The story is told through the eyes of Minervar a student healer. A chance meeting with a battle-weary mercenary called Serinae, throws them both into an epic adventure. They must discover their ancient history to save their precarious future. But Serinae's mysterious past is trying to stop them. Much is lost and gained before they finally win through - with more than a few twists along the way.The young elf Minervar has quite naively jumped at the opportunity of adventure. But what self-respecting, talented young novice wouldn’t? Especially if they had a muscle bound guardian and teacher called Jondris along for the ride. Whilst on her day off, enjoying a quiet ale in a tavern, Minervar has a chance meeting with a kinswoman, the stunningly beautiful, but mysterious God-fearing ranger from the wilds, an elf called Serinae and her business partner Teouso. This human stranger from the east badly in need of a dentist who is a man but has an uncanny knack fighting as a large canine. Well, events quickly start to take an interesting turn. They are joined by a wise-cracking, ale-swilling professional soldier, a vacationing dwarf called Łĩnwéé who has big attitude and a liking for freshly poached eggs and dragon scales. They find themselves rescuing Tnie from a lynch mob. They don’t know it at first but Tnie is a fugitive, on the run from the authorities after intentionally destroying part of his home city (the uninhabited part luckily!) to save it from an invading army, an ancient force that has already caused much destruction back inages past.The companions discover at a high-society dinner party, hosted by the last remaining member of an ancient elven guild of academics, that their world is under threat. Natural cataclysmic events are on the increase (some would call these ‘Twists of Eternity’). Not only that, but they also find out that some of their group are unintentional refugees and not from the world they live in at all. With more questions than answers, they set out to learn what they can from the elder races, for each has knowledge and skills necessary to rescue the planet from certain doom. The only problem is, they are missing a member. They need a representative from the murderous war-loving race of the ognods, a race of giants from the north that all the other races hate and fear, with good reason. If that’s not sufficient to put a damper on the proceedings, it becomes apparent that other unrelated dark forces are trying to hinder them, even stop them altogether. Dark forces that are uncomfortably linked to the history of the elven race and more personally to Serinae’s own mysterious past.Wrongs are righted, lessons are learnt, battles are fought. Strange lands are travelled both within the world and without. Strange creatures discovered and avoided, especially the ones that dig tunnels using their naturally generated atomic energy (good for instantly heating water for tea though!). The company perseveres. They must discover their own secret past to save their precarious future. Finally with the help of a gargantuan technological marvel that runs on ‘chips’, designed and installed by a mysterious and extinct race of beings with a history more ancient than the planet itself, they succeed. The companions, although changed by their epic discoveries and experiences forever, put the world to rights. As for Minervar, well, she may just learn many things about herself along the way.

Destined to become a modern classic, the short story Itsy Bitsy is guaranteed to make you think twice before you take a picture of someone in a bikini. In this creepy shocker, horror author superstar John Ajvide Lindqvist (LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, HANDLING THE UNDEAD) gives new meaning to punishing the paparazzi.

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When Beauty Box beautician Tammy Smith is discovered with a pair of hair shears in her back, there are suspects and secrets aplenty in her small Southern town.Octogenarian Myrtle Clover is intrigued by the crime...and her neighbors' secrets. But discovering, and blabbing, secrets got Tammy killed and Myrtle soon learns her sleuthing isn't just dangerous...it's deadly.Hera, member of the Gultur race governing the Seven Islands, thought she knew right from wrong and what her future held in store. A chance meeting with a lesser mortal, though, will turn her world upside down and force her to see her race and the laws with different eyes. For Hera, knowledge means action, so she sets out to put things right and change her world.Taking place in the World of the Seven Islands almost three years before the events in Rex Rising, this is the story of Hera’s first confrontation with the truth.

All people, all children, have adventures in fantastic, magical worlds of talking animals, living legends, and myth. But all children, eventually, grow up and forget. Anthony remembered. This tale follows “Alabaster Emissaries” and marks Anthony’s return to NeverEarth where an old foe awaits and a dark curse bubbles just beneath the pristine surface.This story continues the adventures of Anthony Delleroe in the strange, otherworldly land of NeverEarth. All people, all children, have adventures in fantastic, magical worlds of talking animals, living legends, and myth. But all children, eventually, grow up and forget. Anthony remembered. This tale follows “Alabaster Emissaries” and marks Anthony’s return to NeverEarth where an old foe awaits and a dark curse bubbles just beneath the pristine surface. The world-setting (containing NeverEarth, Kellen, Talismere, the Alabaster Palace, and other landmarks within this story’s context), and the specific contextual characters of Anthony Delleroe, Karl, Queen Allasande, Duchess Malgrave, Wiste, and others, are owned by myself.The story began in "Christmas in NeverEarth" and continued with free, downloadable publications (in eBook and PDF formats) on Smashwords. I'll be uploading this to Smashwords in the next few weeks, again, for free. Until then, you can read it, here.Cover art is by Louis Frank.

A loner with a troubled past, Brand has kept himself isolated from the brutal werewolf society he was born into. When he finds a female of his kind beaten and discarded, he endangers himself to help her.Short story of 2400 words.Also contains a sample chapter of Broods of Fenrir ~3300 words.Jeremiah Stalwart is from a small town. Though he is much smarter than his peers, he lives a pretty standard life. That is until some bullies chase him after school. He finds himself on a completely unfamiliar planet. Now it is his job to unlock the secret of how he got there and help scientists on his home planet to make the same journey. Join him as he takes the first step towards instantaneous space travel. About 11100 words.

Take sixteen authors, add twenty stories, poems and non-fiction pieces. Mix it all together and you get an eclectic collection, spanning many styles and genres, that is sure to inspire a wide range of emotions. Whatever your reading tastes, you will be satisfied, so sit down, relax and enjoy 'Eclectica'.Take sixteen authors, add twenty stories, poems and non-fiction pieces. Mix it all together and you get an eclectic collection, spanning many styles and genres, that is sure to inspire a wide range of emotions.This anthology is the result of the writing talents of students of the University of Ballarat's Professional Writing and Editing Course, and members of Ballarat Writers.Whatever your reading tastes, you will be satisfied, so sit down, relax and enjoy 'Eclectica'.

She travels through time, unraveling knots and fixing mistakes before an anomaly can destroy a timeline. Her only partner is Darien, her soulmate. Without him, unraveling Time would be unbearable. Maddening. When Darien falls victim to an anomaly like no other, can she save him, or will she go mad trying?She travels through time, unraveling knots and fixing mistakes before an anomaly can destroy a timeline. Her only partner is Darien, her soulmate. Without him, unraveling Time would be unbearable. Maddening. Then, he falls victim to an anomaly like no other. As loneliness seeps in, so does madness. Objects appear at random, in timelines where they should not exist. Is it madness, or Darien trying to tell her something?Short story PLUS the first three chapters of Dark Consort, a dark fantasy novel, AND A Year of You, a new adult romance!

Aiden, skilled in the magical D'Tari arts yet always the reluctant hero, sets off on a mission to bring down a beautiful but powerful traitor. What Aiden discovers, with the help of the Raven Lord D'Natis, is more than he bargained for. This present-day short story fantasy is a prequel to JA Laflin's 'demiGod' books and includes two bonus chapters from the first full-length novel.Aiden, skilled in the magical D'Tari arts yet always the reluctant hero, sets off on a mission to bring down a beautiful but powerful traitor. What Aiden discovers, with the help of the Raven Lord D'Natis, is more than he bargained for. From the streets of Philadelphia, to an encounter high in the sky, this is a riveting fantasy tale set in the present day.This present-day short story fantasy is a prequel to JA Laflin's 'demiGod' books and includes two bonus chapters from the first full-length novel.

My Incomplete story, i just want you guys to check it out and tell me what you think.Growing up Cassandra wasn’t afraid of the monster in her closet or the thing under her bed. Growing up Cassandra was afraid of Thing, her very own flesh and blood monster. Thing did unspeakable things to Cassandra, things that affect her well into adulthood. Cassandra’s life starts to spiral out of control when she begins to have dreams about killing Thing. Afraid of what she may become Cassandra seeks the help of therapist Zakiyyah. Can Zakiyyah save Cassandra from Thing and herself, or is it already too late?

Danielle has always lived in a tiny, mysterious world, alone save for a single strange window that looks out upon a another world much bigger and far more intriguing than her own. When the window breaks one fateful day, she embarks on a journey on which she discovers not only who she is, but also her purpose.Brought to you free. Your opinion matters. Please leave a rating for others to enjoy.Salunas Tac always wanted to do something more. To be something more. When Gaiana, the Druid Mother, visits Aazronia for her Reconcilement blessing, she regales him with tales of the Gift Giver. Inspired to do something for the families of Aazronia, Salunas takes on the mantle of Gift Giver, using his Coercer powers to help spread joy throughout the land.On Whetu, a powerful Abomination has arrived through the Great Portal. Flying to the Druid village under the cover of darkness, it attacks, taking two children and infecting others. When Magistrate Marcus appears on Whetu, with information about the powerful Abomination that is lurking there, he must convince the Druids to take deadly action. On the eve of Reconcilement, this is one thing they refuse to do. Seeking out the help of the Earth Mother, and friends they have gathered along the way, they strive to bring about a resolution that will save humanity.

Malen was never supposed to know the secret of the clock. Even when he saw the dark shadow within as a boy, he passed it off as mere illusion. Grandma tried to protect him, to push him away from its evil. But with Malen back at the house and Grandma no longer strong enough to thwart its darkness, will the clock's vile soul finally have salvation at the hands of Malen's doom?Who, exactly, is Jennifer Pasco? Cancer survivor? Retired super spy? Heroin addict living in Caliphate-occupied Britain? None or all three? Enter an entirely different kind of future in a short story that races from beginning to end, without a moment to catch your breath or figure out the absurdities any quicker than she does. From the author of MacArthur's Luck, here's something completely different. And best of all, it's free.

What if someone had a secret so damning he’d kill his own nephew to protect it? Speak 2 U Soon brings four teens together in a psychological thriller as they search for the truth to Davey’s “accidental” drowning.In Speak 2 U Soon, Julie Price’s big brother drowns under mysterious circumstances: Uncle Eric takes Davey out in a boat knowing full well Davey is not only terrified of water, but he also can’t swim. It is her brother’s death that is Julie’s psychological undoing. Two other teens, Raven and Jorge, each suffering from their own losses, meet Julie in group therapy. Fast friends, they uncover discrepancies in Eric’s story. After enlisting Davey’s friend, Vince, who was on the boat the night Davey died, the four make a final climatic discovery.

An original collection of short rhymed poems (31 to be exact) with full color 'Fair Use' images about spreading joy. If the words are enhanced by the images, the words may just change the reader and the way you may think about the images in a new and profound way. You too, may just become a Spatter-er of Joy!An original collection of short rhymed poems (31 to be exact) with full color 'Fair Use' images about spreading joy. If the words are enhanced by the images, the words may just change the reader and the way you may think about the images in a new and profound way. You too, may just become a Spatter-er of Joy! This collection is a: "Rhymer' Primer of 31 days of poems to Spatter Joy for every day of any year." Something as inexplicable and undefined as "joy" is meant to be spattered. What cost can be placed on such a wonderful and precious thing as "joy?" It must then be FREELY shared! This collection is a gift and it is meant to be given to anyone, for FREE!

When two children at a Halloween party, decide to go looking for their friend in the woods, they find something they weren't expecting.Logan Reed was18 years old, 5’11’’ tall with jet black hair cut tight around his head, long on top and brown eyes with a handsome face. He was one of those sporty lads that had to be a winner at any cost; he hated losing and would go to any lengths to be the best. Given his attitude he wasn’t the most liked kid in school, not that it bothered him much.When he wasn’t chasing the gold medal, Logan was a nice polite lad who used manners more than most lads of his age. Right now though he wasn’t trying to win any sporting event, he was trying to win over the affections and attentions of one Joss Kisswater. She just happened to be the prettiest girl in the school as well as the best at sports. She’d recently come over from California and with her stunning good looks, blonde hair, golden suntan and American accent meant that Joss was on lots of boy’s minds. He believed though they were a match made in heaven and destined to be together; all he had to do was convince her of it. The problem was three other lads were also trying to get her and they were better than him at one thing, the one thing Joss loved and he was crap at - Surfing. Logan had done some surfing before the school put him with a group that was already a few days in to their lessons, he could get to his knees no problem, it was standing that he found very difficult. Logan was now more determined to learn how to surf than ever, he was going to win the competition that was being held the day before the party on the beach and he had only one more day left. It wasn’t enough time. His solution was to practise alone at night and there was to be a full moon tonight so he’d have plenty of light.Pulling the zip up on his wetsuit Logan slipped in to the water, the light from the moon reflected on the waves giving the water an eerie silvery glow. Two things would now put Logan’s life at risk, the first was his single mindedness and the second was his complete lack of knowledge about the currents and tides. Logan made up his mind that his only chance of surviving was to head for the rocks and climb his way out and back to safety.Clay Norton was a top Australian surfer and he finds Logan and helps him to surf, the problem is that Clay doesn’t turn out to be the man Logan thinks he is.

Mental health is a hot topic, including treatment for mental illness. In this essay, I approach antidepressants in a sociological fashion. The dimensions I consider include: general information, the statistics of antidepressant usage, how antidepressants relate to the medical model, the efficacy of antidepressants, and how antidepressants can be understood through sociological frameworks.A brother and sister discover a hidden world beneath sand dunes while on vacation. The Sands of Oz is a mythical place that supposedly only exists in a book that was written by Frank L. Baum, but was never published. Only bits and pieces were ever released and only used in promotional ads for the area near Lake Michigan that has sands dunes that reach up to 300 feet tall. If Mr. Baum had developed an alternative to the Wizard of Oz, this might be the world he imagined.****PLEASE NOTE**********UNFINISHED STORY*****

It's a profile, like all the others on the online dating site. But as NYPD Detective Kat Donovan focuses on the accompanying picture, she feels her whole world explode, as emotions she’s ignored for decades come crashing down on her. Staring back at her is her ex-fiancé Jeff, the man who shattered her heart—and who she hasn’t seen in 18 years. Kat feels a spark, wondering if this might be the moment when past tragedies recede and a new world opens up to her. But when she reaches out to the man in the profile, her reawakened hope quickly darkens into suspicion and then terror as an unspeakable conspiracy comes to light, in which monsters prey upon the most vulnerable.  As the body count mounts and Kat's hope for a second chance with Jeff grows more and more elusive, she is consumed by an investigation that challenges her feelings about everyone she ever loved—her former fiancé, her mother, and even her father, whose cruel murder so long ago has never been fully explained. With lives on the line, including her own, Kat must venture deeper into the darkness than she ever has before, and discover if she has the strength to survive what she finds there.

"The Glass-Blowers consistently entertains." --New York Times The world of the glass-blowers has its own traditions, it's own language - and its own rules. 'If you marry into glass' Pierre Labbe warns his daughter, 'you will say goodbye to everything familiar, and enter a closed world'. But crashing into this world comes the violence and terror of the French Revolution, against which the family struggles to survive. Years later, Sophie Duval reveals to her long-lost nephew the tragic story of a family of master craftsmen in eighteenth-century France. Drawing on her own family's tale of tradition and sorrow, Daphne du Maurier weaves an unforgettable saga of beauty, war, and family.

Objective, unbiased and hyper-rational, the Vulcan 3 should have been the perfect ruler. The omnipotent computer dictates policy that is in the best interests of all citizens—or at least, that is the idea. But when the machine, whose rule evolved out of chaos and war, begins to lose control of the “Healer” movement of religious fanatics and the mysterious force behind their rebellion, all Hell breaks loose. Written in 1960, Philip K. Dick’s paranoid novel imagines a totalitarian state in which hammer-headed robots terrorize citizens and freedom is an absurd joke. William Barris, the morally conflicted hero, may be the only person who can prevent the battle for control from destroying the world—if, that is, he can decide which side he’s on. Winner of both the Hugo and John W. Campbell awards for best novel, widely regarded as the premiere science fiction writer of his day, and the object of cult-like adoration from his legions of fans, Philip K. Dick has come to be seen in a literary light that defies classification in much the same way as Borges and Calvino. With breathtaking insight, he utilizes vividly unfamiliar worlds to evoke the hauntingly and hilariously familiar in our society and ourselves.

Throughout her acclaimed writing career, Julie Garwood has captivated readers with characters who are compelling, daring, and bursting with life. Now one of the most popular novelists of our time proudly returns to her beloved historical romance roots–in a thrilling tale of love, murder, adventure, and mystery set against the haunting landscape of medieval Scotland. For Princess Gabrielle of St. Biel, Scotland is a land of stunning vistas, wild chieftains, treacherous glens, and steep shadows–skullduggery, betrayal, and now murder. Prized for her exquisite beauty, the daughter of one of England’s most influential barons, Gabrielle is also a perfect bargaining chip for a king who needs peace in the Highlands: King John has arranged Gabrielle’s marriage to a good and gentle laird. But this marriage will never take place. For Gabrielle, everything changes in one last burst of freedom–when she and her guards come upon a scene of unimaginable cruelty. With one shot from her bow and arrow, Gabrielle takes a life, saves a life, and begins a war. Within days, the Highlands are aflame with passions as a battle royal flares between enemies old and new. Having come to Scotland to be married, Gabrielle is instead entangled in Highland intrigue. For two sadistic noblemen, underestimating Gabrielle’s bravery and prowess may prove fatal. But thanks to a secret Gabrielle possesses, Colm MacHugh, the most feared man in Scotland, finds a new cause for courage. Under his penetrating gaze, neither Gabrielle’s body nor heart is safe. A gripping novel that delves into the heart of emotions–unyielding passions of love, hate, revenge, and raw desire–Shadow Music is magnificent gift from Julie Garwood and a crowning achievement in her amazing career. From the Hardcover edition.

Her wild spirit made him crave her... Her firebrand—hair blazed as glorious as a sunrise. Her long limbs promised the sweet mysteries of the night. Rhiannon, King Alfred’s favorite niece, was enraged when her uncle sealed an alliance of war by pledging her to Eric, the towering golden-haired prince whose blue eyes penetrated her with a glacial stare. But the more she fought the marriage . . . the man . . . the more she became inflamed by the fire that lay beneath his Viking ice. His passion pierced her heart... His broad shoulders as hard as the steel of his sword, Eric bowed to no man. The only battle he feared losing was with Rhiannon. For she had reached into the savage recesses of his heart. No campaign on the field, no treason from within, would he fight as fiercely–or with such desire . . . as the war he waged to possess what was his. From the Paperback edition.