This inaugural issue of the Fiction Vortex magazine is stuffed with incredible stories, tales that will take you through the verdant valley of coming-of-age-fantasy, over the jagged summit of hard science fiction, into the dark cavern of cerebral horror, and back out into the sunlit meadows of humorous satire. All stories and reviews were published on FictionVortex.com in May 2013This inaugural issue of the Fiction Vortex magazine is stuffed with incredible stories, tales that will take you through the verdant valley of coming-of-age-fantasy, over the jagged summit of hard science fiction, into the dark cavern of cerebral horror, and back out into the sunlit meadows of humorous satire. All stories and reviews were published on FictionVortex.com in May 2013.Fiction Vortex focuses on publishing speculative fiction. That means science fiction and fantasy (with a light smattering of horror and a few other subgenres), be it light, heavy, deep, flighty, spaceflighty, cerebral, visceral, epic, or mundane. But mundane in a my-local-gas-station-has-elf-mechanics-but-it’s-not-really-a-big-deal-around-here kind of way. Got it?Basically, we want imaginative stories that are well written, but not full of supercilious floridity.There’s a long-standing belief that science fiction and fantasy stories aren’t as good as purely literary fare. We want you to prove that mindset wrong (not just wrong, but a steaming pile of griffin dung wrong) with every story we publish. It’s almost like we’re saying, “I do not bite my thumb at you, literary snobs, but I do bite my thumb,” but in a completely polite and non-confrontational way.

Do you ever wonder what goes on in the mind of an author? If so, here's your chance to see what the muse does when nobody is looking? So come and travel with me as I see where the muse wants to visit next.In Wanderings of a Muse, the author shares her thoughts on everything from the meaning of words to one shots. Contained within these pages you will find tales of Greek Gods and Camelot. Memories and ruminations about colors and books will stretch your mind.Will you dare to find out where the muse wanders?

Out to prove she's the best, a wicked femme fatal jeopardizes the fashion show and lures her competition into a deadly game called Model Kombat pitting hungry models inside brutal cage fights to the death for their shot at fame and fortune. 184 pages with chapters and a table of contents.Ever dream of becoming a model? Join the fight! Out to prove she's the best, a wicked femme fatal jeopardizes the fashion show and lures her competition into a deadly game called Model Kombat pitting hungry models inside brutal cage fights to the death for their shot at fame and fortune. 184 pages with chapters and a table of contents.

What if you had a second chance to meet someone for the first time? Cal Logan is shocked to see Nicole Bentley sitting across from him at a coffee shop thousands of miles from their hometown. After all, no one has seen or heard from her since they graduated over a year ago. Except this girl isn't Nicole. She looks exactly like Cal's shy childhood crush, but her name is Nyelle Preston and she has no idea who he is. This girl is impulsive and daring, her passion for life infectious. The complete opposite of Nicole. Cal finds himself utterly fascinated-and falling hard. But Nyelle is also extremely secretive. And the closer he comes to finding out what she's hiding, the less he wants to know. When the secrets from the past and present collide, one thing becomes clear: Nothing is what it seems.

As Jane Marple sat basking in the tropical sunshine she felt mildly discontented with life. True, the warmth eased her rheumatism, but here in paradise nothing ever happened. Then a question was put to her by a stranger: ‘Would you like to see a picture of a murderer?’ Before she has a chance to answer, the man vanishes, only to be found dead the next day. The mysteries abound: Where is the picture? Why is the hotelier prone to nightmares? Why doesn’t the most talked-about guest, a reclusive millionaire, ever leave his room? And why is Miss Marple herself fearful for her life? Of not A Caribbean Mystery introduces the wealthy (and difficult) Mr Jason Rafiel, who will call upon Miss Marple for help in Nemesis (1971)—after his death.

This magnificent novel by one of America’s finest writers is the epic of one man’s remarkable journey, set in nineteenth-century America against the background of a vanishing people and a rich way of life. At the age of twelve, under the Wind moon, Will is given a horse, a key, and a map, and sent alone into the Indian Nation to run a trading post as a bound boy. It is during this time that he grows into a man, learning, as he does, of the raw power it takes to create a life, to find a home. In a card game with a white Indian named Featherstone, Will wins – for a brief moment – a mysterious girl named Claire, and his passion and desire for her spans this novel. As Will’s destiny intertwines with the fate of the Cherokee Indians – including a Cherokee Chief named Bear – he learns how to fight and survive in the face of both nature and men, and eventually, under the Corn Tassel Moon, Will begins the fight against Washington City to preserve the Cherokee’s homeland and culture. And he will come to know the truth behind his belief that “only desire trumps time.” Brilliantly imagined, written with great power and beauty by a master of American fiction, Thirteen Moons is a stunning novel about a man’s passion for a woman, and how loss, longing and love can shape a man’s destiny over the many moons of a life. From the Hardcover edition.

The end draws near.... The Last Battle has started. The seals on the Dark One’s prison are crumbling. The Pattern itself is unraveling, and the armies of the Shadow have begun to boil out of the Blight. The sun has begun to set upon the Third Age. Perrin Aybara is now hunted by specters from his past: Whitecloaks, a slayer of wolves, and the responsibilities of leadership. All the while, an unseen foe is slowly pulling a noose tight around his neck. To prevail, he must seek answers in Tel’aran’rhiod and find a way--at long last--to master the wolf within him or lose himself to it forever Meanwhile, Matrim Cauthon prepares for the most difficult challenge of his life. The creatures beyond the stone gateways--the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn--have confused him, taunted him, and left him hanged, his memory stuffed with bits and pieces of other men’s lives. He had hoped that his last confrontation with them would be the end of it, but the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. The time is coming when he will again have to dance with the Snakes and the Foxes, playing a game that cannot be won. The Tower of Ghenjei awaits, and its secrets will reveal the fate of a friend long lost. This penultimate novel of Robert Jordan’s #1 New York Times bestselling series--the second of three based on materials he left behind when he died in 2007--brings dramatic and compelling developments to many threads in the Pattern. The end draws near. Dovie’andi se tovya sagain. It’s time to toss the dice.

An heiress in hiding... For graphic designer Cecily Dixon, building a successful life on her own terms, independent of her family's name and wealth, has been an all-important goal. That's why she followed her boss to tiny Wishful, Mississippi. While she's fallen in love with the town and the work being done to bring it back to life, her internship is over and it's time to take the next power-house step in her career...somewhere else. A bookstore in trouble... Reed Campbell is Wishful born and bred. He loves his small town life, and it suits him just fine. When he needs help breathing life into his struggling bookstore, the brilliant and sexy Cecily is the last person he expects to volunteer. Since one chemistry-fueled summer weekend, she's been giving him the cold shoulder, and he can't figure out how he blew it. A romance with an expiration date... Working together will start the thaw, but they both know the clock is ticking and Cecily will be moving on. Or will she? Wishful is just the right size for Reed, but can he convince Cecily that his small town can support her big dreams?

Cross swords with a blue-skinned pirate and unravel the mystery of the masked spellcaster in this second book of the Stone of Tymora trilogy! Though robbed by a masked spellcaster and left for dead by a demon, twelve-year-old Maimun refuses to give up the magic that rightfully belongs to him. After reuniting with dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden and Captain Deudermont's crew, Maimun sets off on a sea-faring chase that will test both the strength of his spirit and of his friendships. As perilous storms rock Sea Sprite and vicious pirates bombard its decks, a mysterious force gathers in the Moonshaes, determined to bring Deudermont's ship - and Maimun's quest - crashing to an end on its shores. In this second book of the Stone of Tymora trilogy, R.A. Salvatore and his son Geno continue their gripping tale of coming-of-age in a world filled with magic, featuring a cameo of R.A. Salvatore's signature character Drizzt Do'Urden.

Douglas Petersen may be mild-mannered, but behind his reserve lies a sense of humor that, against all odds, seduces beautiful Connie into a second date and eventually into marriage. Now, almost three decades after their relationship first blossomed in London, they live more or less happily in the suburbs with their moody seventeen-year-old son, Albie; then Connie tells him she thinks she wants a divorce. The timing couldn’t be worse. Hoping to encourage her son’s artistic interests, Connie has planned a month-long tour of European capitals, a chance to experience the world’s greatest works of art as a family, and she can’t bring herself to cancel. And maybe going ahead with the original plan is for the best anyway. Douglas is privately convinced that this landmark trip will rekindle the romance in the marriage and might even help him bond with Albie. Narrated from Douglas’s endearingly honest, slyly witty, and at times achingly optimistic point of view, Us is the story of a man trying to rescue his relationship with the woman he loves and learning how to get closer to a son who’s always felt like a stranger.

Athletics are everything for eighth-grader KT Sutton. She’s a softball star, and she’s on track to get a college scholarship and achieve international fame. Then one day during a championship game—in the middle of an important play—she suddenly blacks out. When she wakes up, she’s in a different world. One where school is class after class of athletic drills, and after-school sports are replaced by popular academic competitions. One where KT is despised for her talent, and where her parents are fixated on her brother’s future mathletics career rather than KT’s softball hopes. KT is desperate to get back to reality as she knew it, but bits and pieces of disturbing memories and dreams make her wonder if something truly awful happened there. What if she’s lost something a lot more important than a softball game?

Product Description This is a 12,000 word short story. This means you don't have a deep plot or heavy character development -- just a fun, light read that is a gift to my readers to say 'thank you' for your support. This is a contemporary story and it's medium heat so that it can be enjoyable to a broader range of reader. It is intentionally not as hot as my Spice Briefs, my self published novella HOT VAMPIRE KISS, or even my Zodius series with LEGEND OF MICHAEL, where I often venture into super erotic and edgy. Those of you who have read me know that my contemporary stories tend to be light and fun and my paranormal stories are dark and edgy like HOT VAMPIRE KISS. PLEASURE WITH PURPOSE is a light, fun, sexy read. Heather and Brad have been close family friends for ten years but both have secretly pined for each other, secretly fantasized about one sultry hot night together. So when fate delivers them a chance at that night -- will they take it -- and risk a lifetime of friendship being destroyed? Or will they convince themselves they can really wake up tomorrow and pretend it never happened? AGAIN -- This is a 12,000 word short, sexy story. It is a free gift to my readers. I hope you enjoy!

Readers of Peter Lerangis s Seven Wonders and Brandon Mull s Five Kingdoms will love the mesmerizing Egyptian setting in the fourth installment of this epic survival story series Hylas and Pirra finally arrive in Egypt, only to find that the dagger Userref guarded is missing. Even worse, Telamon and the Crows are also in Egypt to hunt for the dagger, and they'll stop at nothing until they get what they've come for. But when Hylas realizes where the dagger is hidden in Egypt s ancient tombs, buried with the restless souls of the dead it's going to take all of his courage to slip inside. And as his otherworldly visions grow stronger, Hylas isn't confident that he'll have the strength to make it out alive. With Havoc the lioness and Echo the falcon at their sides, Hylas and Pirra must rescue the dagger and make a daring escape...before the gods of Egypt consume them all."

Teena Maguire should not have tried to shortcut her way home that Fourth of July. Not after midnight, not through Rocky Point Park. Not the way she was dressed in a tank top, denim cutoffs, and high-heeled sandals. Not with her twelve-year-old daughter Bethie. Not with packs of local guys running loose on hormones, rage, and alcohol. A victim of gang rape, left for dead in the park boathouse, the once vivacious Teena can now only regret that she has survived. At a relentlessly compelling pace punctuated by lonely cries in the night and the whisper of terror in the afternoon, Joyce Carol Oates unfolds the story of Teena and Bethie, their assailants, and their unexpected, silent champion, a man who knows the meaning of justice. And love.

Defiance by C. J. Redwine is rich postapocalyptic YA fantasy perfect for fans of Graceling and Tamora Pierce. While the other girls in the walled city-state of Baalboden learn to sew and dance, Rachel Adams learns to track and hunt. While they bend like reeds to the will of their male Protectors, she uses hers for sparring practice. When Rachel's father fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the city's brutal Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector: her father's apprentice, Logan—the boy she declared her love to and who turned her down two years before. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

In this charming repackage from a beloved series, Alice doesn’t feel like fitting in. Alice McKinley likes her life, but she senses things are changing. She gets a little bored by her best friends Elizabeth’s and Pamela’s obsession with clothes and makeup. She’s just not that interested. And though she is very interested in her boyfriend, Patrick, she’s not entirely sure how to keep their relationship going. Alice is struggling to figure out how she feels about things—and then how her feelings fits into what other people think she should be feeling. Getting older is even trickier than Alice thought—is she ready for the challenge? As Alice stumbles her way through the minefield of early adolescence, there are plenty of bumps, giggles, and surprises along the way. Every girl should grow up with Alice, and with this irresistible new look, a whole new generation will want to.

When the daughter of a powerful businessman dies as a result of her meth addiction, her father, strong-willed and brutal Buck Reinhardt, vows revenge. His target is the Red Boyz, a gang of Ojibwe youths accused of supplying the girl's fatal drug dose. When the head of the Red Boyz and his wife are murdered in a way that suggests execution, the Ojibwe gang mobilizes, and the citizens of Tamarack County brace themselves for war, white against red. Both sides look to Cork O'Connor, a man of mixed heritage, to uncover the truth behind the murders. A former sheriff, Cork has lived, fought, and nearly died to keep the small-town streets and his family safe from harm. He knows that violence is never a virtue, but he believes that it's sometimes a necessary response to the evil that men do. Racing to find answers before the bloodshed spreads, Cork himself becomes involved in the darkest of deeds. As the unspeakable unfolds in the remote and beautiful place he calls home, Cork is forced to confront the horrific truth: Violence is a beast that cannot be contained.

Introducing BLINDFOLD, the latest collaboration between MS Parker and Cassie Wild. I came from a large family, neither rich nor poor. We never went hungry, but we always had to work for what we wanted. So when I was sent to work as the personal assistant to Isadora Lang, the twenty year-old orphan and multi-billionaire heiress, I knew I could never fit into her world. Not that I had any desire to fit in…that was, until I met her gorgeous ass of an older brother, Ashford Lang. For the last thirteen years, Ashford Lang has been the substitute parent to his younger sister, and when he hears that Isadora has hired a personal assistant named Toni Gallagher, he's determined to do what he's always done – protect his baby sister. The last thing he expects when meeting Toni is a tiny, fiery redhead who doesn't give a damn who he is. A challenge no doubt. One that Ash is more than willing to take. What he doesn't know is that, soon, Toni will be the least of his concerns.

Brand New Release From USA Today's Bestselling Author, M.S. Parker. My life wasn't perfect but it was close. I loved my job and my husband. We were getting ready to celebrate our first year of marriage and, soon, we'd be starting a family. And then my world imploded. Twenty-six year-old Shae Lockwood and her husband have the kind of marriage most people would kill for. Together since college, they're as in love now as they were then. When Allen surprises Shae for their one year anniversary, she has no way of knowing that everything in her life is about to change. Don't miss A Wicked Lie, an Erotic Thriller from USA Today best-selling author M.S. Parker.

It was a slender length of rusted steel, tapered to a point at one end and jagged at the other, as if it had broken. A thousand people would step over it and think it trash, but not her. This was the tip of a rapier. Sixteen-year-old Jill has fought in dozens of fencing tournaments, but she has never held a sharpened blade. When she finds a corroded sword piece on a Caribbean beach, she is instantly intrigued and pockets it as her own personal treasure. The broken tip holds secrets, though, and it transports Jill through time to the deck of a pirate ship. Stranded in the past and surrounded by strangers, she is forced to sign on as crew. But a pirate's life is bloody and brief, and as Jill learns about the dark magic that brought her there, she forms a desperate scheme to get home—one that risks everything in a duel to the death with a villainous pirate captain. Time travel, swordplay, and romance combine in an original high-seas adventure from New York Times bestseller Carrie Vaughn.

Nerve is a classic novel from Dick Francis, one of the greatest thriller writers of all time.Rob Finn's winning streak made him one of the most sought-after steeplechase jockeys. But his subsequent collapse in form surprised no one more than himself.As word spreads that Finn has lost his nerve, he discovers a well-managed campaign to discredit certain jockeys; in his own case, a plan assisted by horse doping.But to find the culprits behind it, Finn will have to use all his cunning and racing know-how . . .Packed with intrigue and hair-raising suspense, Nerve is just one of the many blockbuster thrillers from legendary crime writer Dick Francis. Other novels include the huge bestsellers Dead Heat, Under Orders and Silks. The Dick Francis legacy continues through his son Felix Francis: Refusal is his latest novel, following Bloodline and...