This short story is the prologue to my novel, "The Dark Trek Home".A father and son out fishing.Quality time from the first cast, the morning is perfect...for awhile. Chaos ripples across the pond and the two find themselves fleeing for their lives.Nothing makes sense.What is after them? What do they want?This short story is the prologue to my novel "The Dark Trek Home".A father and son out fishing.Quality time from the first cast, the morning is perfect...for awhile. Chaos ripples across the pond and the two find themselves fleeing for their lives.Nothing makes sense.What is after them? What do they want? Most disturbing of all: why do they want them?Bonus content: chapter one of my coming of age horror novel "Fall Leaves and the Black Dragon" Excerpt:“You’ll get him next time, son!” his father assured him. “Probably need to put another worm on now.”Dave kept reeling his line then stopped when the bobber was nearly to the shore.“Hey look dad, a turtle!” Dave was pointing out toward the center of the pond.Greg squinted through the bright sunlight reflecting off the water out to where his son was pointing. A small, dark curve was floating on the water. “Yep I think you’re right!”“Can we catch it, dad?”“Now that wouldn’t be very fa-” Greg’s eyes widened in confusion and caused Dave to reevaluate what he thought was a turtle. It rose further out of the water.

Elrenia Kitrusen first meets Andrew Gritt at the beach, and her life is changed forever.  When they meet again a week later, a special bond is formed. Through Elrenia's mysterious Voices, she saves Andrew multiple times. They become inseparable. Three years later, Elrenia moves to Chicago and receives news that Andrew's marrying another. Will Elrenia be like the persistent ocean in pursuing her AnThere's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away." – Sarah KayWhen Elrenia Kitrusen celebrates the first day of summer at the beach, she doesn't expect her life to be changed forever. Andrew Gritt, the picture-perfect surfer, not only saves her day, but becomes her Angel.A week later, Elrenia and Andrew meet again at a birthday party. During a Game Finale of fighting Zombies in the Forgotten Forest, a bond is formed between them. Although it's just a game, the Voices send out warnings to Elrenia whenever danger lurks around the corner. Through the Voices, Elrenia saves Andrew multiple times. After spending the night in the attic, magic sparks fly, and they become inseparable. Yet, three years later, Elrenia moves to Chicago and receives shattering news that Andrew is marrying another. Will Elrenia be like the persistent ocean in pursuing her Angel? Or will she give up and watch him go from the shoreline?

Once David Hero was an ordinary man living in the real world. Now he is trapped in the Dreamlands, cut off from the waking world. David Hero's dreams and nightmares have become his only reality.

It could have been just any night, and they could have just been any two brothers -- but it wasn't, and they weren't. The scene is an Atlanta bar. The music is loud and the dance floor is packed. The good-looking brother picks up a girl. But when dark deeds ensue out in the parking lot, what happens next can only be described in two words: vintage Slaughter.

Paramilitary terrorists who have taken over a top-secret nuclear complex kidnap Maryland welder Jack Hummel and force him to cut through a half-ton titanium block that conceals the launch button.

***For a limited time, you can get THREE THRILLERS - FREE - click here to find out more > ow.ly/t6L4R (just copy and paste the bold text into your browser)***Inchoate:A humorous tale about the first Board Meeting in History and its single Agenda Item.Henry's Car:In this hilarious sci-fi story, a Time Traveler from the 16th Century develops a taste and talent for for stock-car racing.Now includes an Urdu translation of Inchoate.InchoateSet in prehistoric North America, this tells the story of how a delinquent time traveler calls the first Board Meeting in History and inadvertently incurs the wrath of all his bosses. He is put on trial but is he all he seems?Henry's CarIn this hilarious sci-fi story, a Royal Time Traveler from the 16th Century develops a taste and talent for for stock-car racing.Ordo Lupus and the Temple GateWhy is a notorious religious cult of assassins keeping him alive?His teenage daughter is viciously murdered in Lyon by a long-forgotten biblical monster. A former WWII MI6 agent, our hero is suspected of her murder by the police and his divorcing wife.With supernatural powers of foresight he goes on the run to clear his name. He has only one friend - a historian and member of the modern Knights Hospitaller but with his help he embarks on a white-knuckle ride to salvation.In Paris a witch servant of the mysterious Catholic assassin sect Concilium Putus Visum seduces him during his quest for the secret weapon of the Cathars. If he can solve a puzzling set of clues to find the weapon, he might kill the monster and save his marriage.But why do the assassins and the monster seem to be protecting him?Lovers of Dan Brown's evocative mix of mystery and history will love this Occult Thriller - a dark and powerful tale.Too Bright the SunA man afraid of his own soul!Seeking revenge for the death of a friend ten long years ago, Major Jake Nanden has pursued his own personal demons with an almost religious fervour through life and through battle.He is a soldier so highly decorated that his fame reaches far beyond the desolate moon Io where he is stationed. His victories in the Jupiter Wars are hollow though, for he is a man scared of his own soul.His life seems to be a trap from which he cannot escape. His is the Replicant Company, and replicants are despised by all.Likened to a cross between Blade Runner and Paths of Glory, you simply must read this beautifully constructed, intensely dark and powerful Science Fiction tale-with-a-twist if you love Phillip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov.Ordo Lupus and the Temple Gate - from the author:I had been pursuing a theological interest in the Cathars; first though reading a number of books by Henry Lincoln and later an interest in Monségur and the Rennes-le-Château, near where the lost treasure of the Cathars is said to be hidden. The Cathars were an ancient sect who came to prominence and were ruthlessly persecuted by the Catholics in the 1300s, mainly in and around the Languedoc Region of France. They believed that the Christian god was really Rex Mundi, or 'God of Earth.'The second theme I wanted to get into my novel was the gothic. The themes of blood, death, eroticism, sex and transcendence are all things that I desire in a good novel. My influences were Kate Bush, The Mission, Lord Byron, John Keats (The Eve of St. Agnes is a particularly favourite poem of mine) and to some extent Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Sex and death are the themes that everyone seems attracted to.A year before I started this work, I read both Dan Brown and Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. These books were certainly an influence on me. Like him I have been fascinated for many years by the rumour or myth that Mary went to France and that Jesus had a descendant. Like him and many others, I speculate that the Cathars did in fact smuggle a great treasure out of Monségur castle, under the noses of the Royalist besiegers. I couldn't resist a climax to my novel that took place in one of the world's greatest Gothic masterpieces. But you will have to read the novel to find out where ...Grab your copy today!

A spinster devotes herself to a shamefully selfish form of charity work, until the day a stranger enters her world...A tainted love…Iris is a seventeen year old experiencing her first signs of love. She was your average teenage girl who had a secret crush on the most popular guy in school and her best friend. Typical.Axel Rotterdam was sick. There was something lurking inside him and it wanted out. He was terrified of it and afraid of what it would do. It had set its sights on a new target. It wanted Iris McDerman…and it would take her kicking and screaming.Torn between her heart desires, Iris would make a decision that will alter the course of her life and change it forever.

"None of the warriors showed surprise. None fell back; none looked for a way out. They planted their boots firmly in the wet earth, raising their shields before them. Behind each helmet, a pair of eyes fearlessly watched the creatures’ advance. Lips parted, teeth clenched in smiles that defied death.The night was still young...""None of the warriors showed surprise. None fell back; none looked for a way out. They planted their boots firmly in the wet earth, raising their shields before them. Behind each helmet, a pair of eyes fearlessly watched the creatures’ advance. Lips parted, teeth clenched in smiles that defied death.The night was still young..."Mystery, magic, adventure and a tinge of horror await you on the pages of the first book of the "Wayfarer's Company" saga, the "City of the Automatons".Follow the three unwilling heroes, Kyra, Dorian and Raduan, along a perilous path that unfolds among mechanical-hearted Automatons, cryptic Arcane Arts and bloodthirsty Demons; all on the verge of a tremendous civil war.The destiny of an entire kingdom lies in their hands...Are they ready for the task?Are you ready to accompany them along their journey?The first half of "City of the Automatons" - which has already garnered many enthusiastic fans in its original Italian version - has been professionally translated into English. It is available in e-book and paperback format from November 2012.

A collection of the third 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 third 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.The war is in full swing. Betrayals and backstabbing threaten the unity of the human forces. The five inhuman mercenaries and their Feergrus leader learn of the greatest threats the war has to offer. Are they up to the challenge?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.

Detective story about Nick Larkman.Jodie Hamilton is a psychic consultant for police department. Yet despite all the help she had given, the police will not listen to her when victims of a killer are telling her the location of a killer. So in order to the get police to listen to her, she sneaks onto the killer's hideout, a long forgotten ran down junkyard, to get some photographs as proof. But things do not go great as the killer does not like people sneaking onto his hideout..

dan is a dreamer. he loves to play in the woods near his house and forget his troubles, especially school and the idiot bully! the only good thing about school is that he gets to see his friend, lucy, every day. lucy is a bit like dan too. a dreamer! whilst playing in the woods one day dan does the unthinkable…he comes across a dragon!! but dan isn’t the only one who knows about the dragon....SUBURBAN HOME EXPLODES. FAMILY VANISHES.Working for the FBI certainly isn’t a “normal” job, but Special Agent Julie Ann Davidson has never encountered a case as personal as this one. Although not officially assigned to the case, Ann and her partner, Patrick Duncan, take up the cause of finding Rachel, Jason, and Emily Collins. As if that task wasn’t enough, Ann and Patrick also have a baffling case of internet thievery to investigate. Who is Christopher Collins and what about his past is endangering his family? Where are Rachel and the kids being held? Where is God in the midst of chaos? Will Ann and Patrick arrive in time or will they find only pain?

A young boy returns to his primitive homeworld to save it from domination by an advanced race. But before the House of Hasson will listen to him, he must clear his name of murder--or be executed.Born on the medieval world of Kinthaldish, Jesh found himself stranded at a young age on an advanced alien planet, Prent, when his master is killed. Now this race wants to take over Jesh's world, taking advantage of ignorance of the Kinthldans. Jesh returns to his homeworld to help save his planet, but first he must clear his name of murder.

Dumped on Homecoming night, Amanda Larson assumes that her life is over. That is until Jake Edwards, her next-door neighbor and long time crush, has come to the rescue. This is a prequel short story for a contemporary romance novel, Time Changes Everything.Dumped on Homecoming night, Amanda Larson assumes that her life is over. That is until Jake Edwards, her next-door neighbor and long time crush, has come to the rescue. Although he is visiting from college, Amanda can't help but hope that their night will lead into something bigger. Jake, on the other hand, knows that despite his attraction to little Mandy, he can't commit, not while he's away at college. Still, Amanda will never forget the kiss she shares with the boy next door.This is a prequel short story for a contemporary romance novel, Time Changes Everything.

OMEGA AND ALPHA: damaged by a too-close encounter, the ship is limping home to Earth…but will there be time? REST, MY BROTHERS: the last expedition to Mars is ready to come home…but where is home?“The last enemy to be destroyed shall be death”, wrote St. Paul in his letters. But what if someone has already managed to defeat it? Thirty-four years have gone by since an ingenious biochemist, named Louis Picard, invented the ultimate anti-aging drug in 1981, that is known as Telomerax. Louis was obliged to form a selected group of technology entrepreneurs, finance mavens, and secret service professionals to help strategically spread knowledge of the drug. The discovery of Telomerax carried obvious dangers with it, eventually leading to the collapse of society and the near-extinction of mankind, in the ruthless war that broke out. Survivors set out to design a new society, specially designed for the half-gods that individuals were becoming. An action-packed and thrilling apocalyptic novel, “The Last Enemy”, brings to light many issues that we face today, from the clash between the power of the state and the right of citizens, to respecting our limits and controlling the human drive to push ourselves beyond those very limits.

This Is The End. The Seven shall FINALLY Kill the villains. how long did it take, like three books?!Without Spoiling Anything, be prepared for a LONG battle. 3,000 words of battle.As Always, Multiple Points of View.Part VII- Crystal Tower- MattaisPart VIII- Martyrs- XavierPart IX- This Is The End- XavierPart X- The Bold, The Burning, And The BloodthirstyPart XI- EpilougeFinally. I got around to publishing this. I wrote finished it two weeks prior to publishing it. AcknowledgmentsThank you to all my friends whose names appeared in this book.Foster, Conner, Cat, Eva, Jacob, Xavier, Jesse, Ryan, Ishmal, Emily, Gina, and Stuart.All the personalities are extremely similar to those mentioned here. Thanks especially to Gina, For reading this book before it was published, and Jacob, for a few ideas that were mostly incorporated into this work.But most of all, thank you, dear reader, for downloading/reading this book.Thank you.SIR ISSAC

Nankichi Niimi & Kenji Miyazawa are undoubtedly two of Japan's most highly regarded writers of fantasy fiction. Book 5 of Tales from Japan contains all stories from Books 1 - 4, five stories by Kenji, including Gauche the Cellist and The Restaurant of Many Orders (along with his famous poem Ame-ni-mo makezu) and five stories from Niimi, including Gon the Fox.Tales from Japan Book 5 combines all of the works from Tales from Japan, Books 1 - 4. The Tales from Japan series was produced by Little J Books to provide readers with a sample of the best works of Nankichi Niimi & Kenji Miyazawa, authors of fantasy fiction that has been loved by children and adults throughout Japan for more than 70 years. Both of these authors have had a significant influence on the fiction and animation that was produced in Japan post-WWII. Ame-ni-mo-makezu, a prayer composed as a poem, and The Restaurant of Many Orders are two of Kenji's most famous works, while Gon the Fox and Buying Mittens are two standout stories from Nankichi Niimi.Gauche the CellistGauche is a hopeless musician and he's always being yelled at by the conductor. It's not because he doesn't try, it's just that there is something lacking in his music. With a big concert approaching, Gauche receives some special music lessons from his closest neighbors.Wild Pear (Yamanashi)A surreal tale about a family of crabs on the bottom of the river. The amazing descriptions of life under the water will leave you with a truly new perspective on the world. An extremely well-crafted fable, with a profound underlying message.The Restaurant of Many OrdersThis is perhaps the most famous of Kenji's short stories and one of his personal favorites, as it was the title story of his one and only self-published collection of short stories. Two hunters go on a hunting trip in the country and end up completely lost. Luckily they come across what appears to be an extremely popular restaurant…but everything is not as it seems.Ame-ni-mo MakezuPerhaps the most famous Japanese poem of the modern age, it was written by Kenji while lying on his death bed and was never seen by anyone else until after his death. This significance of this poem has increased greatly for the Japanese people following the Great East Japan Earthquake, with many people using it to reflect on what truly is important in their lives. Gon the FoxGon is a cheeky fox that loves to play pranks on people, but one day he plays a prank that has unexpected consequences, so he decides to make amends. Niimi wrote this story when he was only seventeen years of age, and now more than seventy years after his death it remains one of the best known and loved Japanese stories of all time.When the Thieves Came to Hananoki VillageWhat could be a better hunting ground for a thief than a village where people don't even bother with proper locks? The only trouble is that these thieves have no idea what they are doing, and it is up to the boss to train them. But just when the boss appears to have made a wonderful score, the story takes an unexpected turn.Buying Mittens by Nankichi NiimiMama fox only wants the best for her little one, so when the cold winter arrives and her precious boy needs some mittens, then she knows what she must do. The only problem is that she is afraid and her legs won't take her any further. So her son must go on his own. The highlight of this delightful children's story is the beautiful description of the foxes' journey through the snow covered woods during the middle of the night.Plus The Nighthawk Star Kenju's Forest PlaygroundGrandpa's LampThe Story of the Giant

"Clumsilla's Flight Through Time" and "Taming of the Tokhashi" are two stories whisking children from their everyday lives to lands of unlikely dangers and delights.Clumsilla time travels with the help of Zigana, a celestial gipsy. In "Taming of the Tokhashi", Topsy and Turvy see the demise of a monster after adventures with exotic creatures and terrifying gods."Clumsilla's Flight Through Time" and "Taming of the Tokhashi" are two stories whisking children from their everyday lives to lands of compelling dangers and delights.Clumsilla meets Zigana, the celestial gipsy, who enables her to fly on a worn hearthrug (not a magic carpet), to the past inhabited by bad tempered giants, princesses, a witch and a dragon unable to breathe fire and then to a time of rocket science and menacing beings fashioned from flames.In "Taming of the Tokhashi", Topsy and Turvy emerge from the pot of Zazhak - a devilish being - and set out to seek the Tokashi - a fellow fiend. En route they encounter a magical phoenix, a prince and princess, a lost Indian elephant and a selection of unruly nature gods. But Viana, the kindly essence of the earth, helps them through.

When the Magic Jukebox plays the song “True Colors,” it casts its spell on Emma Glendon and Max Tarloff, the landlord trying to evict her. Max is a high-tech brainiac and a self-made millionaire. Emma is a painter and a free spirit. They have nothing in common—except the magic of a song that may teach them how to blend their colors beautifully.The Magic Jukebox sits in the Faulk Street Tavern in the quiet seaside town of Brogan’s Point, Massachusetts. No one knows what classic rock songs will come out of the jukebox when a coin is inserted, but every now and then, the jukebox will play a song that casts a spell on two bar patrons—a song that will change their lives and open their hearts to love.When she finds herself homeless after breaking up with her boyfriend, artist Emma Glendon accepts her best friend’s invitation to share a rental house in Brogan’s Point. But their absentee landlord, Max Tarloff, has come to town from his home in San Francisco to sell the house, which will mean evicting his tenants. Max is a high-tech brainiac and a self-made millionaire. Emma is a painter and a free spirit. They have nothing in common—except the jukebox, which plays “True Colors” and forces them to recognize their own true colors, colors that can match and blend magnificently, if the magic of the jukebox has its way.

Something's back there, and Barbara knows it.Eight year old Barbara has never been allowed to see what was behind that fence. Bringing up the subject to her dad makes him act suspicious. What secrets await her behind the big wooden fence?In "The Red Siren," travel back in time to the island of Mystycetii in the days when mermaids ate oysters and were ruled by a mer-king. Follow the journey of the naturalist Dove as he attempts to fall in love with his betrothed, Rowynne, and comes crashing down hard for a local mermaid. Then, fast-forward to the present for "Ocean Girl," the story of a mermaid named Luna who wants to win a human dance contest - will she get up after her fall from the spotlight? Finally, jump into the near future with "People with Fishtails," the tale of two landlubbers who find themselves on an environmental pirate ship. Gayle is searching for her mother, whom she believes to be a mermaid ,while Sander is on the lookout for unusual marine specimens. Neither of the two knows they're also looking for love...Enjoy a journey through the ages with these three tales of mermaids!

A collection of word-doodles from S.A. Barton's early writing 2007-2011. These are vignettes, not truly stories, explorations of possible futures for humanity -- some near-future, some far, some through alien eyes. Some themes appear in later stories, some not -- or not yet.Visions Of Odd contains 7 word-doodles totaling about 8400 words.Can a man fashion justice as he would a clock? Cast out of the craft hall in his prime and bitter from his many losses, a blind artificer has taken on an apprentice to make what he no longer can: a device that will enter him into the Grand Competition. But does the artificer even want to win? Or does he only care about revenge? And will that be enough? The Artificer’s Apprentice is a short story set in a medieval city where magic and technology blend seamlessly and where the Artificer guilds make handsome profits keeping the city's systems running. The leaders of these guilds have complete control over their members, but one man is about to challenge that authority. Blind, frail, and destitute, the embittered artificer could not be that much of a threat, could he?Follow the tale of The Artificer’s Apprentice to see what he shall fashion in his shop...

This anthology contains volumes 31-35 of my zine of book, audio, and other reviews.'The Fringe, Poetry on the Move One' is a pamphlet of poetry from poets based in the North West of England. It is distributed in pubs, cafes, libraries, shops, buses and trains. In fact, anywhere the public may have time to read some interesting pieces of writing. The pamphlets and ebooks are published by SeaQuake Books. The idea behind the initiative is to bring poetry to a wider audience. The poets included in this particular pamphlet are Loraine Darcy, Steve Beattie, Phil McNulty, Bob Eccleston, Mike Parsons.