Brooks Berry is your normal 12 year old boy. Obsessed with sports, best friends with his dog Ripken and a very curious mind. He also is one of Wauwatosa's leading detectives. Join this boy sleuth and his friends on his mystery solving adventures packed with unexpected twists and turns.Written in the spirit of the Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew mysteries. First edition of a new series.Write On Press Presents an incredible collection of original short fiction including 30 of the best new and original short stories of 2013! We put together a collection of work by some of the hottest new authors of fiction, fantasy, sci-fi and romance. With well over 100,000 words of quality short stories, there is sure to be something for every taste. Enjoy the works of J. J. Haile, Taymika G. Byrd, C. M. Bratton, H. C. Heartland and many others!Fiction:T’ant Pis (Too Bad)Cleaning HouseChicken Pox RevengeThe Girl in the LibraryThe Cards Don’t LieJohnny’s GunDog Night DawnThanks be to the BoozeThose Shoes!~*~Fantasy:A Mother’s NeedBe Careful what you ask forThe Divorce QuiltWither the World~*~Science Fiction:The GameChainmail & NerdsMemory FarmBehind these Eyes1. Inside the Light, Outside of Time2. Lifetime in a Moment3. Whisper in the Darkness4. Darkness of Mind5. Clasping Life6. Drip of Moonlight7. Generating LightMe Zombie, You FoodOf Pirate Queens and Kika Fruit~*~Romance:Courage in a Coffee CupBreathlessLacrimosaRipplesAs an added bonus, enjoy a sneak peek of the Lost Legends of OZ, Volume II, by L. Frank Baum, coming February 2014!

The story revolves on a simple phrase, ‘LOVE ONE ANOTHER.’ How complex it became when thirty-six benevolent aliens, stranded on our planet, sought help from us humans to save their civilization. Of how alien's 'help and love one another' clashed with human's greed for power. A down to Earth story meant for well-read young adults and mature readers as it will force you to think and consider.The story revolves around a simple phrase, ‘Love one another.’ Of how complex it became when benevolent aliens, only thirty-six, stranded on our planet sought help from us humans to refuel their ship to save their civilization. Aliens who believed in one almighty and benevolent God. Aliens whose society flourished on a firm and deeply rooted abidance to their God’s greatest tenet, ‘Love God and one another.’ Of how ‘helping and loving each other’, deeply etched in the alien’s nature and character, clashed with human’s attitude to seek power, by whatever means, that when pushed to a corner, the ‘everyone for himself’ mentality in human’s prevail. In contrast, the aliens would rather die than rise at other’s expense. This irrational behavior, this instinct for survival is inherent in us humans. The aliens, faced with such inherency, went their way to get help as they advocated, ‘help and love one another.’ Wary of the temptation to humans to acquire the power one can hold in their technology, the aliens pushed on to save their civilization through this prevailing human attitude. Thus, the story in four episodes, four points in time, four scenarios.An excerpt from the novel best describes the alien’s predicament through Amo Obib’s, the Alien leader, dilemma. A dilemma that holds true to us intelligent humans today when he concluded: “In all the years I observed humans, I never understood them. Power, greed, and mistrust are things that shaped their destiny. Never in history have they thought of themselves as one, Earthlings. Countries, races, tribes, families, and even within their own family, they compete against each other. I do not understand,” he paused, as he struggled to make sense of it. “It’s sad for it is within the Human’s power to make this planet a wonderful place to live. If they only knew the value in loving and helping each other, they could make their world a paradise.”Accessed for its story, a professional concluded, “This is a formulaic and unique sci-fi novel that fans of aliens, philosophy, and sociology will find engaging.” A conclusion drawn as embedded within the story are philosophical, theological, and sociological issues. Issues true thousands of years ago as it is today! Issues that will make one pause and consider. It will make you wonder and think.

Ker woke up Monday morning to find out her body was changing, and not for the better. She is suddenly faced with deathKer woke up Monday morning to find out her body was changing, and not for the better. Her skin turning grey, her joints stiffening up, and she is craving strange things.

Students were discouraged from venturing into the park's public toilet. Of course they all knew, in whispers and titters, it was because of the hole. This cautionary horror is part of a suite of short science fiction, urban fantasy and horror stories by BP Gregory, each its own little maelstrom of human suffering and longing. Contains disquieting (adult) themes.Students were discouraged from venturing into the park's public toilet. Of course they all knew, in whispers and titters, it was because of the hole. The author was always fascinated by what could be contained in a brief moment. This cautionary horror is part of a suite of short science fiction, urban fantasy and horror stories by BP Gregory, each its own little maelstrom of human suffering and longing. Contains disquieting (adult) themes.Glory can be enjoyed alone or as part of Orotund: Collected Short Stories Volume Two, which is also available in print.

This book is dedicated to all the children in the world who have ever been in their young lives: bullied, picked on, harassed, pestered, hassled, badgered, hounded and annoyed by anyone; bigger, tougher, or meaner, or nastier, or unkind, or despicable, or heartless, or cruel and shameful. Written for middle-readers and adults. This is fast, exciting, and fun read. Please write a review for me.In another world an underworld, not so far away, or so far below us, lying in union are very strange and perplexing happenings. One world has un-matched beauty, serenity and peacefulness. Most of the inhabitants who live in this underworld reside in inviting and quaint villages, built upon rolling hills and dales, interspersed with tall green grasses, fields of over-sized yellow and orange daises found growing amongst, inviting slow-moving, peaceable streams. Soft, gentle winds blow up from the south regularly pushing large puffy clouds slowly by, all keeping time with the heartbeat of the friendly elves, diminutive fairies, workingmen, unicorns and brownies that live there. In the other darker underworld is found an evil and unclean world filled with, watery fire-bogs, vast and swift-moving rivers, filled with infected and brooding waters. Surrounding this wasteland lay high un-passable mountain ranges, and deep wide canyons, all cloaked above by shadowy skies filled with godless flying creatures. Living within this craven world are; pocket-sized evil fairies, giant black forest trolls, stone trolls, and malovent elf's, living amongst wicked hobgoblins. There are revolting witches, foul-tempered swamp ogres, and life-stealing water-serpents. All of which are ruled by an army of very mean-spirited, and fatted, bug-eyed toads, called...Undertoads. Long so long ago, in this under-land, a dark spell had been cast upon them all by a very powerful black-hearted king. His name is Túngarar Spadefoot. He is the King of the Undertoads. Found inside of this impure world stands an impervious and foreboding black tower. It is made of unbending black-pearl granite. And held entrenched within this bedeviled and wicked tower is the Tower Keeper. She was once the noble and powerful queen of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. This queen alone nurtured and created the Toad King, giving him his unlimited powers to rule the land for all the good of the residents who resided there, but the Toad King as his power grew realized the unlimited powers that he held. Unclean thoughts were allowed to enter his weak mind. He twisted his power against his people and turned towards the fiendish and depraved, he veered towards the worst side of power; he craved more of it. Unlimited power in the hands of the weaker amongst us always has the chance of turning towards the evil side. The Toad King raped the lands to the north, of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. This area became known as Northumberland where all things turned towards the evil side of man and beast. The land died, the skies, the water, and the creatures that lived there became as sinful and revolting as there malovent leader. As the years passed by, loneliness and solitude engulfed the former queen, thus destroying her mind and infecting it with even more hatred. She became consumed by odium, and hate, now seeking only revenge and more power, so she could one day revenge her great loss to Túngarar Spadefoot, the Toad King. She now lays in a state of constant torment and anguish because she waits in haste for the innocent, and the unknowing to someday, wander into her lair. For on this one day, on this most fortunate of days, she hopes to be unceremoniously un-locked from the powerful and dark magic that holds her steadfast in place. The dark city is called Elphame. The White Queen; is an Ice Queen. Her name is Elphen, she is the Ignoble. She is a land draug, an after-walker. Do these worlds exist? Is this all believable, possible, likely or plausible? Does it only happen in fairy tales, legends, myths, long-winded tales or tall-fables? But in the Kingdom of Gwynedd, and in the underworld of Northumberland, and to a young redheaded boy, with an impish smile and bright red freckles, it is a story he never wants to remember, and one he can never forget. He, by the slimmest of margins, lived to tell the true story of this strange underworld, and the eventual outcome of Northumberland.

Winner of the 2014 Bony Blithe Mystery Award.Anna discovers her ex-husband, Jack, on a country road one night ... dead. To divert the suspicion of the tall, cool Brit investigating the crime, Anna delves into Jack's personal life, only to discover that the actor had been romancing three very different women on a nearby film set. But had Anna better be careful. One of them could be a killer!Winner of the Bony Blithe Mystery Award.Anna Nolan discovers her ex-husband, Jack, on a deserted country road one night . . . dead, unfortunately. He could only have been in town to see Anna, unless Jack was looking for their son, Ben. At least, that’s how the tall, cool Brit leading the police investigation sees it. To divert suspicion away from her son and herself, Anna delves into Jack’s personal life, only to discover that the actor had been romancing three very different women on a nearby film set. With some rather unorthodox ideas on how to conduct a murder investigation, Anna sets about meeting her ex-husband’s lovers, with harrowing results!". . . a true 'chiller thriller' that I couldn't put down!" - MysteryNet Review"I seldom give five stars for a book but in this case I don't have another possibility. It's an absolutely brilliant story." - Goodreads Review(Originally published as "Road Kill")

Con-men get real mad when they're duped. They can even ransom you. Will they be successful?John McBride is pulled in by police when a financial consultant is shot dead in the street. The police show him CCTV footage of a man leaving an empty building at the scene. McBride has an alibi, and the police let him go. But he has recognized the shooter, his old friend and ex-SAS soldier Miller. Both he and Miller were conned by a ponzi scheme perpetrated by the dead man and another crook.McBride explains to Miller that,rather than execute the criminals, it would be better to trick them, and get some of their money back. They track the remaining criminal to South Africa, but find that con-men get real mad when they are duped.

An obsessive android engineer infiltrates a socialite party to be close to his creation. During the party, he finds himself entangled in a game he doesn't entirely understand, and that could find him on the run from the authorities...Arthur is an outcast on medication who lives with his ailing single mother in the poorest part of town. He envies the Baker family for their prosperity and good fortune. He tries to steal from them whatever they cherish the most. When young Cathy Baker waits in vain at the town's secret place where lovers meet for a boyfriend who never shows up, Arthur sees an opportunity for revenge ...

A sea going tale of courage, struggle, and never giving up.“You know what keeps those boats from sailing away and never coming back? Ropes with knots.” “But you can cut ropes.”Advisory: This book contains language and violence.A seagoing tale of courage, struggle, and never giving up. “Is that where they keep foster kids?” “Right. It’s really just a step before juvenile hall. State program.” “You know what keeps those boats from sailing away and never coming back? Ropes with knots.” “But you can cut ropes.”Advisory: This book contains language and violence.

When a powerful woman's soul is stolen, private detectives Indal and Molon (werewolves) must race to solve the mystery--before the victim dies, and her soul is destroyed by the monster responsible.Indal and Molon are private detectives in Phoenix, Arizona--except Indal is a chronomancer werewolf, and Molon is an anthropomorphic wolf. Together they make a great team, with Indal covering for Molon's wolf face with a variety of excuses.When they receive a strange email from an employee at Southvista software, claiming that his boss's soul has been stolen, they are plunged into a strange mystery involving supernatural powers, and beings from other worlds.Now they must unravel the mystery, before the stolen soul is turned to nefarious uses by a ruthless criminal who will stop at nothing to accomplish his goals. Can Indal and Molon stop him, or will their wolfish natures get the better of them?

The second chapter of Secret Admirer starts from Adriana's point of view.After years of heartache and pain,Sleepless nights, and going bitterly insaneAnd much more since you left me here, in shame,You’d think you’d, at least, get over the blame, butMaybe, you did, and that’s why you aren’t as madAs you used to be.I am and have been, since then, still the same.I loved you more than I could ever say.You were the one that I hated to see walk away.I’ve had to relive it all, frame by frame, and Everyone you had behind my back, name by name.If you, at all, wanna be with me,You need to know this one thing, and it is nothing new,Of all the ones I could ever pick, I don’t wanna be with you.

Elliot and Daiko prepare to go and ruffle some corporate feathers on Jaret's behalf. His secret weapon? A Classic car with a soul... Storm clouds gather as we enter the Deck's second hand. For fans of character driven urban fantasy.Elliot and Daiko prepare to go and ruffle some corporate feathers on Jaret's behalf. His secret weapon? A Classic car with a soul... Storm clouds gather as we enter the Deck's second hand. For fans of character driven urban fantasy.(...Back cover write up...)The city of Neppon drifts through the shallows, where the walls circling the mortal realm are thin. Here the daemons gather out of the surrounding night, drawn by its promise of candle flame warmth.As the election for the city's mayoral office approaches, one man stands head and shoulders above the other candidates. His reputation? A bastion for everything that is good and honest, in a world beset from all sides by horrors. But Jaret Roscan carries a secret. A secret that could bring ruin to his political career, and chaos to his beloved city.One person carries the key to his salvation. The question is, will they come forward in his hour of need?Harlem's Deck; a story in instalments. Keep your hand close to your chest...

The Darwinian Extension: Completion is the third volume in The Nexus Odyssey. Over twenty years have passed since the Martian colony was founded and the planet has a thin but breathable atmosphere, and more than 50,000 citizens. The efforts to develop interstellar propulsion seem to stagnate when a breakthrough is achieved. Nuclear weapon proliferation on Earth raises the tension to flash point.This short story is about a bullfrog named Fredrick who encounters a mysterious and uncontrollable addiction that causes him and his friends to change pretty much who they are.

Chesrie and Kelcie lost their mother when they were young and had to find their own way to survive, becoming thieves, but years of such dishonest living have worn on their consciences, particularly Kelcie's, so they've been saving up to start over in the mountains. All they have left is some work among the islands of the Dead Seas, though one isolated island might prove the end of their journey.Chesrie and Kelcie lost their mother when they were young. Without a father to turn to, they had to find their own way to survive and became thieves. But several years of such dishonest living have worn on their consciences, particularly Kelcie's, and so they have been saving up to move far away into the mountains and start over. All they have to do is finish a string of robberies along an archipelago just off the western coast of Eretsfel. One strange island that lies on the western edge of the archipelago, however, has much more in store for them than they could possibly anticipate.

A long, boring summer--that's what Anastasia has to look forward to when her best friend goes off to camp. She's thrilled when old Mrs. Bellingham answers her ad for a job as a Lady's Companion. Anastasia is sure her troubles are over--she'll be busy and earn money! But she doesn't expect to have to polish silver and serve at Mrs. Bellingham's granddaughter's birthday party as a maid! As if that isn't bad enough, she accidentally drops a piece of silverware down the garbage disposal and must use her earnings to pay for it! Is the summer destined to be a disaster?

From the celebrated imagination of Dean Koontz comes a powerful reworking of one of the classic stories of all time. If you think you know the legend, you know only half the truth. Now the mesmerizing sagaconcludes. . . . As a devastating hurricane approaches, as the benighted creations of Victor Helios begin to spin out of control, as New Orleans descends into chaos and the future of humanity hangs inthe balance, the only hope rests with Victor's first, failed attempt to build the perfect human. Deucalion's centuries-old history began as the original manifestation of a soulless vision-andit is fated to end in the ultimate confrontation between a damned creature and his mad creator. But first they must face a monstrosity not even Victor's malignant mind could have conceived-anindestructible entity that steps out of humankind's collective nightmare with powers, and a purpose, beyond imagining. "From the Paperback edition."

A must-have for the fans of the #1 bestselling author of Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris, a collection of his favorite short fiction from Flannery O'Connor to Tobias Wolff. A bestseller in its own right and a must-have for fans of the #1 bestselling author David Sedaris, a collection of his favorite short fiction. David Sedaris is an exceptional reader. Alone in his apartment, he reads stories aloud to the point he has them memorized. Sometimes he fantasizes that he wrote them. Sometimes, when they’re his very favorite stories, he’ll fantasize about reading them in front of an audience and taking credit for them. The audience in these fantasies always loves him and gives him the respect he deserves. David Sedaris didn’t write the stories in Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules . But he did read them. And he liked them enough to hand pick them for this collection of short fiction. Featuring such notable writers as Lorrie Moore, Alice Munro, Joyce Carol Oates, Jean Thompson, and Tobias Wolff, Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules includes some of the most influential and talented short story writers, contemporary and classic. Perfect for fans who suffer from Sedaris fever, Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules will tide them over and provide relief. 2 hrs 56 mins

From two-time Carnegie Medal winner Patrick Ness comes an enthralling and provocative new novel chronicling the life — or perhaps afterlife — of a teen trapped in a crumbling, abandoned world. A boy named Seth drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible? He remembers dying, his bones breaking, his skull dashed upon the rocks. So how is he here? And where is this place? It looks like the suburban English town where he lived as a child, before an unthinkable tragedy happened and his family moved to America. But the neighborhood around his old house is overgrown, covered in dust, and completely abandoned. What’s going on? And why is it that whenever he closes his eyes, he falls prey to vivid, agonizing memories that seem more real than the world around him? Seth begins a search for answers, hoping that he might not be alone, that this might not be the hell he fears it to be, that there might be more than just this. . .

In his three short stories, 'For a Night of Love', 'Nantas', and 'Fasting', Emile Zola presents characters in search of fulfilment ? romantic, religious, and financial. Read together, For a Night of Love is an extraordinary depiction of sexual mores. When the apparently angelic Th(r)r se commits murder, she offers sexual favours to a petty clerk if he will dispose of the body; the pregnant Flavie manipulates a neighbour's interest in her dowry to arrange a shotgun wedding; churchgoing women find their hunger for Christianity unsatisfied by a vapid priest ? these beautiful and poignant stories are united by the powerful themes of deception and dissatisfaction. "