Juan loves it when his Grandmother Gloria babysits for him. Tonight is different , though, because she won't read to Juan. And Juan decides he doesn't need to read either! Find out what happens in this delightful tale of how reading shapes our lives!Life is hard for Maria, living alone with an older brother who barely notices her. But a discovery one night in their antique shop, as she’s planning her escape, sends her off on a wild adventure to Bramblewood. A bizarre crowd of woodland characters waits there to welcome her; the Parliament of Owls, Tawny Blare and Garden Brown among them, beady-eyed Bullstrode Frogley, their Slime Minister; and of course Maria’s Lady-in-Waiting, a beautiful cobalt blue parrot named Hyacinth McCaw. But the arrival of a group of orphaned weasels begging an audience with their queen is only the start of Maria’s troubles. A chance remark by Lady Hyacinth leads Maria on a journey of self-discovery that can only end when she finally returns home to confront her brother.

A collection of Jenno's Facebook sayings, as well as comments on life and her village of Widdlington. Jenno's friends and acquaintances leap on to the pages, scattering a confetti trail of apostrophes and points of suspension...A collection of Jenno's Facebook sayings, as well as comments on life, and her village of Widdlington. Jenno's friends and acquaintances leap on to the pages, scattering a confetti trail of apostrophes and points of suspension.There is a picture on every page.

Qwantu Amaru's first chapbook is a peak into one man's interpretations of everything from healthcare, to dreamscapes, to life.An embalmer with sticky fingers gets a tip that he'll never forget.Firelight reveals the ghosts of conscience past.Film noir femmes fatales take on their craziest caper yet in a trip beyond the stars.Horrors crawl from the kitchen sink, only to find itself a monster among monsters.And six other stories full of twisting, turning hidden horrors await in Days of Madness 4.Featuring new stories by Absolutely*Kate, Chris Allinotte, R.S. Bohn, Erin Cole, Park Cooper & Barb Lien, William Davoll, Richard Godwin, Mav Skye, Benjamin Sobieck, Angel Zapata.

When Katie and her husband move to a small farm town in Wisconsin, some strange coincidences reveal an unbelievable horror.Book One in the MY BEST FRIEND'S BROTHER Series ( YA Contemporary Romance / Romantic Comedy ) - CONTENT WARNING This book contains non-graphic sexual content and some strong language. - When Lilly announced that her estranged brother is coming to live with her, Adonia was shocked—she had no idea her best friend even had a brother! Adonia doesn’t have long to process this revelation before Lilly jets off to vacation in sunny Florida, leaving her alone for weeks. Adonia doesn’t know how she’s going to pass the time, but that changes one morning when she’s sitting in a local book store and spots the sexiest guy she’s ever seen. Little does she know, he’s spotted her too. His name is Luke, and he’s smokin’ hot—so hot that Adonia has dubbed him a Greek god! Luke sweeps her off her feet, beats the tar out of her jerky ex-boyfriend at school, and is a perfect gentleman—what’s not to love about her Greek god? He’s an award-winning skier and Olympic hopeful, and he’s fallen in love with HER! But between stolen kisses, moonlight skiing and heated whispers, Adonia has the feeling Luke is keeping secrets. When she tries to get him to share, Luke clams up. Not knowing what to do, Adonia decides to back off, but has no idea that everything is about to come crashing down around her. Her love for Luke is about to be tested beyond any relationship she’s ever had! Will their love survive the test? Or will Adonia end up with nothing, just as she was starting to think she had everything?

In the very near future, the country is plunged into drought and unrest. Scare resources and constant heat are making life completely miserable. Casey doesn't think she can stand slugging back another gel pack or working one more shift at the wells. Fortunately, there's a solution: anyone over the age of seventeen can sign the Forever Contract and enter a utopian paradise.In the very near future, the country is plunged into drought and unrest. Scare resources and constant heat are making life completely miserable. Casey doesn't think she can stand slugging back another gel pack or working one more shift at the wells. Fortunately, there's a solution: anyone over the age of seventeen can sign the Forever Contract and enter a utopian paradise. While people's minds take a permanent vacation, their bodies get warehoused and hooked up to a complex array of sensors and feeding tubes. As Casey's brother says, "You upload your consciousness to the system and you're free to live as long as you want, however you want. No more pain, no more heat, no more awful dust, no more work. Just pure thought. It's what our species has always been meant for. Suffering is for philosophers. Not for me."Casey's ready to sign--a permanent vacation is just what she needs. There's only one problem: her boyfriend James doesn't trust it.Told from his and her perspectives, The Forever Contract is a 17,000 word (60 page) novella suitable for readers in grade 8 and above.Would you sign the contract?

Silver is a short story prequel to the Evelyn Morgan series of mystery thrillers, including Keyser Run and Muckross Folly.Abandoned after being brutally assaulted, Air Force Academy cadet Evelyn Morgan remembers another very difficult time in her life -- her mother's battle with cancer. Her mother divulges a family secret, which provides renewed hope and strength in Morgan's current struggle.We asked some of Australia's top fantasy and science fiction authors to select two of their stories tied together by a single theme and to write an introduction on how they had explored that theme — to give some insight into their writing and how they see the big issues. We also paired the writers with Australia's top SF artists, so that each publication also showcases the illustrator. Then we released the publications in pairs. The result is the Aurealis Duos series.In "Terrorism", Jack Dann, an expat New Yorker and multi-award winning SF author who eats Vegemite with an American accent says, "I didn't feel patriotic the morning that the towers fell... I just felt that someone had burned down my house... the only way I could get my arms around the subject was to write about... us. No treatise on terrorism and suicide bombing here, just two stories that are set on the other side of the looking glass."

A collection of the fourth and last set of twenty updates from the serial fantasy fiction "Enzi's Irregulars" as part of a weekly writing challenge. This tale follows the adventures of five unusual mercenaries as the Fifth Goblinoid War begins to cause problems across the world of Doulairen.A collection of the fourth and last set of twenty updates from the serial fantasy fiction "Enzi's Irregulars". This tale follows the adventures of five unusual mercenaries as the Fifth Goblinoid War begins to cause problems across the world of Doulairen.The war erupts into its terrifying climax. The five monstrous mercenaries led by the human called Enzi face their greatest challenges. Will any survive a confrontation with a horrific creature from the depths of myth and legend?Raw and unedited, this series was updated weekly for 80 continuous unbroken weeks. No edits or tweaks were allowed, the author had to complete a narrative taking any potential past writing mistakes into consideration, trying to avoid writing himself into a corner. This series gives a taste of the author's voice and the fantasy world of Doulairen.

A young man by the name of Jaden is abducted by benevolent aliens, bio-engineered to superhuman levels and sent back to Earth years later to stop an alien invasion.A Sci-fi, Space, Action, Adventure & Romance novel series. Formally known as the BIAlien series.A young man by the name of Jaden is abducted by benevolent aliens, bio-engineered to superhuman levels and sent back to Earth years later to stop an alien invasion.150,000 years ago Darclonians began on an experimental dark energy/dark matter weapon that works only with carbon based life forms. The organic subject would eventually die.100,000 years ago Darclonian probes sought out thousands of planets with life on them that could develop into intelligent life forms. The probes fired Quadrillions of Nanomoles into Earth's atmosphere seeking intelligent life. The Nanomoles hid inside of the modern Homosapien brain and studied humans for thousands of years. The Nanomoles recorded our feelings, memories, emotions, experiences and DNA from generation to generation. Today the Nanomoles await a signal from a Darclonian mothership to begin it's 84 hour three stage countdown.Jaden's bio-engineered body is the key to perfecting the Darclonian's weapon of mass destruction. The rebirth of science fiction begins.

Fourteen-year-old Sandy Robeson accidentally discovers she has a sister who was given up for adoption seventeen years earlier. After learning that her newly discovered sister, Sarah, lives only 45 minutes away, she conspires (possibly against her mother's wishes) to meet Sarah in a nearby mall.Great. Another novel of dystopian freaking fiction?Not really...In a moving tale about a world trying to regain its humanity, master storytellers Dan McNeill and Kevin Morton tell the story of a band of misfits out to save the world. River's Rising is the thrilling first episode of the four part World Down series - the series that proves not all dystopian fiction needs to be entirely dystopian.Three years after a decimating virus has left mankind on the brink of extinction, two brothers must move past their hatred of each in order to survive. But in this new world, surviving means having a little faith - faith in each other, faith in themselves and faith in what can't be seen. Perhaps most importantly of all, faith means being able to follow their third brother. Their older brother. The one with Down syndrome. Their brother Po has a gift.When they realize what that gift is, it will lead them into a journey of discovery where the stakes couldn't be higher. On one side are the Elected - five god-like beings with super-human powers whose plans for global dominion seem next to certain. Opposing them is suicide.On the other side are the mythical 19 - travelers with their own powers who haven't been seen in years. Tales of their exploits during the dark early days of the outbreak are told in whispers. Hope that the 19 will ever be found is growing dim.But Po and his gift may turn that all around.World Down: Episode 1 - River's Rising. Finally, dystopian fiction without dour characters or kids with crossbows. Finally, dystopian fiction that's fun.

After deciding against ending his own life, Justin discovers that his sister is having dreams that are eerily similar to her real life with one exception: In her dreams, Justin is dead.Finally at the end of his miserable rope, Justin Luck climbs to the top of Stinton's Point and finds the perfect place from which to end it all. But just before he takes the leap, fear prevails and causes him to change his mind...or does he?That very night, his sister Rosie has a vivid dream that shakes him to his core: A dream in which he took his life by jumping from Stinton's Point.The days continue. So do Rosie's dreams. Rosie and Justin discover that the dreams are eerily similar to her real life, but there's one exception: In her dreams, Justin is dead.

Sophie doesn't like to waste too much time sleeping. But the problem is that, Sophie is sent to bed very early each night, even though she is 13 years old! Then, Sophie finds herself skinning down the eucalyptus tree outside her window one night, and so, begins her night adventures.Daniel is a teen age boy who often gets himself into trouble out running the cops with his car. For a good reason. Wanting out of his parents house, he looks for ways to start living on his own. On his new path he finds himself a good job. Katie, one of the employees there, catches his eye. She is a stubborn and hard-headed girl who wants nothing to do with him. Will his efforts to try to befriend her add up to nothing? Will Daniel have someone at his side when he comes face to face with the most unexpected situation- a fight for his life?

The life we are faced with situations that become part of our inner selves and become poetry sometimes sweet and gentle like memories of a happy childhood, other painful and sad when we are exposed to the lack of what we hold most dear.The collection of poems Different Times captures these feelings.Enjoy the readingNot much needs to be said about different perspectives on the world. Can, however, an individual truly see things in the light of different suns? There is richness in diversity, and the most wealthy people of all are those who have seen the world as it is shone upon by the many suns. These five poems explore the theme. 470 words.

This is the story of a widower who is induced by the FBI to hide another injured agent while she recovering. It is feared the terrorist cell she was undercover in, might be looking for her. The FBI does this by saying they have an orphan child, Annie, that needs a home. The Injured agent does come in contact with the terrorist again, but all ends well with Annie staying with her new father.Johnny is approached by the FBI and seduced into giving help to an agent recovering from her injuries. The seduction came about by the FBI promising he could adopt a little girl much like his own whom he lost at the same time his wife died in an auto accident. The injured agent is compatible at first and they are joined in marriage to provide cover for her. She was under cover in a terrorist cell and they might be still looking for her. At least that is what Johnny is led to believe. Johnny and Sandy set up housekeeping with their adopted daughter, Annie. Things are great for awhile. This is another of Happyhugo’s romances set in the town of Brattleboro in southern Vermont.

The End of Slavery is a philosophical sci-fi thriller about a man who, inspired by his grandfather, fought the prejudices against autism to understand how he functioned from his own perspective. Over his adult life he had figured out much and he had many theories about more, but when he narrowly survived a terrorist attack his world became extreme and everything started to fall into place.An epic scifi short story telling the tale of betrayal and war.In a future where the human race barely survived extinction, 21-year-old Anerius Novengard is a member of an arcane military order of mages. He struggles to avoid falling prey to the dark elements which seek to ensnare him at every turn, being able to overcome their pull by the aid of his love interest and mentor. At the same time that a comet hazardously flies towards a peaceful space colony, he is given a special initiatory mission to protect a government official who had been the victim of several assassination attempts. What Anerius discovers during his mission will forever change his world, and that of those around him. This short read is for fans of space sagas and magic.

When a series of murders appears to relate to bad-boy Nick Price's former life in Bangkok, Detective Chief Inspector Jack Magee is faced with the unenviable task of extracting information from an antagonistic, former adversary. As Magee's investigation gathers momentum, he is drawn deep into a dark world of intrigue, betrayal and conspiracy.Imagine you and your mates did something bad in your youth. Like committing a crime so appalling that you can't speak of it for fear of losing everything you hold dear; your wife, children, reputation. So you bottle it up, hope to god no one talks. But then imagine, twenty years on, those youthful misdemeanours have earned you a place on a brutal killer's deathlist. Would you confess to the police, point the finger of suspicion, rat on your mates? Or would you keep schtum?It's an uncompromising dilemma, as Nick Price and DCI Jack Magee are about to discover.

Timo is a typical farm boy with a difference: when he goes out to tend the flocks a dragon joins him for the night long vigil. But things are about to change between him and Kirigama, as the Drake has need of his help.For fans of Robin Hobb, Richard Morgan and anyone eagerly awaiting the release of Scalebound.After the Storm... is the third chapter of 'The Orphans Revolt'. I'm planning to release it and its sister volume 'His Staying Hand' episodically whilst I get a head start on writing the concluding volume of the trilogy. So if you enjoy the above keep your eyes peeled for future instalments. As I've done with previous writing, each part will also be available for download individually here on Smashwords.Hope you enjoy!

Tommy, Simon, Madeline, Rob and the Man Bear are back for a second “old school” adventure. When Tommy loads a cassette tape into an old computer he is transported back to the world he accidentally destroyed. Reunited with his friends they must put aside their personal differences and problems as they head into battle against the brave Count Douglass.Tommy, Simon, Madeline, Rob and the Man Bear are back for a second “old school” adventure. When Tommy loads a cassette tape into an old computer he is transported back to the world he accidentally destroyed. Reunited with his friends they must put aside their personal differences and problems as they head into battle against the brave Count Douglass. Nature spirit Yallery Brown tells them they can go home after the battle, but can he be trusted? And what is behind the forbidden window? The Forbidden window is the second book in the Hiding From Seagulls series.

After Fandri kisses sweet halfling, Emina, he’s chased off the farm by her pitch-fork wielding father and a crazy goat. Accompanied by his fairy, he runs away with knights and elves in search of adventure. With magic spells, dragons, deadly pirates and a fierce bear, Fandri gets a whole lot more adventure than he bargained for.Running away with the elves was supposed to be fun. After Fandri kisses sweet halfling, Emina, he’s chased off the farm by her pitch-fork wielding father and a crazy goat. Accompanied by his fairy, he runs away with knights and elves in search of adventure. He makes friends with a squire named Varl and together they travel Reloria on an elven quest. With magic spells, dragons, deadly pirates and a fierce bear, Fandri gets a whole lot more adventure than he bargained for. Fandri’s Adventures is a prequel and great introduction to the popular Hunters of Reloria fantasy trilogy.

Anyone who can eliminate their enemies by eating them is a formidable foe. Anyone would be the Hazmats, insaniac shapeshifters whose mindless greed is threatening the continued existence of the Abyssmal Cities. Is Miriam Mermelstein doomed to follow in their footsteps? Invasion of the Hazmats is a humorous middle-grade fantasy about getting along with difficult people. Best for ages 8-10.Anyone who can eliminate their enemies by eating them is a formidable foe. Anyone would be the Hazmats, insaniac shapeshifters whose mindless greed is threatening the continued existence of the Abyssmal Cities. Is Miriam Mermelstein doomed to follow in their footsteps?Miriam Mermelstein is changing and it’s not puberty. Just what is she becoming? Well, it depends on whom you talk to. According to a certain nasty person, her fate is sealed and there is nothing she can do about it.Invasion of the Hazmats is a humorous middle-grade fantasy adventure about getting along with difficult people. Best for ages 8-10.Zazkal threw the jar all the way across the room, no easy task underwater.“Useless, useless, useless. You’re nothing but an undersized ten-year old with a mouth bigger than your brain. I refuse to have you hanging around, interfering with my work.”I cracked.“What is this? Education by intimidation?” I hollered back. “You’re supposed to be my teacher. Anyway, you can’t kick me out and I can leave whenever I want. I’m not your prisoner anymore.”The first day was going much better than expected. Here we were…already on speaking terms.

This Book which has 50 differently titled Poems , is actually volume 4 of the Book titled – Life = Death – Poems on Life , Death ( 1200 pages ) .This enigmatic collection of poems explores and equates the boundless possibilities of life and death and delves into each intricate inexplicability of survival. Parekh's roving philosophical eye brings the unconquerable richness of life to the fore and yet at the same time explicitly highlights the veracity of 'death' as the absolute certainty of every existence. The poet joyously celebrates the occasions of both life and death with equal panache in each poetic stanza sewn with the uncanny mysteries of this Universe. The poems within immortalize both life and death as the ultimate victories and the two most contrastingly amazing and divine sides of creation. Catapulting the reader to the threshold of ultimate ecstasy; they bring about an impromptu twist with the closure of breath and what lies beyond. This charismatically woven collection of poetic verse would equally enamor the narcissist as well as the simple humanitarian to the core.This book is a humble attempt to enlighten the readers with the equality of life and death-and to live in both of them to the most unparalleled fullest. Embracing only the religion of humanity, as the Lord has commanded every living being on earth. You cant die in life and cant live in death-each of these components are irrefutably equal in every respect and should be worshipped with due obeisance.

The Fall of Arthur recounts in verse the last campaign of King Arthur, who, even as he stands at the threshold of Mirkwood, is summoned back to Britain by news of the treachery of Mordred. Already weakened in spirit by Guinevere’s infidelity with the now-exiled Lancelot, Arthur must rouse his knights to battle one last time against Mordred’s rebels and foreign mercenaries. Powerful, passionate, and filled with vivid imagery, this unfinished poem reveals Tolkien’s gift for storytelling at its brilliant best. Christopher Tolkien, editor, contributes three illuminating essays that explore the literary world of King Arthur, reveal the deeper meaning of the verses and the painstaking work his father applied to bring the poem to a finished form, and investigate the intriguing links between The Fall of Arthur and Tolkien’s Middle-earth.