Thistles and Thorns is the third collection of stories by Bobby A. Troutt. The stories take you through New Orleans, Charleston, South Carolina, to Windle, Missouri. Each story has its thistles with a pretty bloom along with the thorns of life. Life has its thorns dressed in pretty flowers. Even the prettiest roses have thorns.MASQUERADEWhen a wealthy retired businessman and his wife moved to New Orleans it opens a whole new world for them, some for the better and for the most the worse. From Bourbon Street, Mardi Gras, and the encounters of a call girl turns the story into blackmail and murder. In this twisted and turnabout triangle of a love story and the surprises to come afterward can’t be taken back. As time passes, the story deepens with more secrets and that in the end unlocks the truth with the encounters of suspense that opens hearts unto hope.BAY POINT ISLANDWinfred Scott, a self-made millionaire living off the coast of Georgia, engages a secret of the family that in the end will bring happiness and sorrow to his daughter, Cheryl. The discussion he had made will intrigue another division of the family that will cost them dearly. His actions will lay dormant until the end and the final uncovering of the past of the long ago secret will bring a surprise ending that will unlock another secret from long ago. Secrets sometimes come out and may be deadly. They may get the best of you. WAGES OF SINA serial killer is on the prowl in Charleston, South Carolina. His victims are from the gay community. A driven rage drives the killer in this series of murder. Tormented and driven by his hurt from an abusive childhood he tries to share his pain with others by a killing spree. The gay community is haunted and terrorized by the killing. As the story unravels, the police started to move in. The twisted turns and the surprising new evidence bring the truth out that had been hidden for years. But, by the new awakening of the truth, then end is near with double trouble.THE CAW OF THE CROWBenjamin Morris is a young reporter who has been assigned to write a story on the Legend of the Caw of the Crows. The story takes place in Stonehollow, Tennessee in Carol County in 1953. The mystery opens when three roughneck men, troublemakers, rape and kill a gypsy women and her husband one night not far from town. The moon was full and a dark shadow now hung over the town. The men had been drinking and what started out to be a little fun turned into murder. But as the story unfolds the revenge is bittersweet as the will crows take the revenge for the gypsies on the town and the three murderers. The unexpected haunting of the birds drive the townspeople in fear and death and the death of the three men will be the only hope for a payday. The crows are driven by the scent of the blood of the gypsies and they will not stop until the three men have paid with their lives.WEEPING WATERSIn Windle, Missouri in 1927 in the community of Weeping Waters, Grady Pedigo has received his new mail order bride. He was the happiest man on the face of the earth. Things took off good for them. Everything was fine until his new bride takes up with a traveling salesman name Joseph, a nice looking young man with black wavy hair and dark eyes. The affair, you may say, drove Grady insane. Driving him with rag, fury, and not to mention the haunting of the weeping waters. Rose, his wife, became pregnant and this sort of dampened his fury because he thought it may be his. But, as the wild fire romance continued on, Grady came up with a full proof plan that would free him once and for all. But, his revenge was costly. However, he was willing to pay the price. To this day no one has ever seen Rose of Joseph again. Stories are told and people have talked that she left with Joseph, her lover, and disappeared somewhere. But, did she?

Here is the first person narrative of Homer Bolton. Follow Homer as he starts out on his father's cattle ranch, then becomes a Deputy in Broken Hearts before becoming the first Sheriff of Duncan Flats. It is meant to be a light read and should take about 60 minutes.A collection of quirky verse by Barnaby Wilde which is not at all rhinoceros. (Well, maybe just a little bit, at the end). A miscellany of verses full of weak puns, old jokes and a sense of the ridiculous, including 'A pyschiatrist's guide to empathetic garden design', 'Two flies walking on a bald man's head', and 'Acupuncture is a jab well done' amongst others.And absolutely no mention of rhinoceros (OK. perhaps a very little bit at the end).

It all started with a coot's nest. Dorothy and Dick meet Tom Dodgeon, Port and Starboard, and three pirate salvagers all members of the Coot Club Bird Protection Society. When one of the coot's nests is disturbed by a shipful of Hullabaloos-rude holiday boaters - trouble begins. Frantic chases, calamitous boat collisions, and near drownings fill the pages of this exciting fifth addition to Ransome's classic children's series.

Sometimes destiny can no longer wait ….Annie Carter is new to the future. Born 400 years in the past, she was cryogenically frozen after a serious illness, only to wake up to a new world.One that has a plan for her.Sometimes destiny can no longer wait ….Annie Carter is new to the future. Born 400 years in the past, she was cryogenically frozen after a serious illness, only to wake up to a new world.One that has a plan for her.Annie is not normal. She has an ability – one that could condemn the very universe.People will kill to get to her.There is one man who can keep her safe. But to get to him, she must battle her way through assassins, armies, and friends.The stakes could not be higher, for they are everything.….Betrothed is a five-part sci fi series. It is complete, and all five episodes are currently available. A space opera packed with adventure, action, and romance, it is sure to please fans of Odette C. Bell’s A Plain Jane and The Betwixt.

The continuing story of a young man named David living in the year 2226 and his battle against an evil organization bent on the destruction and enslavement of mankind. He has mastered his Telekinetic and Telepathic powers and through advanced technology and the help of his friends and family is finding new ways to fight the war to end the threat and perhaps find a kind of peace.The continuing story of a young man named David living in the year 2226 and his battle against an evil organization bent on the destruction and enslavement of mankind. He has mastered his Telekinetic and Telepathic powers, and through advanced technology that he and his friends have developed they are bringing the fight to the enemy. They have developed advanced robotic warfare tactics and through their advance combat interface have found ways to overpower more and more enemy forces. They have even managed to find and attack enemy bases while incorporating even more advance systems and tactic into their battle strategies.

This is a story about fear and the unlikely crossing of the two people who share a rare phobia.There are many common fears that manifest in the fishbowl of flying, claustrophobia, aerophobia, etc. But the rare fear of aeronausiphobia, or fear of getting sick on a plane, cripples only a few thousand people. The chances of two people who share that fear ever meeting or even coming within feet of one another are staggering.Phillip and Walter are two people with many fears, but they share a bond that no one can understand except the people they love.

'Border War - Warning Order' introduces 'Black Jack' Hawkins to the world of literature, as both an author and the subject matter of a historical novel. 'Warning Order' picks up the story in the early summer of 2011, on the frontier between the US and Mexico. Political intrigue and corruption on both sides of the frontier, the unimaginable violence that accompanies the drug trade on the border.Animal Tales is a series of 12 controlled readers bringing Dr. Phil McGraw’s Life Strategies to 3rd-5th graders. Students are taken on an African adventure where the life strategies are presented as fables. The Journey Begins is the first book in the series. Here, readers spend time with Jake as he persuades his parents to create an African bedroom for him in the attic. The safari scene painted on the walls is quite realistic; what none of them realizes is that the room is magical and can transport Jake to a village in Africa. On his arrival at the village, Jake meets the other main characters; Grandpa, Nia, and Elena the chimp. Grandpa controls the magic and has brought Jake to the village to help rid them of poachers who are camped at the water-hole and who are playing havoc with the balance of nature. The problem is that Jake needs the help of the African wild animals in order to succeed. He is led by Elena the chimp toward the water-hole and has a series of adventures along the way. With each adventure, a group of animals and their friends join Jake on his quest.Upon reaching the water-hole, Jake finds himself imprisoned by the poachers. His last act of kindness completes his challenge to win over all the animals and they band together to free Jake and send the poachers running for their lives.After a victorious celebration at the village, Jake is transported home where he finds Nia and Elena painted on his wall and peeking at him from behind an acacia tree. At that moment, Jake realizes that his African adventures have only just begun.

In one night a man learns the the depth of his anger.Triple Vision is the perfect title for this collection. The author sees life through the eyes of a philosopher, a painter, a poet. As a widely read student of philosophy she knows that, before finding answers to life's mysteries, the seeker must figure out the right questions. As a painter she finds beauty all around her and as a poet she wields language as artfully as she does her paintbrushes. Her stories are rich in exquisite imagery and deep with multi layers of meaning. The lens of her mind's eye is microscopic, telescopic and kalaidescopic and these stories will challenge you intellectually, stimulate you emotionally and delight all your senses.

After the fall of America, a prize fighter joins a small rebel squad to exact revenge.America has fallen. In its place: The United Society of Reason. After his mother is gunned down by USR Agents, prize fighter Ryan Kaspar, with the aid of his leftover trainer, joins a small rebel squad to exact revenge. John Paxton, ageing ex-Marine and leftover, leads the unit. He lives by the phrase "any means necessary" as his unit fights back in the hopes of inspiring the populace. They are hunted by the hot shot, up and coming Agent William Sullivan, who must battle his own inner demons in pursuit of justice. Filled with explosive action, political satire, and a hint of romance, REBELS & LIES is a thrill ride you don't want to miss!

A Tale of Romance is a traditional story of romance, yet a new take on the Troubadours.Really, it is boy meets girl, but with one or two twists. A wonderful love story. And one that might have a happy ending. The reader will see if they do live happily ever after or they don’t. They might.A Tale of Romance is a traditional story of romance, yet a new take on the Troubadours.Really, it is boy meets girl, but with one or two twists. A wonderful love story. And one that might have a happy ending. The reader will see if they do live happily ever after or they don’t. They might. The story has a would-be lover who talks about politics and is a general boor. How can he keep his girlfriend he adores? Perhaps by reinventing himself. Or is he never really going to change and always be a boor.

A magical adventure set across parallel realms. Demi-Lee, a clumsy teen with a bit of raw magic is reunited with her childhood 'imaginary' friend (she always knew Blackbird the fairy was real). Blackbird has to undo a curse he cast in anger; Demi-Lee is tricked into accepting a dangerous quest which is far beyond her ability. But, with support and raw nerve, the two succeed."When a web is broken it can never be rebuilt. Instead you abandon the old and build anew. But the new web, you wonder, will it break? What caused the old one to break, what tore that painstaking symmetry that experience and the history of lifetimes of web building created? So you build the next web more carefully, sure that this one will hold together. Yet it doesn't. The next web you decide you know what the weak place was. You will build this one different, uniquely strong. Again the jester of life tears the web and rebuild you must. Each time you build, more certain you know the fault, and each time it fails. "Finally you discover that your estimate of the weakest link was wrong and the next web is a terrible shamble because it is built in complete uncertainty. Every connection in it is tentative, unsure of itself."Now the last web, the fragile identity shaped from pain and fear, is in shreds. In despair, you give up all the spinning ... and the dreamer awakens. "With the dreamer the webs are spun in instants of golden steel. Now reality is the servant, the unknowing worker in the Dreamer's domain. And you become the master of your universe."I read my handwriting, wondering what I meant when I wrote it. I was lying in bed after a good half hour memorizing Martin's formula and this was my last read for the night. The passage came out of my grief at breaking with Carol. I had written it a few days after she moved out and its' meaning for me still lay hidden."If there is a God, a final Top God of gods, awaken the dreamer, please. Dreamer awake." That was my prayer to the sky somewhere above my house, somewhere above a Dayton, Ohio suburb, above the United States of America, far beyond the planet Earth and its atomic structure of a solar system, reaching out past the stars of the universe that man pretends to know because he can count dots of light on sheets of film.I felt that prayer touch someone, somewhere. There's no way to describe the feeling unless you know it for yourself. There's a click and you know the prayer, plea, begging has been registered on some monumental scroll, perhaps beyond the bounds of time. That second was the beginning of a life of adventure that I would only relinquish in those moments when I was in terror for my very existence.

Things are not always as they seem, which is par for the course for the members of the Drekinn. When Nian and Reese are rescued and brought home to Drake, the stakes become even higher for the Chosen as they finally come clean to their children. Trina makes a discovery, which will set the Drekinn on a course they are not sure they will survive when all the chips fall into place. As she realizes..

Here is the third story. It is about a young girl from South Korea who is a strong practising Christian and has the aim to help the poor and needy. Should she follow her heart or her religion? Check it out and see if you agree with the lesson learnt.Every person has their own story. And as a Teacher I heard many stories that astounded me and I wondered why they happened!Then I suddenly realized that each person is unique and is experiencing life differently to everyone else. But why?Then I made another connection – each person has a different life here on this planet so as to learn a lesson or lessons. And some of these lessons are painful to learn and some are pleasant. Once the lesson is learnt a person does not have to experience it again. The problem goes away and a new challenge comes into your life. Rather like a person changing jobs because they are bored and want a new challenge.So I am writing a series of short stories based on real people who I have met or know about. Many of the stories are based on different Asian female students I have taught. Why females, because there were more of them than males!.Each story is between 1,000 and 2,000 words in length and they cover a period of 22+ years from 17 – 39 years of age.I have not used the person’s real name to protect their privacy and usually I have expressed the story in a dramatic way and introduced other issues to emphasize the main theme of the story. So they are fiction based upon true events.The overall theme is Self Discovery and Spiritual Lessons learnt from the experience.(Less)Every person has their own story. And as a Teacher I heard many stories that astounded me and I wondered why they happened!Then I suddenly realized that each person is unique and is experiencing life differently to everyone else. But why?Then I made another connection – each person has a different life here on this planet so as to learn a lesson or lessons. And some of these lessons are painful to learn and some are pleasant. Once the lesson is learnt a person does not have to experience it again. The problem goes away and a new challenge comes into your life. Rather like a person changing jobs because they are bored and want a new challenge.So I am writing a series of short stories based on real people who I have met or know about. Many of the stories are based on different Asian female students I have taught. Why females, because there were more of them than males!.Each story is between 1,000 and 2,000 words in length and they cover a period of 22+ years from 17 – 39 years of age.I have not used the person’s real name to protect their privacy and usually I have expressed the story in a dramatic way and introduced other issues to emphasize the main theme of the story. So they are fiction based upon true events.The overall theme is Self Discovery and Spiritual Lessons learnt from the experience.(Less)Every person has their own story. And as a Teacher I heard many stories that astounded me and I wondered why they happened!Then I suddenly realized that each person is unique and is experiencing life differently to everyone else. But why?Then I made another connection – each person has a different life here on this planet so as to learn a lesson or lessons. And some of these lessons are painful to learn and some are pleasant. Once the lesson is learnt a person does not have to experience it again. The problem goes away and a new challenge comes into your life. Rather like a person changing jobs because they are bored and want a new challenge.So I am writing a series of short stories based on real people who I have met or know about. Many of the stories are based on different Asian female students I have taught. Why females, because there were more of them than males!.Each story is between 1,000 and 2,000 words in length and they cover a period of 22+ years from 17 – 39 years of age.I have not used the person’s real name to protect their privacy and usually I have expressed the story in a dramatic way and introduced other issues to emphasize the main theme of the story. So they are fiction based upon true events.The overall theme is Self Discovery and Spiritual Lessons learnt from the experience.

On Tina's thirteenth birthday, she receives an extraordinary gift that holds the power to solve all the problems she's having at her new schoolHunted by demons from the Afterlife and pursued by a vicious thug in the real world, Connor True was caught between both planes of existence, locked in a coma from which he could not awaken. His mind was active but his body had shut down. The walls of the tiny prison cell of in his head pressed in around him threatening to crush his sanity and there was nothing he could do about it.

The Star Trails Compendium includes a glossary of terms as well as additional information pertaining to the four novels which comprise the Star Trails Tetralogy. Further explanation of the political structure, weather patterns and Cyraria's indigenous race, the bnolar, are likewise included plus topical discussion guides with more in-depth information for book club members and educators.The Star Trails Tetralogy, i.e. "Beyond the Hidden Sky;" "A Dark of Endless Days;" "A Psilent Place Below;" and "Refractions of Frozen Time," takes place in a fictitious universe which includes unfamiliar vocabulary, aliens races, and numerous planets. This compendium was compiled for readers who requested more detail, such as a glossary of terms as well as descriptions of the political structure, weather patterns, and Cyraria's indigenous race, the bnolar. Topical discussion guides at the chapter level are included as well for those who want to delve even deeper, including educators who could use the stories to stimulate interest in numerous scientific or sociological topics.

Buddy Hazelton, chairman of the Brandenburg College philosophy department, quit his job to join the Waverly Brothers Traveling Circus. Later today, the authority on Ludwig Wittgenstein's linguistic theory is being shot from cannon.In this deeply sardonic debut collection of short stories, Jarod Powell masterfully intertwines the bitter traumas and sweet victories of humanity with a hypnotic style, subversive wit, and a powerful, concrete narrative. A hopelessly dysfunctional family holds a formal debate and fights through the cliché, an agoraphobic teenager finds the gumption to enter the world he observes in a single moment of guttural rage, a homeless man harasses a stranger with his visions of the San Fernando Valley as The Garden of Eden, and in the title story, a high school turns into a Biblical village square when a drug overdose turns a nobody into a mythical being.

Does music always bring harmony, or dissonance? Allie Drain's story follows one student's struggle against her own expectations.Becoming Sivingdel’s kingpin is no easy task, and ex-boxer Righty Rick’s ascension to this level without incurring a single arrest is even more remarkable. But when several of his top-ranking criminal associates are hauled off to jail in a single catch, he finds his lack of experience with the criminal justice system to be more of a liability than an asset.Not wanting to turn his back on his men, but leery about waltzing into the police station to attempt a bribe, he vacillates on the correct course of action. His decision is disastrous, leaving him facing state and federal drug trafficking charges and making exposure of his closely guarded identity seem more a matter of when than if.Righty chooses to fight back, unleashing an eruption of violence the likes of which have not been seen in the city for centuries, if ever. But he thinks he sees a course that, at the end of it all, will leave him more firmly in charge than ever before.