nightcap, and guaranteed to leave a smile on your face!In this first release of an upcoming series, Ken takes the reader on a journey with stories set around South-East Queensland. The Caboolture, and Bribie Island area serves as the perfect backdrop for Ken's character's to come to life. This volume of short stories has something to offer everyone. Whether you can relate to the life of a Police Officer, Private Investigator, Senior Citizen, Milkman, Station-Master or Boatie, Ken's ability to draw the reader into every day lives of regular people is most unique.You too can be immediately transported to a time and era that possibly no longer exists, to either reminisce, or choose your own adventure - in any event, your reading needs are more than catered for, with this smorgasbord of saga's.Whatever your choice, you will not be disappointed as the unexpected unfolds with every word, slowly revealing the conclusion like a mini Agatha Christie mystery.Once you start reading these stories you'll be hungry for more. Look out for Ken's next exciting volume of short stories coming soon...

This is a short story. Dragonfire is the name of the game, a new, totally immersive computer game set in a fantasy world. Figurative dragons lurk in hidden places, the stakes are high, and losing the game means losing your life - or does it?She paced the room, looking out the window, waiting for the sun to set. She didn't think anyone would be coming over after her father was arrested; it'd be too dangerous to pay condolences to the daughter of a warlock. Still, she couldn't take any chances. She couldn't be interrupted, and she couldn't speak to anyone until the next morning. The last rays of bright red light filtered through the curtain and left Elizabeth in the night's embrace. She opened the jar, read the spell one more time, making out letters under the moon's meager glow, and then set up the candle. She walked around the tiny flame, careful not to put it out, and began chanting, weaving a part of her own soul into the words and feeding it to the fire. “The harm to me is harm to you and all your kin and all your blood.”The flame leaped, grew larger, consuming the wax in half the time it should have. Elizabeth watched the candle burn in silence, watched energy, the soul of fire, glide through the air and hug her body. She sensed the reassurance of the spell, its protection. With a needle Elizabeth pricked her finger and let one drop of blood fall on the flame just as it was about to die. The wick hissed, and the last of the energy that smelled and tasted of vengeance came to Elizabeth.

Once Upon a Remembrance: Book 1 Women of Strength time travel trilogy: Photographer Isabeau Remington travels to 1894 Virgina and falls in love with a man she must ultimately leave behind when she returns to her own time...but things are not always as they seem. Hawk is a man endangered by his own memory loss, and soon that danger reaches out to envelop Isabeau.Once Upon a Remembrance: Book 1 Women of Strength time travel trilogy: Photographer Isabeau Remington travels to 1894 Virgina and falls in love with a man she must ultimately leave behind when she returns to her own time...but things are not always as they seem. Modern day photographer Isabeau is pulled from the present time and thrust back into the year 1894 in Virginia. She must help save Hawk Morgan, a man threatened by a killer, a man endangered by his own erased memories. Hawk must survive in 1894 so his present day ancestor Pierce Morgan, will be alive in Isabeau's future.Isabeau begins to fall in love with Hawk Morgan but with both their future's uncertain and a killer on the loose, neither one of them may have a tomorrow to look forward to.