When a stranger arrives in the night and throws her identity into question, Piper LeVine is forced to uncover secrets of her true origin. Treacherous demons from a past she never knew she had, are coming for her. Only the Gypsies know how to deal with the monsters of myth.She will discover her destiny, love, what she is made of, and the family that determines her fate."I was enthralled with this story from the very first paragraph." - Author Melody AnnePiper LeVine is the daughter of wealthy Senator, Harold and Katrine or so she thought. When a stranger arrives in the night and throws her identity into question, Piper is forced to uncover secrets of her true origin. The treacherous demons from a past she never knew she had, are coming for her. Only the Gypsies know how to deal with the monsters of myth, but can she trust them?Nicholas proves less than truthful from the get-go but who else can she hold onto amongst a sea of mystic if not hostile strangers? He is dangerous, captivating, and the only one who she knows will stand toe to toe with the creatures of the dark that seek her. But what will it cost and is it a price she can afford to pay? In search for the truth, Piper will find more than her identity. She will discover her destiny, what she is made of, and the family that determines her fate.

Devin Lyle and Craig Rockwell are back, this time to a haunted castle in Ireland where a banshee may have gone wild—or maybe there's a much more rational explanation—one that involves a disgruntled heir, murder, and mayhem, all with that sexy light touch Heather Graham has turned into her trademark style.

Dom Wars Round Three heats up with the Demon Domination challenge. Tara is up first to face the demons of her past and Lucian is ready to dominate for her. But that gets tricky when he realizes the demons he's fighting could be the end of them.

SHE SHOT THE SHERIFF!Trixianna Lawless can’t believe the man she’s shot on her front porch is the sheriff. She thought he was an intruder. What was he doing scaring her to death before the sun even rose? She is a proper woman who bakes pies, she certainly isn’t Mad Maggie West, a notorious bank robber. Can she help it if she slightly resembles the woman on the wanted poster?SHE SHOT THE SHERIFF!Trixianna Lawless can’t believe the man she’s shot on her front porch is the sheriff. She thought he was an intruder. What was he doing scaring her to death before the sun even rose? She is a proper woman who bakes pies for the restaurant in Grand Fork, Kansas. She isn’t dangerous; she’s simply run to Grand Fork after a misunderstanding with her sister. And she certainly isn’t Mad Maggie West, a notorious bank robber. Can she help it if she slightly resembles the woman on the wanted poster?Sheriff Chance Magrane can’t believe a woman has shot him. He has no choice but to arrest her for bank robbery. In the meantime he has to ignore the fact that she wears the fanciest underpinnings in town and has twinkling green eyes that remind him he is a man.When Trixianna lands in Chance’s house instead of jail, she finds herself in the middle of the biggest mess of her life. As the days pass, Trixianna wishes Chance would believe her. Even as Trixianna and Chance fall in love, he is suspicious. In addition to shooting him, she tries to poison him, stabs him and almost burns down his house. It takes a cast of memorable characters to bring this spirited heroine and stubborn hero together.

A short story included in the Coś się kończy, coś się zaczyna (Something Ends, Something Begins) collection.

To support her orphaned niece, impoverished Brianna O'Keefe accepts work with a Colorado rancher. To guard herself from unwanted attention, she resorts to a harmless little lie: that she's married to a Denver gold miner named David Paxton. But when her "husband" shows up, Brianna is stunned-not the least by her desire...

While prospecting a creek in the Cariboo Mountains near Barkerville in 1866, Pete comes across the corpse of a murdered man clutching a gold watch in his hand. Pete decides to return the watch to Sylvia, the name engraved on the back, but the owner of the watch, even though he is dead, has vengeance in mind, and a job for Pete. This story first appeared in Crimson Online Magazine #13, 2000.She lay abandoned, moored to the south end of Luna Farside, left for scrap. Captain Dak Smith saw in her something special, an opportunity to burn for the far horizon as an independent, free from the gloms that hold known space in thrall – but he had to get her running first. Armed with a standard-issue captain's eyebrow and an infectious grin, Captain Smith and his hand-picked crew embark on an adventure through deep space filled with scoundrels, pirates, and some incredibly unfortunate peace-loving rocks that happened to be at the wrong place, at the worst time.

It's Christmas Eve and Haley Smythe is working the late shift at Snowflake Cinema. But she's not alone. At her side is a notorious local ghosthunter, out for his biggest scoop. And in Theater 6 is a man who claims to see his wife in that very cinema, only on Christmas Eve. As the three converge on this holiday night, secrets will be revealed and all will meet... The Ghost in the Aisle Seat.In this story you will be introduced to a new kind of species called Whisperers; Wisps for short. Though they're different they are very much like every other human-minus the super natural abilities of course. All of the characters in the story have their own story to tell. They all have connections, some have better connections than others but they don't yet know that there's something connecting them all to each other--> a case about a man and, or woman kidnapping and killing fellow Whisperers. Can they put their personal issues behind in order to get to the bottom of this? Or will they have to sacrifice one secret for another?You have to be in a dark place to want to find the light and all of these characters are there in that dark place, some need the light and others won't let them-selves have it. They think they know what they need but they don’t, they just know what they want. We don’t always get what we want though. Everyone serves an important purpose; they’re all here for a reason they just have to find out what the reason is. Soon, soon this world they live in won't be so barren, so without life, so...meaningless. Soon they'll find purpose.

As a child of the temple, Alandra's goal is simple: to please the Mothers who raised her. When sent on a mission, she knows she must obey without question, no matter who is to be punished or how. Until the face of a victim brings back memories she didn't know she'd lost, and changes everything.In a world where only those of noble birth are invited to join the elite Griffin Riders, orphan Neb is destined for a life of drudgery. His path changes when he steals the disobedient young griffin Balkind in an attempt to prove that you don't need noble blood to become a hero. Join "The Griffin's Boy" on the adventure of a lifetime as he encounters girls for the very first time, learns the meaning of friendship and battles evil forces for his very soul.

The universe is dying, slowly each star is petering out until everything goes dark. The last civilisation has entrusted it's future to one ship searching for a planet that can still support life. Elim is the sole remaining pilot and is running out of resources to bring his people back to existence until a glimmer of hope appears in the distance.The macho barbarian Typhan-Knee was hit by a gender-swap spell. Tiffany's search for answers have brought her, the princess Peonie, and the baby dragon Denver, to the World's Edge. While taking a moment to relax Peonie has a theory of Tiffany's past before the white spell was cast... Exiern: November 2013 collects 8 color pages, including a two-page splash, posted during November 2013. Contains Mature Themes.Written byThomas KnappIllustrated byShipeng LeeEdited byScott T. HickenCreated byDrowemos

The Voice of Reason is part of a collection of short stories touching on the mystical, the inspirational and one that is sometimes laced with a little trip to the dark side. In this short story, Mary Percy finds that life sometimes presents the most unexpected hero in a form you least expect.Mary Percy can see nothing that will change her mother from mending her ways. Her father’s death had resulted in unhappy results for all three of them. When her mother drowns her troubles with drinks, Mary hardens herself to maintain sanity at all costs. She decides to celebrate her father’s life and memory by capturing the poetry that he wrote so intensely atop a cliff close to home. But when she meets Brad, Mary unravels the most unbecoming truth about her father, about the strange nature of life itself and the reason why betrayals sometimes leads to truth in the most unequivocal way.

Joette "Joey" McClane learns that weregals, a race of werecat, tiger shifters has lived in the West Virginia mountains for decades, only they haven't been seen in almost twenty years. By chance, she stumbles across Kev, the first weregal seen in years. He knows more about her than she suspects. Together with her friend, Chrissa, and Kev, they set off to solve the mystery behind Joey's new stalker.Joette McClane’s life has gone from the happiest it could ever be to heartbreak with the deaths of her parents. Now living with her grandma and aunt, trying to put the pieces of her life back together, a school assignment shocks the life back into Joey- an essay on the weregals, a race of werecats who disappeared from the mountains of West Virginia nearly twenty years ago. As luck, or fate, would have it, not only does Joey stumble across the first weregal seen in years, but what Kev knows about Joey will turn her world upside down. But Kev’s not the only creature lurking in the West Virginia pines, and these other creatures might not be so friendly. Armed with her peculiar sense of smell, Joey and her friends set out to discover the truth behind these mysterious strangers who have their sights set on Joey, but will the price of truth be too much to pay?Perfect Scents is a clean YA Paranormal Romance. There is little to no sexual content, violence, or swearing.

Sundays with Sophie is a wise, humorous and down to earth read especially for single young ladies in churches, giving advice on sensible ways to manage single years from an older, more experienced "Auntie" (Sophie) to her young protegée.It is the hottest day in the summer of 1965 in Jackson, Mississippi. The March on Washington and the words of Martin Luther King JR ring loud and clear in the town, yet crowds have congregated around the town square with only hatred on their minds.They are determined to remove a 12 year old black boy who sits at the foot of the town monument, a stone sculpture he is determined to paint. A sculpture began by his father who perished at the hands of the KKK weeks earlier.In this short story, on this hot, sweltering afternoon, hatred and prejudice will attempt to deny the love of a son to honour the memory of his father, but this 12 year old has only one purpose. To remain there and finish the work. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” ― Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches

This is a series of essays on life— as it is, as it was or as it might have been— as seen from a singular perspective.The view of any aspect in life depends almost entirely from one's perspective. These views reflect mine.A strong influence on my perspective is age. I'm an old man of 85 and likely have been lied to by more politicians, college professors, merchants, news media and other assorted groups than you. I have also been the recipient of many profound truths from similar groups — and even the same ones.I hope you'll enjoy reading these viewpoints whether or not you agree with them.At least it won't cost you anything to find out.

An Iranian film directed by a familiar name reminds the author of one of her parents’ close friends, the director’s family, and how everybody’s lives, including hers, changed after the revolution.An Iranian film directed by a familiar name reminds the author of one of her parents’ close friends, the director’s family, and how everybody’s lives, including hers, changed after the revolution, the hostage crisis, and the Iran-Iraq war. She recalls the years she lived in the States and the transformation she went through, from being perceived as an exotic Persian girl whose father owned an oil well, to a dangerous I-rain-ian.

The last survivors of the Community fight to live and die in authenticity and love while Others thrive: an account of an end of our species. An End, a short story, was first published by Mixer Publishing.The last survivors of the Community fight to live and die in authenticity and love while Others thrive: an account of an end of our species. An End, a short story, was first published by Mixer Publishing.From An End:"When Matthew returned there were twelve. He found the eleven others pressed shoulder to shoulder under a corrugated metal roof like thick lines of Others waiting to plug in and make their dull eyes bright. He listened to the rain on the roof. Twelve seemed too many. No matter, all love. The rain stopped and the twelve dispersed to their digging, planting, hoeing, picking, macheteing, cooking, eating, conversing, excreting, to their coffee, to their macadamia, and to their cane.Matthew returned to the routine of the days. He forgot to count them. It did not take him long to not think anything of note. The other Community members spoke often, but often without expressing clear thoughts. He occasionally spoke to Mary of nothing. He had a conversation with Maggie that caused him unhappiness. He did not think about it. It was forgotten. He worked in silence."

While investigating the disappearance of a girl, P.I. Arnold Cheek finds himself caught in a web of confusion and deceit, where his own actions and thoughts can’t even be trusted, and the everyday horrors of his life and his world are nothing compared to the horrors he’ll find in the Nursery.Arnold Cheek is a big city P.I. and his world is just like ours… except for one thing. In Arnold’s world, the fungus is a little more aggressive – mushrooms grow through bedrock and cement, and vinegar washes are the only things that keep mold from springing up on human skin. While investigating the disappearance of a girl, Cheek finds himself caught in a web of confusion and deceit, where his own actions and thoughts can’t even be trusted, and the everyday horrors of his life and his world are nothing compared to the horrors he’ll find in the Nursery.A detective/horror short story. Approximately 7,000 words.

Jackson Bardwell is about to get married to his long time sweetheart. But when doubt starts to consume him, he runs away, and drives away to the Hamptons, where he begins to reminisce about someone he met there as a teenager, someone he hasn't seen in years; someone whose bakery he ends up in."Spoken" is the short prologue to the full length novel "Unspoken", by Liliana Camarena.Jackson Bardwell is about to get married to his long time sweetheart. But when doubt starts to consume him, he runs away, leaving everything behind. He jumps in his car and drives away to the Hamptons, where he begins to reminisce about someone he met there as a teenager, someone he hasn't seen in years; someone whose bakery he ends up in."Spoken" is the short prologue to the full length novel "Unspoken", coming soon from author Liliana Camarena.

As Albert stood beside Minister Teslo, he thought of that long ago street hockey game ending with his face plant. Severe asthma kept him gasping for breath on that childhood ambulance ride to hospital. Now, as he listened to this Energy of Tomorrow speech at the coal fired power plant he wondered about his gift. Had it been written in his mother’s tear stained eyes or was there much more?Mindful of his scheduled midterm back at University in the city, Albert had ridden his e-bike at the Minister’s request out to this autumn countryside ceremony. He understood so much better now why Minister Teslo wanted to replace the power plant steam with a geothermal source—he had chosen geothermal as his engineering option. But as an asthmatic eleven year old he had only wanted to play street hockey that day. Half listening to the honorable Minister’s speech below the Energy of Tomorrow banner, Albert thought back to that day before Christmas he joined his cool brother Duke and the other boys in a game of hockey on the front street. He snuck out right past Mom to prove his boyhood courage. He should have heard her air index warning that morning, but at that age he hadn’t understood much about the atmosphere. His hockey game trauma mixed in with memories of his father’s talking about Paris back in 2015. How could a boy get what caused such a severe asthma attack? Ground level ozone was invisible just like carbon dioxide and a lot of adults still didn’t get climate change today. But now he could tell. The new normal weather and his global social media friends knew how serious the situation had become around the world. That day he nearly breathed his last had become a solid background to his outlook on the planet and the future of his generation. He was grateful for his father’s insight into news reports, yet he appreciated even more the action being taken by the government. That woman Minister who came to the hospital back then and ten years later Minister Teslo speaking today were really doing something. But, he knew, only if he and his friends and classmates kept up the social license pressure.

Daniel is a teenage boy who is known for getting into trouble. For a good reason. Wanting out of his parents house, he looks for a way to support himself. On finding a job, he meets a stubborn girl named Katie, who catches his eye. Will all his efforts to befriend Katie succeed?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?