She was supposed to be resting with the others in the castle, but one little ride down the beach wouldn't hurt. That's what the Princess of Atlantis thought as she rode across the wet sand on her horse. The witch flew overhead on her dragon. Lilliana would not be going home tonight.Princess Lilliana has never talked to a mermaid, or been chased by a dragon. She has quietly lived her life by the sea with her Nana and her parents. Sure she’s had to put up with her clumsy cousin and her distant mother, but her life has been filled with peace and calm. Until now.On her twelfth birthday Lilliana is presented with a mighty horse with a mind of his own. Their leisurely trot across the sandy beach turns into a different kind of adventure when the witch flies in, riding her dragon and tries to destroy her, the only heir to Atlantis.Soon Lilliana discovers an ancient kingdom under the sea with friends and foes of their own. She finds herself speaking with kings and prophets and caught up in a battle that threatens her new friends and Atlantis itself.

A short story about Alex, who journeys to meet his late partner's parents for the first time.After the suspicious deaths of his online friends, George Kaplan, an Internet activist, suspects his own life is also in danger and has no choice but to go on the run. Can he survive the seemingly relentless pursuit of the man he knows as ‘Glasses’, a tireless hunter with a murder mission and advanced technology at his disposal?RINGLANDS is approximately 48 pages (approx. 12,000 words) in length and is the first of the Kaplan short stories, set in modern Britain.RINGLANDS is dedicated to the memory and work of Aaron H. Swartz, November 8, 1986 – January 11, 2013. Champion of citizen-driven political change.Praise for Ringlands:"Gripped, from start to finish. There is a strong message here - world, take notice and act NOW, before it's too late!" - Abigail Hart

"Where did you find the dress! Tell me! Where did you buy this?""A tailor, in the woods. Let go of me, woman. What is with you? What is this about?""What was the name of the shop! You must tell me, Gregory!"He tried to undo her claw-like grasp on his arms but to no avail. She was digging her fingers in for dear life."Tell me!""The Verdant Egress! Why?"(Read long description for more...)"Where did you find the dress! Tell me! Where did you buy this?""A tailor, in the woods. Let go of me, woman. What is with you? What is this about?""What was the name of the shop! You must tell me, Gregory!"He tried to undo her claw-like grasp on his arms but to no avail. She was digging her fingers in for dear life."Tell me!""The Verdant Egress! Why?"Caralynne turned to flee the room, meaning to head for the door once more, but Gregory was quicker. His hand shot out, drunk or not, and he turned her back towards him."You can't go out at this hour alone! It's unheard of!""Let go of me!" Caralynne squealed, pushing at him."Caralynne, I can't let you leave…not like this!"For a moment, she paused and looked up at him. In his cups or no, he was stronger than her. This wouldn’t be easy for her to say, but there was much at stake. And she would give anything to leave the house in this very moment. There was no time to spare."If you…if you let me leave, I shall return…"Her hands were gentle as she pressed them lightly to his velvety vest and pushed him away from her. She saw him swallow at the merest hint of heat in her touch, but still he didn't let go of her arms."When I return, I shall…I shall find you. In your…bedroom…"Lord Esteban's eyes widened at the suggestion. Caralynne nodded, knowing he had made the connection she intended. Whether she would keep that soft agreement she had just made or not, she didn't care. But she needed to leave. Now."When you return," Gregory said carefully, "I'll be in my bedroom. Attend me there. Like a wife should…"Caralynne nodded this time and slowly, Lord Esteban let her go. Then she turned and left the room, running for the door that a servant was already opening for her. With barely enough time to draw her cloak hood up over her head, she ran out into the rain and into the night.

For decades, the Roswell Incident has been shrouded in mystery rumor and hearsay. Only now can the truth, or something approximate to it, be finally revealed.Ryan warned that the things in the dead-end creek were in fact slimy, fetid, space alien freaks.And any kid dumb enough to approach their dark lair had better believe in the power of prayer. For underneath that calm surface of warm water and frog belly -waited sinister incarnate! Waited monster! Waited smelly! If that kid, so determined to make his way across, might step on some stones or some green fishy moss, or perchance he should slip and step into their sludge, then his boots, snared so tightly, would no longer budge. And no matter how hard that child strained, tugged or yanked, the Mud Gullumpers pulled harder and the boots slowly sank ‘til the child screamed in fear, and by clinging to rocks, freed his feet and ran home in his wet, soiled socks.

As loggers work their way through the rain forest in the Mexican state of Chiapas, they are threatened by an old man claiming to speak for the forest demon Votamba. When they forge ahead, they discover that the old man is anything but feeble... and that Votamba's reach is far longer than that of a felled tree.After Emily Helsing died in a tragic accident, Amber Helsing, her mother, uncovers a letter that explains everything about emily's death. And the answer points to one specific boy. This boy holds the key to the universe, Emily's life, and Amber's heart.

A short story that goes with Bem Le Hunte's bestselling novel, 'The Seduction of Silence.'The Final Christmas, by Bem Le HunteI wrote The Final Christmas as a literary accompaniment to a novel I published in 2000, The Seduction of Silence, a story of five generations of an Indian family. A spiritual and emotional journey that traversed 100 years, three continents, this life and the next, The Seduction of Silence flourished with untold stories that couldn’t fit between the jacket sleeves produced by HarperCollins and Penguin, my publishers. The abundance of excess narrative somehow demanded recording. The Final Christmas is just one of the stories that evolved out of my novel: it tells of how the British finally left India, having stayed as uninvited guests for over 200 years. In The Seduction of Silence every character had a complex relationship with the British, and so in The Final Christmas, each of them translates Nehru’s triumphant ‘Freedom at Midnight’ speech to fit their individual ideologies. I hope you enjoy this short story, and if you do, I’d love to hear what you think of this and The Seduction of Silence, should you be willing to share your response at www.bemlehunte.com. Happy reading and thank you so much for sharing these stories with me!Praise for The Seduction of Silence“The Seduction of Silence is a work of persuasive imagination, of such scope, power and narrative charm that it does make you wonder, as with Salman Rushdie and Rohinton Mistry and others, whether all good modern writing has an essential connection with the Indian sub-continent.”Thomas Keneally, Booker Prize winning author of Schindler’s List“A splendidly conceived saga weaving the history of an entire culture into the portrait of one family: vivid, compelling, utterly fascinating.” Kirkus Review, US.“Passion, grief and glory infuse this novel, which is at once wholly original and yet squarely in the tradition of the great family sagas. In prose as vivid and arresting as a marigold, Le Hunte gives us five generations of seekers. Her account of what they find and what they lose is irresistible. I couldn’t put it down.”Geraldine Brooks, Pullitzer Prize winning author of March“This intricate tale moves across continents and time as it maps the reaches of the soul. Is Le Hunte an Anglo-Indian Allende? Or even a female Rushdie? You decide in a very worthwhile read.” Helen Elliott, Vogue.To buy a copy of The Seduction of Silence please visit www.bemlehunte.com or www.Amazon.com

How long can we keep the darkness inside locked, and the black that surrounds us out? Beware what is inside and out? Deep space, past the middle of nowhere, skeleton crew, away from the light alone. Nobody knows what happened, all we have are these logs.The second episode of a series of short stories. The Alaris nebula is home to over a million people and is struggleing under relentless pirate attacks. When a fighter squadron goes missing it's up to burnt out veteran Marack Nor and the rest of his squadron to discover the truth and live long enough to make it back home.The first episode is available for free, it is highly recommended that you read it before purchasing this one.

publish a free book in india!A novella prequel to the edgy Heavy Influence Trilogy about young, intense and reckless love between a rising rock star and his younger muse. Follow their journey through temptation, deception & forbidden love. *Included in the purchase price, this novella comes with an original song as printed on the pages of the book. To receive your Mp3 download of "Transpose" by Bad Suns, please send your order receipt number to: heavyinfluencetrilogy AT gmail DOT com and it will be promptly sent! Thank you!

The centerpiece of every Thanksgiving dinner is the turkey but getting one isn't as easy as it seems. But not for Dana Holt. During a last minute shopping trip, she finally finds her perfect turkey and her first Thanksgiving dinner is saved. But will a strange encounter change everything?The story centers around a lost girl who only outlet is music. Her talents she keeps hidden because she stays to herself. Left to be raised by her grandmother. She is teased by other relatives. There is a contest for writers and producers looking for new talent. She wants to enter but is mis informed about the qualifications to do so. After realizing she was mis informed she sets out to win the contest no matter what it takes.

When Ella marries Joe Westin, she inherits a father-in-law who gets her into more trouble than the bad guys. As a former thief turned government agent, Ella thinks she’s up for any assignment that comes her way, but Jasper Westin just might be more than she can handle.Set in the 1820s, these three quick reads offer a fun glimpse into Ella’s family life.Ernest EffortMissing MonkeyClose QuartersWhen Ella marries Joe Westin, she inherits a father-in-law who gets her into more trouble than the bad guys. As a former thief turned government agent, Ella thinks she’s up for any assignment that comes her way, but Jasper Westin just might be more than she can handle.In Ernest Effort, a parrot-keeper is kidnapped, and a dangerous pirate orders Ella to find his son immediately. Not one to give in to demands, Ella makes an announcement that stuns everyone.In Missing Monkey, Jasper’s cohorts have misplaced their pet monkey, but the primate isn't the only thing that’s vanished. Ella needs to track the monkey down before nightfall or Jasper will pay the consequences.In Close Quarters, Ella is in a grim predicament—she and Jasper are about to be hanged for murder, and while she’s armed to the teeth, the only weapon at her disposal is her tongue. What could go wrong?Set in the 1820s, these three quick reads offer a fun glimpse into Ella’s new family life.Ernest Effort (2,205 words)Missing Monkey (1,479 words)Close Quarters (3,500 words)

The unreal becomes real for a family rediscovering who and what they are within surreal circumstances that they land in.Hi, my name is Kevan Cameron.I’ve always known that we were different, I just didn’t know how different.We’ve spent most of over lives hiding our ability, assured that if our secret was revealed, the others would want us eliminated.Our world is home to mystical creatures, and beings, that are written about in stories, or seen in movies; they live alongside humans hiding in plain sight.You are about to discover that our families history is shrouded in half-truths; a family legacy almost lost to twisted manipulations.With this legacy comes a great responsibly, so come along as we take the first steps in rediscovering the truth behind the lies.A journey that will take us from ordinary to extraordinary, showing you that there is so much more to our world than you could have ever imagined.Welcome to my journey.

One year on the Western Front through the eyes of a First World War Canadian infantry platoon.The Great War is two years old and shows no sign of ending soon. The revered “Originals” of the Third Battalion are becoming a rarer breed with each passing day. As new replacements fill the spots of their fallen comrades, they must decide whether to remain with the battalion, or accept a safe “bombproof” job away from their friends, obligations, and identities as Originals of the Third.BOMBPROOF is a novel in three parts and takes place over one year in 1916-1917. Parallel stories set after the war provide glimpses into the lives of the survivors and how the decisions they made and hardships they endured continue to affect their lives long after they have returned home.

Legend of the G.W.C. is the third installment of the Book of Legends series. This time around we have the story of six giants, who—a very, very long time ago—were in control of the weather. Read on to find out how George, Xiu, Jorge, Reese, Baxter, and Gertrude were once the creators of all things weather-related...until they got on each other’s nerves.In the spring of 1973, Dan Hodges is on the verge of starting the life he's always wanted.He is dating the girl of his dreams.He is about to graduate from high school.Best of all, he is headed to college as a baseball star. Then, in one ill-fated moment, his world is crushed, and Dan is plunged into nothingness for nine long months.When he finally emerges from his personal oblivion, nothing is the same. Devastated by what he has lost but bolstered by all that he still has, Dan is determined to rebuild his life, and that's what he sets out to do.Just when it seems he is about to reclaim his lease on a promising future, darkness begins to eat around the fringes of his vitality once more.Can Dan latch on to all he holds dear and make it through the shadows to emerge, once again ... Alive on Opening Day?

May 16th, 1869 My name is Taran Collins. I take pen to paper to let anyone who follows after me a warning. If you come after me you can expect trouble. I don’t know of what kind per se, but……..well let’s just leave it at that. You’ve been warned. Regards, Taran CollinsP.S. I’m not coming back. That much I am sure of. My story isn’t an easy one, but my hope is that my fortune will change.May 16th, 1869 My name is Taran Collins. I take pen to paper to let anyone who follows after me a warning. If you come after me you can expect trouble. I don’t know of what kind per se, but……..well let’s just leave it at that. You’ve been warned. Regards, Taran CollinsP.S. I’m not coming back. That much I am sure of. My story isn’t an easy one, but my hope is that my fortune will change, Godwilling.The town of Orlaca wasn’t a thriving place. Situated at the base of a mountain in the northern region of Arizona it didn’t have much going for it other than scenic views and the wistful dreams of the few who called it home. Built as a boom town before the Civil War by those in search of gold, it later lost its luster when gold became hard to find. Unknown to the latest people to come to this remote stretch of land was that of the oral history of the Native Americans, who’d called it home for far longer. To them it was a sacred land. A place where wind and fire met and became one. Fire Wind is the beginning of a series of western sci-fi novels that feature adventure, action, and faith. Christian Speculative Fiction – learn to love it!EXCERPT:“What is crypto zoology?” I asked dumbly.Edgar waved his hand through the air and said, “It’s just a fancy name for looking for dead or extinct animals that one may think still have some members surviving to the present day.”“Oh I see.” I said, although I didn’t.A speculative gleam came into the man’s eyes, “What’s even more fascinating is that you are the first survivor of such a snake attack that I am aware of. Most people die within seconds.”I shrugged at the open question for answers that I saw in his eyes.“Yes, as I was saying from my analysis of this snake’s venom I have determined that its impact on the body unlike that of the venom of a rattlesnake is that of a paralysis of the nervous system rather than a poisoning of the blood.”“What you’re talking about is Greek to me.” I said shaking my head.My response seemed to garner even more interest on the doctor’s part, “Greek you say? You must be a well-traveled man and an educated one at that to know of the land of Greece.”“It’s just an expression.” I said looking away from him.“That may be. Tell me stranger, your people, extended family I mean by that, would they happen to hail from the Appalachian Mountains in the East?”Looking the man over closely I said, “They would. Why do you ask?”Edgar retreated from his interested verbal probing by saying, “Just a hunch given your last name.”“What about my last name?”Edgar had gotten up and opened the door to the jailhouse. Holding it open he gestured to the outside, “What say you to getting a bit of fresh air and something to eat?”I didn’t like him not answering my question, but the mention of food overwhelmed everything else. I got to my feet and headed for the door.Passing through it we began to make our way down the upraised boardwalk. A sudden sensation of nakedness had me feeling at my side for my gun.“It’s back at the jail. Do you need it?”“No, I’ll be fine.” I said, but the truth was I felt naked without it.

»Shit shit shit fuck goddammit what the fuck?! Why's this fucking shit always fucking happening to me?« It's hardboiled, it's short, it's crime and it's a poker game gone wrong in Vienna. If you like Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, you're probably gonna have fun with The Pummerin Bell.This is the story of one of his Amazing Adventures and you can read about the rest of them in another special book, just like this oneIt all started while Dylan was out on his usual wanderings on a warm sunny day. He always wanted to be a witness to something special and thought this would be just another of the many he had encountered in the past. But would this actually be the best one of all?

A young scientist makes the greatest discovery of the Twenty First Century. His findings are so controversial that he debates whether he should or can make them public. Can science, society, and religion accept this new paradigm? Does presenting this evidence to the world put his very life at stake?James Rook was having an ordinary day when an old school friend, Amber Collins, came crashing through a closet door. She quickly leaves James to continue his boring day, but the Dark Men have other plans. A strange, dark, sinister man follows James to his room and almost kills him, but luckily for him Amber is there to save the day. Amber reveals to him the magic key that can create a portal between any two doors in the world. She also reveals the great evil league, the Dark Men, that are willing to kill anyone to get the key. James decides to help Amber destroy the key before anyone else gets killed and before it falls into the wrong hands.

I do not fear death. I do not tremor at the thought of my eternity. I do not plea for mercy. Set in Elizabethan England a young girls choices lead her to face her few final breaths. But are her choices her own?Humans have settled into the remains of the cities, leaving the outlying suburbs and rural areas to those afflicted by the parasite.A field biologist in another life, Mike has to find a way to break the parasite's life cycle, before the human species is erased from the planet.

A ruthless banker orders Matt Coleman's death when the attorney's slick TV ads for his bankruptcy clinic trigger a consumer revolt that threatens the bank.With consumer debt nearing two trillion dollars and seventy million Americans struggling to pay their bills each month, attorney Matt Coleman finds fertile ground for his new Consumer Relief Centers of Texas. As thousands flock into his offices to file bankruptcy, Matt's success begins to take its toll on Houston's MidSouth Bank run by a very powerful and ruthless banker, Franklin P. Hill. At first Hill is content to play some dirty tricks on Matt in an effort to discredit him. But when that doesn't work, Matt is warned one last time to back off his vicious attacks on the lucrative credit card industry or suffer dearly. A timely novel of love, greed, and America's addiction to plastic.

A lost unknown creature has escaped from her captivity. Her life depends on her survival instincts and her ability to cope in a unfamiliar world. Her only friend is a little girl who is unaware of who she is. She is hunted and wanted. If she is found her life may be in danger.Every day is a brand new dayOf so much almost hate.I’m losing my grip on every sense.I can’t even say(What it was that made you go away.)How I would ever bring you back from where you went,Give you back all the time you spent,Trying to convince a man of his worsening ways.I owe you far more than I could repay.The only thing holding me down,Giving me gravity to stay on the groundIs hoping you might be o.k.

In this short story, Taz learns he's unusually strong for a fourth-grader, but having super powers isn't all it's cracked up to be. Find out what other powers he has and the unexpected adventures that result!When Claude is given a pocket watch inscribed with a mysterious pattern, he doesn't think much of it. But that same afternoon his best friend Carolien gets a glimpse of a family heirloom, which bears the same design. What's the connection between these two antiques? That question takes on life-and-death urgency when Claude's father disappears, leaving clues that he might have invented a time machine. In order for Claude and Carolien to find him, they must stay ahead of the country's most powerful corporation and confront one of the darkest episodes in human history.The first book in the two-part Khronos Chronicles series, The Alternate Universe features diverse characters--Claude is gay, Carolien is African-American--and takes readers on a high stakes adventure where two friends risk everything to save their families--and the world.

He has a secure job, an expensive house, an ideal family, and everything else he had dreamt of. He is a successful man. Or is he? A short story.Jeannie Gray and Ted Wroth were having a conversation about their upcoming marriage. Jeannie asked, "What will annoy me about you if we wed?" Ted was surprised by the questions but he did admit to faults like splashing water over the floor, making a mess while cooking, and being all thumbs in making repairs. They got on the topic of sports. What Ted said caused Jeannine to make a crucial decision. This story tells what it was.