Viewmaster

      Ferdinand Stowell
$value['title']

1 human day = 7 dog days = 14 tourist days. This is the philosophy that undergirds the comic novel 'Viewmaster'. Roy, recovering alcoholic & proprietor of Golden Rules B & B in San Francisco, is shaken & stirred by a mix of tourists, dogs & even a human being or two that will break your balls & your heart. If life were a cocktail his would be the love child of Molotov & Shirley Temple.The character-driven comic novel Viewmaster is a chick flick with balls and a twelve-step program that takes the elevator. Roy, recovering alcoholic and proprietor of Golden Rules Bed and Breakfast in San Francisco, lets the world into his home with a hospitality that resembles speed-dating and spends all his free time doing battle with his house, a former brothel that lists to the side like the inebriated prostitutes that used to ply it. He is assisted by his cohort, Tipton, the gaily Republican travel agent with several multiple-personality disorders and a pet-sitting business with a working title that pees on your carpet – “Pooch Smooch”.The arrival of Celestine, a guest with a secret who puts the ‘sex’ back in sexagenarian, unleashes the passions of Roy and Porky, infectiously good-natured Filipino-American neighbor and price gouging plumber. Porky abandons San Francisco and his wife to follow Celestine. Roy, with his growing love for Porky’s difficult daughter Maria, sets out to bring him back. When Roy’s romance with Maria and his pursuit of Porky go seriously off track, he turns to guest Maxine, born-again Southern Baptist (“I’m a titanium magnolia, tougher than steel”), endearing cliché and something of a savior herself. She gives Roy a choice: Jesus or Jack Daniels? Roy contemplates a third way.

Read online

  • 454

    The Golden Hall

      Gary Mark Lee
$value['title']

A small collection of short adventure/fantasy poems that I hope you will enjoy.1. The Halls of Valhalla2. Raven’s Wing3. Mermaids Realm4. Heaven’s Gate5. Lover’s Dream6. Demon’s Jest7. Atlantis8. Bitter Sweet9. A Warriors Dream10. Time and Space11. EndlessA short collection of fantasy and adventure poems covering a wide range of emotions, war, love and loss, and yearning for places long lost or imaginary, easy to read and I hope very enjoyable.

Read online

  • 454

    What Lies Buried

      John Bishop
$value['title']

A story of family secrets and misunderstandings, and the way in which they impact down the generations. Walter Blake's death brings a flood of memories to his two daughters. There is the question of what Walter and his wife buried in the garden. The notion of things being buried is also a metaphor for all kinds of issues including, art fraud, family feuds, and holocaust survival.What Lies Buried reaches back in time as the present generation of an Australian family digs up its past and uncovers secrets and misunderstandings. The story exposes uncomfortable truths, not just for the characters, but for readers unfamiliar with the experiences of some survivors of war who made their way to less threatening countries only to find that pockets of prejudice exist in all communities. The story also deals with the way a few early European settlers forged lasting friendships with indigenous Australians — an all too rare occurrence.History records much about families like the Wentworths who arrived in Australia already wealthy. What Lies Buried deals with the lives of less affluent free settlers who struggled through the nineteenth century to establish properties and build the wealth that was inherited by many rural families in the twentieth century.This is a story of the way family secrets and misunderstandings impact down the generations. The Blake family, owners of a grand property in rural New South Wales, is at the heart of all this, with Walter Blake's death bringing a flood of memories to his two daughters, one of whom has been estranged from him for many years. There is the question of what Walter, along with his second wife, Rachel, buried in the garden all those years ago, and the notion of things being buried is also a metaphor for all kinds of issues that have dogged the family over the years. This is a wide ranging tale that deals with, among other things, art fraud, family feuds, and the long term effects of war.A leading assessor, who recommended What Lies Buried for publication, described it as an interesting story populated by convincing characters and ‘a good read’.

Read online

  • 454

    Out of the Past (Heritage Time Travel Romance Series, Book 1 PG-13 All Iowa Edition)

      Dana Roquet
$value['title']

PG-13 VERSION. ORIGINAL ALSO FREE ON SMASHWORDS Torie Mills is beautiful, successful and a New York Times best-selling historical romance author. Determined to find some solace from her fast paced and demanding life, she decides to move to Mahaska County, Iowa--a mile outside of the tiny town of Fremont and into her great-great-grandparent's old homestead.PG-13 VERSION. ORIGINAL WITH SEXUAL CONTENT ALSO FREE ON SMSHWORDS. Torie Mills is beautiful, successful and a New York Times best-selling historical romance author. Determined to find some solace from her fast paced and demanding life, she decides to move to Mahaska County, Iowa--a mile outside of the tiny town of Fremont and into her great-great-grandparent's old homestead. Her plan is to restore the property to its 1870 glory days. She hires handsome, renovation expert Dave Cameron to do the work and together they bring the old Victorian house back to life. When Torie moves in, she discovers that restoring the house has opened a portal into the past. Time traveling each night to the Fremont of old, becomes her wonderful escape and her secret obsession as she learns about family, loss and to cherish the moments, from her long lost loved ones. When she and Dave become lovers, he gets swept into the travels as well--until they both realize, much too late, that there was evil in the past that would have been better left alone...

Read online

  • 454

    My American

      Stella Gibbons
$value['title']

My American follows the lives and loves of Amy Lee and Robert Vorst: from a chance childhood meeting to the comic, tragic and romantic trysts that follow. Amy, a baker's daughter, has dreams of becoming a writer, whilst Robert is destined to be a doctor. Later, embarking on a lecture tour in Depression-era America, she is reminded of her childhood friend and endeavours to find him.

Read online

  • 454

    Unlucky

      Avery Aster
$value['title']

UNLESS is part three in New York Times bestselling author Avery Aster's new m/f erotic romance serial featuring Jagger and Poppy, which takes place in The Manhattanites' world. Each volume ends on a cliffy and reflects our current political climate of in-your-face TV reporters, cyber hacking, Russian hysteria, and features BDSM, kinky role-play, ménage à trois, and of course very hung, inked-up, dominant men who just want to beloved by their smart alpha females.

Read online

  • 454

    Last Days in the Desert

      Lorraine Ray
$value['title']

Stacie, Tiffany and Yadira hope to shut down their rental house and get back their security deposit before leaving town, but first they have to fix the gaping hole in the adobe wall and rid themselves of unwanted graduation "presents," both the result of an uproarious final party. This comic co-ed romp will keep you chuckling.After Tina crosses paths with Damon Blackdart, she discovers that her soul houses another, dormant soul, Trinity, Damon’s Beloved, who died centuries ago. Damon tries to draw Trinity forward and when he succeeds, Tina befriends her and learns that Damon is part of the Lueeshareteers (Bloodeaters), powerful creatures old as time itself, whose three clans live in seeming peace and rule the world from shadows. After she is swept from Damon’s grasp by the Dumes, Trinity’s children, she also learns that vampires are not at the top of the food chain.Excerpt:Damon went up the stairs and stopped three stairs beneath her. “You better get back to your room and put on some slippers. You are going to get a cold running around barefoot.”Was he joking or being serious? Not that Tina cared. The only thing she cared about was getting out of this house, away from him and from that creature. “I know what you must be thinking.” He stepped up.She stepped back.“What is he going to do?” He advanced on her.She maintained the distance of three stairs between them. “Is he going to hurt me?” Damon took another step up. “Is he going to rape or even kill me?” She had run out of stairs. She turned on her heel and was about to run down the hallway, when she bumped into something. She looked up and there he was, standing before her. “How did you --”He grabbed her arm, holding her in place. “But you see, if I intended to do any of that, I would have done it already.”“Then what do you want with me?” She tried to wiggle her arm out of his grasp. “You have something that I want.” His fingers crawled up her arm. “Something very special.”“What?”He smiled down on her, a soft, friendly smile that made him look like an innocent young boy. “Stay here, you have nothing to return to.” He gently caressed her shoulder. “I have been in your mind, I have seen how you live. Looking for a job, worrying about when the money your grandmother left you runs out and in the meantime trying to live as modestly as you can. I even felt your loneliness. Is this life?”Tina looked at those green eyes that knowingly waited for her reply. A beautiful face, such an innocent smile, but there was cruelty behind it, she could feel it, but she could also feel that that cruelty wasn’t directed at her, that if he conveyed any feeling at all toward her, it was... fondness. “Will you let me go, if I ask you to?”“I’m sorry, I can’t do that.”Why had she even asked? She bit her lip, chewing on it, before she spoke. “But what do you want? What is so special that I have and you want?”“A fragment of your soul.”

Read online

  • 454

    Reef of Death

      Paul Zindel
$value['title']

P.C. McPhee is in Australia to help his uncle solve an underwater mystery involving buried treasure. P.C. quickly figures out that they're not the only ones looking for treasure -- an evil geologist is determined to get her hands on it at any cost. P.C., his uncle, and the Aboriginal girl, Maruul; become ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse where the winner takes all, including the lives of the losers.

Read online

  • 454

    The Trade

      Chris Thrall
$value['title']

Having survived three months in a life raft, Hans Larsson returns to Cape Verde intending to dive on the wreck of his yacht Future seeking answers, but in a frightening turn of events, the former Navy SEAL uncovers the island’s dark secret, the Trade. In his role as special operative, Hans employs the Concern’s covert global reach and sophisticated technology to expose a vile chain leading all the way to Washington.

Read online

  • 454

    The Problem With Black Magic

      Karen Mead
$value['title']

Cassie Tremblay just wanted to focus on getting into a good college; she didn't want to become a rare magical wellspring that every demon and their uncle wanted for their own. But now that she's become the hottest commodity in the paranormal community, she must quickly learn how to deal with black magic-- and even worse, the politics thereof-- or forfeit her freedom forever.Cassie Tremblay divides her time between working the cash register at her neighborhood coffee shop and studying to produce the grades to get into a top-tier university. Sam, a mysterious co-worker at The Daily Grind, seems to have taken an instant dislike to her, but for Cassie, the looming specter of the SAT Verbal section is a much bigger concern. After a freak accident nearly leaves Cassie and her co-workers dead, a spell cast in desperation transforms her from a regular teen to a valuable familiar: a magical well a demon can tap. As if she didn’t have enough problems, now every demon (and their monstrous minions) seems to be after Cassie’s latent magic, and will stop at nothing to possess her. Sam, now her “master” (loath as Cassie is to admit it) works to protect her, but she soon realizes the security bought by his barely controlled black magic comes at a terrible price. She would love nothing more than to earn her freedom for herself, but with no ability to cast spells of her own, how can she fight back against creatures that wield awesome powers beyond mortal comprehension? Blending a hint of gothic romance with wry humor, The Problem with Black Magic is a YA-friendly novel that contains enough depth for genre fans of all ages. The first book of The Familiar Series, this is a tale of one young woman’s struggle for independence in a brand new world of sorcery, intrigue, and wonder.

Read online

  • 454

    Circe's Pool

      Pen Clements
$value['title']

The water nymphs love their crystal pavilion and the sparkling waters flowing through it. So much so they can't be bothered to fulfill their bargain with Circe, the island's sorceress.It's time the pleasure seeking,comfort loving creatures are taught a lesson. And who better than a sorceress to give it to them?In the land of Cush, Princess Lilya suffers under the rule of her father, until the day when young King Thomas of Havilah invites her away to his lands. There, she hopes to find peace she has never known. But Thomas has been drawn to a foreign land, to figs he hopes are from Eden and the Tree of Life. When he eats them to heal his wounds things change within him, distorting him in ways he could not predict. Now Lilya must make a decision. Does she stand by Thomas's side or act to dispel the evil consuming his soul? Amidst this world Lilya has befriended a dragon. There are secrets within the beast that could determine all their fates.

Read online

  • 454

    Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

      Clare Tanner
$value['title']

A personal crisis might seem like the end of the world, but sometimes it is a catalyst for change and renewal.Piper yearned for a new life. School was a disaster, and home offered no comfort. One day, when she finds herself abandoned, it seems she's gotten her wish, but things couldn't be worse. Hopeless and destitute, Piper commits a grand act that, one day, could cost her even more than her unsatisfactory life.After a series of trials, Piper manages to get her life back on track. In a new city and at a new school, she meets friends who help her to be the person she'd always imagined herself to be. In the end, Piper reconciles, in her own way, a destructive relationship between herself and her unstable mother, and then goes on to live a happy life.

Read online

  • 454

    The Indifferent Children of the Earth

      Gregory Ashe
$value['title']

When Asa Alejándro León moves with his family to West Marshall, a small Midwestern town, he’s looking for one thing: oblivion. Haunted by memories of his past, broken by what he has lost, Alex struggles to find a reason to live. And then he discovers that someone in his quiet new world is using magic—the very same kind of magic that Alex lost.When Asa Alejándro León moves with his family to West Marshall, a small Midwestern town, he’s looking for one thing: oblivion. Haunted by memories of his past, broken by what he has lost, Alex struggles to find a reason to live. And then he discovers that someone in his quiet new world is using magic—the very same kind of magic that Alex lost. With that magic come old responsibilities that Alex is not ready to let go. When the dead begin to rise in West Marshall, and when the people Alex loves start falling inexplicably ill, Alex discovers that—even without magic—he still has a lot to lose.And a lot to fight for.

Read online

  • 454

    Trouble At The Scholar's Inn

      J. E. Sandoval
$value['title']

Women: Underestimate them at your own peril!Janelle Argos and Holle MacLeod stop by the Scholar's Inn after a hard days work. After hearing a scuffle outside, the inn is taken by ten criminals, fresh off of a botched heist. They take the girls and the Inn's owners, Kat and Will Brewer, hostage. Janelle and Holle must use their wits, their charms, and their weapons to survive the night.Lea Jones isn't a good person. She has murdered, cheated, and double-crossed everyone she knows. But this time she's gone too far and the cops are after her. Lea's only chance at escape is a train whose destination isn't the one she thinks it is.

Read online

  • 454

    Egomania

      Charles Nuetzel
$value['title']

What is this book all about? Well, I could say it is about promotion of my books, which wouldn’t be totally false. On the other hand, it is about writing, as a profession, and reveals what goes into putting together books for publication. It also offers some prime examples of my own writing in essays, stories and articles. And it is a freebee! To boot! Over 80,000 words!TABLE OF CONTENTSINTRODUCTIONPART ONE:Some Writings by the AuthorEDGAR RICE BURROUGHS: A REAL HOOKER or,“The Mystery of Missing Foreword” NIGHTMARE WITH A QUEEN…OF BLOODTHE REAL STRAIGHT DOPECONCERNING A FAMOUS LOVE SONG!DREAMER OF TOMORROWDAD AND ISome Fiction From ElsewhereIN DEFENSE OF PROSTITUTIONSAY RUM, CHUMPARTY BUSINESSSUDDENLY LUST SUMMERBIG DAVE’S GIRLFROZEN SMILES & GLAD HANDSPART TWO:About the Writer1. A TAPED INTERVIEW WITHCHARLES NUETZELby Lynn Munroe2. AN E-MAIL INTERVIEW WITHCHARLES NUETZELby Charles A. Gramlich3. WHY ALL THE PEN NAMES?An Interview with Charles Nuetzelby Bill EwingDE MOUSE WENT WILD!!!4. SOME BIO OF SORTSedited by Robert Reginald5. Scorpion Books—THE BOOKS WITH A STINGby Victor A. BerchPART THREE:Introductions are Shameless Ads for the Wildside Print-to-Order Editions of my books.ADAPT OR DIETHE ERSATZSLAVES OF LOMOOROLOST CITY OF THE DAMNEDGOLD LUSTTROPIC OF PASSIONOPERATION: DOUBLE-CROSSMURDER TIMES 4SOFTLY AS I KILL YOUMISTRESS OF THE DAMNED & DEATH IN HER ARMSANY ONE CAN DIEMURDER MOST TERRIBLETHE SEX CULT MURDERSTHE CASTING COUCHERSBODIES 4 SALEONE SUMMER OF LOVEPARLEY IN PASSIONMIDNIGHT LOVERSSTAR BITCHSEX QUEENKRISTABLUES FOR A DEAD LOVERBORN TO BE LOVEDSEX IS MY BUSINESSSYNDICATE WOMANJEANNEVER IN HER ARMSTHE BODY MERCHANTSHOLLYWOOD NYMPHFLUFFDIMENSIONS: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTUREIntros That Never WereTORLO HANNIS OF NOOMASHOLLYWOOD MYSTERIESTHE EPIC DIALOGS OF MHYOSLAVEGIRL OF NOOMASSWORDMEN OF VISTARPART FOUR:AN ALMOST COMPLETE CHECKLIST OF MY BOOKS PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES, LISTED BY PEN NAMEWHERE TO FIND MY EBOOKS ON THE INTERNET

Read online

  • 454