Kalerian is a killer for hire and the Kings of Hell see their opportunity to make him one of the biggest powers of evil in the world. There is only one thing that can stop him, the love he feels for a woman.For years I have been competing in my local community college's annual writing competition, the Crowder Quill. Finally, I have compiled some of the more recent stories! The genres vary from light fantasy to slice of life, with a dash of scifi thrown in here and there. I hope to encourage others to write and read.

Everyday, one reads and search for answers about what is the purpose of humanity’s existence on this planet. One purchases and reads books, researches on the internet, publishing their theories about the purpose of humanity, and there purpose on Earth. So many theories are being proclaimed. Yet, there has been confusion, since the beginning of creation to this life’s old question. Truth?They are tricked by Satan to walk down the path of evil and darkness. They are praying homage to false idols, addictions and vices of the Earthly realm. They are pulled further away from their spiritual truth God wants his children to come home to him, to turn away from the evil lurk of Satan and his henchmen. If he could find a child or children who were willing to write a book about a conversation between God and humanity explaining the truth of his love, it probably would be similar to the following dialogue. Humanity starts the conversation and God explaining his perspectives of why what he does to teach his children, because he loves all of his children. No matter what awful transgressions they have or will commit in the past, present and the future, from murder, adultery, lying, stealing and deceiving others. No trangression is not forgivable. When they are repented and called upon Jesus for mercy, admit their transgressions and accept the Salvation of coming closer to the Creator, then they are saved and are reborn as Children of God. The peace that comes with this sacrifice can not be describe in human language. Only by letting go of freewill will humankind understand the truth of the Messiah.

While out chasing each other, two children come across a carrier pigeon with a conflicting message that may put them in harm's way.The tale-of-the-tape is just about even. It may even favor the fairer sex. Benny is short, scrawny--lazy yet smug. He's a typical entitled, young male. When he sees Alice, he realizes he's never wanted anything more. Alice, however, isn't what she appears.Fresh from her latest romantic disaster, she's out with the girls, slamming shots to kill the pain. A guy across the room reminds her of her ex, and now he's headed her way. A short story - 5000 wordsWarnings: adult language and violence

A man looking for revenge gets sidetracked, with far-reaching consequences he never expected.A nameless traveler on a mission of revenge arrives at an ancient city under siege. The role he decides to take on in order to help him carry out that mission - saving a young girl orphaned by the conflict - turns out to have a personal significance that affects him in ways he wasn't expecting. Can he reconcile his desire for peace and stability with the tragic circumstances that set him on this path, and the inexorable realities of war?

Dudley is a very friendly dinosaur, but he is a Tyrannosaurus Rex. All the other dinosaurs are afraid of him. Can Dudley convince the other dinosaurs that he is friendly? Follow the adventures of Dudley the dinosaur. This is an excellent read for beginning and early readers. Each story is easy to read and exciting with cute and bright illustrations for younger readers and a coloring book.Are you looking for a kid's or children's book that is highly entertaining, great for early readers, and is jam-packed with bedtime stories, jokes, games, and more? This children's storybook has it all!Dudley is a very friendly dinosaur, but he is a Tyrannosaurus Rex. All the other dinosaurs are afraid of him. Can Dudley convince the other dinosaurs that he is friendly? Follow the adventures of Dudley the dinosaur. This is an excellent read for beginning and early readers. Each story is easy to read and exciting with cute and bright illustrations for younger readers and a coloring book.This book is especially great for traveling, waiting rooms, and read aloud at home.* Fun games and puzzles included* Excellent for beginning and early readers* Cute short stories that are great for a quick bedtime story* Funny and hilarious jokes & illustrations for kids* Coloring book downloads includedThis story is great for a quick bedtime story and to be read aloud with friends and family.WHAT A GREAT DEAL! => 5 FUN STORIES, JOKES, GAMES, ACTIVITIES, AND A COLORING BOOK!Your child will be entertained for hours!Story List & Activities:-Enter Dudley-Fly Away Home-Faster Than A Speeding Turtle! But Just Barely-Dino-Dentistry-Bad Decisions-Funny Dinosaur Jokes-Games and Puzzles-Game and Puzzle Solutions-Coloring Book DownloadsScroll up and click 'buy' and spend some quality time with your child!

Jim Holden is sixteen and has a lot on his mind. He is full of mixed emotions; hate, loneliness, despair, and anger. When he meets Bill Crawford, he learns to face his emotions head on. He learns to let go of the bad feelings, so that he can get on with his life.This is about a young inventor's journey in time. He goes to 3000 AD and meets with the future hmans. He thus happens to learn certain horrible stories of our coming years before reaching the point of no return. How human race managed to turn unsuitable for surviving in the world, as the years went by.

A classic noir thriller about love and deception from the bestselling author of The Reader. Georg Polger ekes out a lonely living as a freelance translator in the south of France, until he is approached by a certain Mr. Bulnakov, who has a intriguing proposition: Georg is to take over a local translation agency and finish a project left by the previous owner, who died in a mysterious accident. The money is right and then there is the matter of Bulnakov’s secretary, Francoise, with whom Georg has fallen hopelessly in love. Late one night, however, Georg discovers Francoise secretly photographing a sensitive military project. He is shocked and heartbroken. Then, her eventual disappearance leaves him not only bereft, but suspicious of the motivations behind Mr. Bulnakov’s offer. To make matters worse, Georg’s every move is being watched. Determined to find out who Francoise really is, and to foil who ever is tracking him, Georg sets out on an mission that will take him to New York City, where with each step he is dragged deeper and deeper into a deadly whirlpool in which friend and foe are indistinguishable. From the Trade Paperback edition.

There's no escape for me. I'm tied to some of the scariest men in Chicago. Bound so tight I'll never get free. Sin and pleasure. Crime and power. They give as much as they take. They mark me as one of their own. I'll do anything to survive, except bring Luke down with me. I won't taint him. I won't ruin the one good man I've ever met. I won't turn him into a dirty cop. Except he refuses to let me go. Author's Note: DIRTY is a dark new adult romantic suspense novella in the Chicago Underground series. This part was previously published in Selling Out by Amber Lin. Books in the Chicago Underground series: 1. Rough 2. Hard 3. Fierce 4. Wild 5. Dirty 6. Secret 7. Sweet

"If Singletree’s only florist didn’t deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger." Lacey Terwilliger’s shock and humiliation over her husband’s philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike’s company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of "administrative support" his receptionist gives him. The detailed mass e-mail to Mike’s family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say "instant urban legend," Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike’s defamation lawsuit. Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family’s lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying. Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one . . . last . . . thing?

*"I can't just storm in and proclaim my intentions. I can't 'steal' you away. I just have to wait and hope that, someday, you'll ask," Tamani said. "And if I don't?" Laurel said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Then I guess I'll be waiting forever."* Although Laurel has come to accept her true identity as a faerie, she refuses to turn her back on her human life - and especially her boyfriend, David - to return to the faerie world. But when she is summoned to Avalon, Laurel's feelings for the charismatic faerie sentry Tamani are undeniable. She is forced to make a choice - a choice that could break her heart.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER His name is Tom Booker. His voice can calm wild horses, his touch can heal broken spirits. And Annie Graves has traveled across a continent to the Booker ranch in Montana, desperate to heal her injured daughter, the girl’s savage horse, and her own wounded heart. She comes for hope. She comes for her child. And beneath the wide Montana sky, she comes to him for what no one else can give her: a reason to believe.

Richard Russo, at the very top of his game, now returns to North Bath, in upstate New York, and the characters who made Nobody's Fool (1993) a "confident, assured novel [that] sweeps the reader up," according to the San Francisco Chronicle back then. "Simple as family love, yet nearly as complicated." Or, as The Boston Globe put it, "a big, rambunctious novel with endless riffs and unstoppable human hopefulness." The irresistible Sully, who in the intervening years has come by some unexpected good fortune, is staring down a VA cardiologist's estimate that he has only a year or two left, and it's hard work trying to keep this news from the most important people in his life: Ruth, the married woman he carried on with for years . . . the ultra-hapless Rub Squeers, who worries that he and Sully aren't still best friends . . . Sully's son and grandson, for whom he was mostly an absentee figure (and now a regretful one)....

Talk show host Poppy White thought she'd seen it all while working in journalism, but when her boyfriend, Mikhail Chekhov, supposedly dies in an explosion and she goes to identify the body, the man on the table at the morgue isn't as endowed as her lover. Nope. There's no way that needle dick is his. But if Mikhail isn't dead, then where is he? Bisexual, dominant, and rich, Jagger Chabon is Mikhail's hung, inked-upplayboy of a lover on the down low. He knows why Mikhail is on the run and is desperate to find him before the CIA closes in to make their arrest. If only he could get rid of this pesky reporter who keeps sticking her perky breasts in his face. Note: UNDERCOVER is part one 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. When you're done, be sure to grab UNLESS, the second installment.

Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew are out to find a cupcake culprit! Spring has sprung in River Heights, along with a brand-new cupcake café! The Lucky Ladybug, run by twin bakers and celebrities Gwendolyn and Carolyn Porter, is the talk of the town. Nancy, Bess, and George can’t wait to taste some of the delicious cupcakes! But on the day of the opening, the ceremony—and the cupcakes—are ruined by hundreds of live ladybugs that invade the store. It’s up to Nancy and the Clue Crew to get to the bottom of this cupcake disaster before the Lucky Lady Bug Cupcake Café has to close for good!

My life, inside this apartment is simple. It works, as long as I follow the rules. Don't leave the apartment. Not in case of fire, not to mail a letter, not to run an errand. The door stays shut, and I stay inside. Don't get attached to clients. I take off my clothes, I stand in front of the camera, and I perform. What they want, I give. Their secrets, I keep. Everything I tell them, is a lie. Don't kill anyone. I've obeyed that rule for over three years. My life, inside this apartment was simple, and it worked. Then, I started breaking rules.Enter a world of lies, thrills, fears, and all desires, in this original thriller from A. R. Torre.** Review"Brilliantly dark, tortured and utterly surprising! 5/5 stars!" ~ Martini Times"I freaking loved this book! It's like nothing I've ever read before!" ~ Novel Seduction"This book rocked my brain... I'm just in complete awe. " ~ Page Trotters Book Blog"A fast paced suspenseful read...Everything was brilliant for me." ~ Dark Reading Room Blog"highly recommended, a story that will touch your heart while keeping you at the edge of your seat." ~ Sinful Reads"If you're looking for something that's completely different from every other romance book, The Girl in 6E, is for you!" ~ Smut Book Club"I loved it. It was a heart pounding thrill ride from beginning to end. I could not stop reading once I started!" ~ Winding Stairs Book Blog"Loved her story from beginning to end... so completely unexpected!" ~ Chick Lit Worth Reading Book Blog"This book is a must read. It's amazing. Alessandra Torre has blew my mind." ~ Island Lovelies Book Blog"This book was so full of awesome." ~ Contagious Reads"Unexpected love for this book... fascinating to read!" ~ Must Read Books or Die BlogA highly erotic beginning to an intense, thrilling, and edge-of-your-seat middle and then a sweet and satisfying ending! ~ Love Between the Sheets"Totally and completely unique ... I have not read any book that even begins to compare..written extraordinarily well..." Rose's Book Blog"This book will have you on the edge of your seat.." ~ Chris Book Blog EmporiumAbout the AuthorA.R. Torre is an open pseudonym for Alessandra Torre -- a new author who focuses on contemporary erotica. Alessandra lives in the Southern United States and is married, with one young child. She enjoys reading, spending time with her family, and playing with her dogs. Her favorite authors include Lisa Gardner, Dean Koontz, and Jennifer Crusie.

Book Three of The Chalcedony Chronicles A paranormal/time travel romance series. Mari’s past and present are all mixed together. To start she finds herself trapped in the past while her friends from the past are now all in the future. She wants to go home, but Logan Jones has different plans—which include Mari. He might say he wants her, but soon she realizes that there’s something more behind it. To save everyone in the future, Mari strikes a deal. She must give up Seth and agree to date Logan. In return, he’ll teach her to how help her friends and family. Only, letting go of Seth, and falling for Logan aren’t easy feats. If Mari can’t figure out how to do so, she might lose everyone she loves.

The Dark Wheel is the original Elite novella which was first published as part of the Acornsoft Elite package in 1984. Written by well-known fantasy author Robert Holdstock it describes the quest of Alex Ryder, a newly-qualified pilot, to exact revenge for his father's death at the hands of a paid assassin. Along the way he is assisted by the enigmatic Rafe Zetter who links him up with a fugitive pilot who also wishes to eliminate the killer of Alex's father, but for her own reasons. All in all, a good story which, though spoiled by a few irritating character traits and a number of typographical errors, sets up the Elite universe in a cohesive manner. It also covers the combat and trading sides of Elite and the general nature of trading between different systems, buying what's cheap on one world and selling it wherever the demand is sufficient to keep the price high. Interestingly, the back of the BBC novella states that a sequel was planned for publication in 1985, but as far as I know this never came to fruition. Later editions of The Dark Wheel, included in the Sinclair Spectrum and Commodore 64 versions amongst others, sported new artwork

Every year, millions of women wait with anticipation as they watch their test strip change from white to pink, thus beginning the awesome adventure of becoming a mother. This Chicken Soup book will find a place in the loving hearts and anxious minds of expectant mothers (and some fathers, too!). Written by expectant mothers, veteran moms, and fathers-to-be, these stories relate the physical, emotional, and spiritual joys and challenges of each stage of motherhood, from “barely showing” to the awkward last months, from labor and delivery to watching and caring for Baby.Some stories offer hope when the pregnancy isn’t medically perfect; others offer light-hearted humor to cope with weight gain, morning sickness, and other pregnancy woes; and still others offer words of wisdom for the seemingly daunting responsibilities of choosing a name, going through labor, and bringing a new life into the world. By relaying the insecurities and triumphs of a variety of moms and moms-to-be—including multiple births, premature births, adoptions, and single-parent families—this book will tug at the heartstrings and ease the fears of any expectant mother, regardless of her situation. Chapters include: Special Moments, Delivery Day, Challenges, On Adoption, Advice from Others, For Expectant Fathers, and The First Few Years.  Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mother’s Soul will be a must-have on every baby-shower gift list, and an essential requirement for every birthing bag.

A new addition to the multiple New York Times best-selling Ring of Fire series. New York Times Best Selling Series Eric Flint and David Carrico serve up the latest entry in the best-selling alternate history saga of them all, the Ring of Fire! After carving a place for itself in war-torn 17th century Europe, citizens of the modern town of Grantville, West Virginia take on a murderous conspiracy of operatic proportions in Magdeburg, the capital of the United States of Europe. It is the year 1636. The United States of Europe, the new nation formed by an alliance between the King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and the West Virginians hurled back in time by a cosmic accident, is on the verge of civil war. His brain injured in the war with Poland, the USE's emperor Gustavus Adolphus is no longer in command. Enter Swedish chancellor Oxenstierna, a leader of aristocratic reaction against democracy. His goal, to assemble the forces of the hidebound ruling class in Berlin and drown the revolution in a bloodbath. In Magdeburg, the capital of the USE, Mike Stearns' wife Rebecca Abrabanel is organizing popular resistance to Oxenstierna's plot. As part of the resistance, the American musician Marla Linder and her company of down-time musical partners are staging an opera that will celebrate the struggle against oppression. Princess Kristina, the heir to the USE's throne, is now residing in Magdeburg and is giving them her support and encouragement. But another plot is underway--this one right in the heart of the capital itself, and with murder as its method. The only people standing in the way are a crippled boy and the boxing champion who befriended him, and an unlikely pair of policemen. Can the American detective Byron Chieske and his down-timer partner Gotthilf Hoch thwart the killers before they succeed in their goal? About 1636: The Devil's Opera: "Another engaging alternate history from a master of the genre" Booklist ". . . an old-style police-procedural mystery, set in 17th century Germany. . . . the threads . . . spin together . . . to weave an addictively entertaining story. . . . a strong addition to a fun series." Daily News of Galveston County About Eric Flint's Ring of Fire series: "This alternate history series is 'a landmark'" Booklist "[Eric] Flint's 1632 universe seems to be inspiring a whole new crop of gifted alternate historians." Booklist "reads like a technothriller set in the age of the Medicis" Publishers Weekly

Set in 1790's Covent Garden this book whisks you back to a bygone era, and to embark on an adventure about one hidden treasure, two bare-knuckle boxers, three enemies, and four hundred and thirty-eight rioters. It is the tale of Cat Royal, an orphan, four foot four with long red hair and not a penny to call her own. She lives in the Theater Royal on Drury Lane, a place filled with dramatic characters, theatrical spectacles, and now, a secret treasure--which Cat has been asked to protect. Her new friend Pedro, a former slave and gifted violinist, is eager to help, and so is the theater prompter, Jonathan, who is hiding secrets of his own. But when the ruthless gang leader Billy Shepherd learns about the treasure, Cat thinks she's going to lose it for sure. She still doesn't know what the treasure is, so how can she keep it safe from Billy and his gang? Follow Cat into the streets of London, as she faces danger and adventure, racing to be the first to discover the diamond of Drury Lane!

In *IN MY HANDS*, surgical oncologist Dr. Steven Curley shares the empowering lessons he's learned over 25 years from his cancer patients' unique stories of struggle, perseverance, and triumph. As Chief of Surgical Oncology at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Steven Curley has worked with cancer patients for over two decades. While his life's work has been to help his patients live longer lives, he found that they helped him in ways he never could have expected. IN MY HANDS is a rare, often emotional look at some of Dr. Curley's real patients and real situations in modern cancer care. These stories of resilience, hope, and determination changed and inspired Dr. Curley, and he uses these same stories to encourage patients dealing with the fear and uncertainty coupled with a diagnosis of cancer. Every story in the book has a theme inspired by his patients: Hope, Courage, Strength, Determination, Wonder, Cooperation, Creativity, Diligence, Service, Perseverance, Wisdom, Grace, Consideration, Gratitude, Discernment, Reverence, Resourcefulness, Faith, Beauty, Acceptance, and Empathy. Some are positive messages, reminding us of the importance of maintaining balance between family, work, and leisure activities. Others are examples of the remarkable resilience of the human spirit when facing the reality of and the surgical risks that accompany a cancer diagnosis. Realistically, despite remarkable advances in multidisciplinary cancer care, some remind us cancer is still a potentially lethal and destructive disease affecting patients and the family and friends supporting them. While many people are told that there is no hope in their situation, Dr. Curley's patients taught him to always provide hope, to push the envelope and give people a chance, and that hope is a critical component of treatment and care. IN MY HANDS is medical narrative at its finest, and provides insight into medicine and patient care along with fascinating details about one of our most feared diseases.