narratorAUSTRALIA Volume One: A showcase of Australian poets and authors who were published on the narratorAUSTRALIA blog from May to October 2012narratorAUSTRALIA Volume One is a collection of more than 200 poems and short stories from more than 100 emerging and established Australian writers which were published on the narratorAUSTRALIA blog during the period 1 May to 31 October 2012. Contributors include: Susan Adams, Alannah, David Anderson, Eulyce Arkleysmith, Hettie Ashwin, Irene Assumpter, Rosemary Baldry, Don Beer, Eddie Blatt, Bridge, Ann-marie Brittain, Nicholas Brooks, Jean Bundesen, Marina Byrne, Linda Callaghan, Aaron Carl, Robyn Chaffey, Ronnie Compton, Theo Craci, James Craib, Nene Davies, Demelza, Noel Downs, Brendan Doyle, Bob Edgar, Stephen Falconer, Merlene Fawdry, Michele Fermanis-Winward, C.G. Freedman, Gordon G, Mel G, Alex aka The Auld YinGardiner, Russell Gibbs, Hazel Girolamo, Peter Goodwin, Mark Govier, Virginia Gow, Emma Hall, Ridley Heard, Andris Heks, Vague Hit, Annabel Hollins-Cliff, Emmett Howard, Connie Howell, Paul Humphreys, Frank Ince, JAC, Nicole James, Amber Johnson, Mary Krone, Judith La Porte, Robyn Lance, Anthony J. Langford, Crystal Lee, Melanie Lee, Chloe Loughran, Alan Lucas, Felicity Lynch, Kai Maddever, JH Mancy, Denise Martin, Joe Massingham, Barry McGloin, Colleen McMillan, Merryjack, Samantha Miller, Samuel Miller, Jonathan Morgan, Lynn Nickols, Mark O'Flynn, Alexandra P, Subroto Pant, Toni Paton, Andrea Payne, Paris Portingale, Tamara Pratt, Sallie Ramsay, A.J. Reed, Sandra Renew, Pat Ridley, Rimeriter, Robertas, John Ross, Jordan Russo, Susan Sargent, Sonia Satori, Scorpio, Emma Scott, Ariette Singer, Tracey Smith, Winsome Smith, Alexandra Smithers, Jessica Soul, Graham Sparks, Stephen Studach, Cathie Tanaka, Yeshe Thubten, Shannon Todd, Claire Turner, Kate-Michelle Von Riegen, Vickie Walker, Ted Witham, Ruth Withers, Kathryn Yuen, Tom Zaunmayr

Vlad’s travel aspirations should have been a dream come true. Yet the reality of his scholars’ teachings concerning the ancients is quite sobering. A.L.O.M. is in need of dire repair and lack of technology, industrial science and language barrier prove hefty challenges for Vlad. Will he gain cooperation from the ancients to save him from this travesty or will the final destination remain Stranded?Vlad’s travel aspirations should have been a dream come true. Yet the reality of his scholars’ teachings concerning the ancients is quite sobering. A.L.O.M. is in need of dire repair and lack of technology, industrial science and language barrier prove hefty challenges for Vlad. Will he gain cooperation from the ancients to save him from this travesty or will the final destination remain Stranded?If you haven't picked up A.L.O.M. Episode one, do so. It's FREE!

On Cauldron Cooker's Night, expect black cats and blacker magic.It's Cauldron Cooker's Night, a holiday for witches. Josh and his sister Jozlyn can't sleep. When they hear a noise outside their window, they know it's a witch coming for them.On Cauldron Cooker's Night, expect black cats and blacker magic.It's Cauldron Cooker's Night, a holiday for witches. Josh and his sister Jozlyn can't sleep. When they hear a noise outside their window, they know it's a witch coming for them.But the witch is only the beginning of their troubles. Soon the pair head out on a dangerous adventure to save their townsfolk from a terrible spell. Everyone has been turned into frogs! Along the way, Josh and Jozlyn will face a hungry ogre, a creepy swamp, a mischievous black cat, and more.Worst of all, the witch is waiting for them at the end.Children's fantasy. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

Suki was a cute otter living in a Japanese aquarium. Life was very simple for her, until she ends up falling in love with a human. With the help of her magical clamshell, she attempts to let him know how she feels. In this adorable story by T.K. Wade, find out how love can bloom in the oddest of places.What happens when an otter falls in love with a human being? Chaos! Suki was a cute, little female otter living in a Japanese aquarium. One day, Hotaka came to see the famous otter, and in mere moments, she knew that she was in love. Little did this man know that this particular otter was in the possession of a magical clamshell that could grant her every wish. Will she be able to use it to show him how she feels? In this adorable story by T.K. Wade, find out how love can bloom in the oddest of places.

Percival Ratham is not a nice man. This bothers him not at all, as niceties interfere with getting what he wants. And what Percival wants now is a meal to surpass all others. And Percival will get exactly what he wants.Percival Ratham is not a nice man. This bothers him not at all, as niceties interfere with getting what he wants. And what Percival wants now is a meal to surpass all others. And Percival gets exactly what he wants.One in a series of short stories by Shawn McDaniel that explore the dark thoughts and desires we hide behind thin masks of civility and humanity.

Just in time for nightfall. Fun, but still on the dark side.Wrong NumberDwarfs EveTavern CatGhostly WanderingsThe Devil in DisguiseTe AmoShadow ManKarmaWrong NumberValerie’s insomnia is getting worse. Every time she closes her eyes darkness surrounds her and something scary lurks in its wake. If she doesn’t get sleep soon she’ll go crazy, but can she face her dream filled fears?Dwarfs EveAmber, Derrick, Lydia and Josh visit the cemetery on Halloween night under the full moon. Ambers gut instinct tells her not to go, but she never could say no to Derrick…Tavern Cat The local tavern was Ranald’s second home, until one night he didn’t show. The bartender gets worried about him. After visiting the sick old man at his home the bartended is convinced that once the Scot is better he will be back to warm his favorite barstool…Ghostly WanderingsBar fights, ghosts, and Summer… Harry doesn’t realize this will be his last night alive. If he’d only changed his ways before the beginning of the evening things might have been different, but Harry was out to have some fun... The Devil in DisguisePete puffed out his chest to try and show some enthusiasm. The last time and only time he fought he almost killed the guy because of his size. But this man was entrancing his woman, along with all of the others and the women either didn’t seem to notice or didn’t care...Te AmoVictoria’s restaurant is booming and all it took was a couple of spells; unfortunately the church down the hill is not happy with her or her methods of successes. Victoria is surprised and not prepared at how far they will go to close her down and run her out of town.Shadow ManKillian had heard the rumors about this place being haunted, but was hard pressed to believe them. At least not until this night, working graveyard shift…KarmaBelle is on a mission to keep bad karma in its place. Katrina wants to play and Lori’s stuck in the middle without realizing it. Can Lori fix her karma before Belle has to fix it for her?

When a lonely girl escapes in her books, she gets more than she bargained for - including real-life mystery, twisted history, and a threat to her life! That, and a little love, should keep you turning these pages...Kari Marriner’s earliest memory is her father’s death in a car crash back in small-town Wisconsin. Now, 12 years later, her mother has been hired by a pseudo-religious organization in Manhattan called the Temple of Truth (a.k.a. the ToT). At Chelsea Prep, Kari develops a crush on classmate Cruz. But when she realizes that Noon, another attractive guy at school, is involved with the ToT, her curiosity gets the better of her. Kari stumbles upon a secret tunnel leading from her apartment to another in the building, where an ancient book holds images she can scarcely believe, and a cavernous room contains... something inexplicable. As Kari pieces together the incredible evidence, she discovers that the ToT is run by other-worldly beings called The Embodied who influence human behavior and have established a global long-term human breeding program. But why? And what is her role in all this? Just as she starts wondering whether the love she feels for Cruz is genuine or if her emotions are being controlled by The Embodied, her mother is kidnapped and Kari has to figure out who is human, who is Embodied, and who she can count on to help rescue her mother. Silent Symmetry is the exciting first novel in JB Dutton’s EMBODIED trilogy. The second installment, Starley’s Rust, was published to critical acclaim in January 2015, followed by book 3, Diamond Splinters in May 2016. Goodreads ravesGoodreads raves“so hard to put down” 5-star review“The concept is unique, interesting, gripping” 5-star review“a bizarre and scary world” 5-star review“Kari's adventure was thrilling!” 4-star review“It's unique (never read anything like it before)” 5-star review“really, really good” 5-star review“filled with mystery and danger” 5-star review“can't wait for the sequel.” 5-star review“Who doesn't love hot aliens?” 5-star review

When a bedraggled girl steps out of the forest, plans for a leisurely day are ruined. Thanks to the talking fox, Ezren and Van get sucked into the hunt for a mysterious black carriage. Captain Torvik links abductions to the well-guarded opium den in Mirinol. Everything ends with a bang. The scholars’ lives will never be the same.When a bedraggled girl steps out of the forest, plans for a leisurely day are ruined. Thanks to the talking fox, Ezren and Van get sucked into the hunt for a mysterious black carriage. Captain Torvik links abductions to the well-guarded opium den in Mirinol. Everything ends with a bang. The scholars’ lives will never be the same. Things don't go so smoothly in this prequel to The Hunters from Grey Hills. Get a taste for the odd land of Mirna in this introduction to Hilfords Chronicles.

**For fans of *Fifty Shades of Grey* and *Bared to You* comes an erotic, emotionally charged eBook novella from *New York Times* bestselling author J. Kenner. Following the novels in her blockbuster Stark Trilogy—*Release Me, Claim Me,* and *Complete Me*, as well as her tie-in novella *Take Me—Have Me *continues the story of fan favorites Damien Stark and his new wife, Nikki Fairchild.** ** ** Our wedding was everything I dreamed of, and now the honeymoon is a living fantasy. To be Mrs. Damien Stark is the ultimate rush—to know that our claim to each other is real, our fierce passion sealing our bond. My kiss is forever his, his touch is forever mine. We both harbor deep scars from our pasts, and we’ve done everything we can to lay our ghosts to rest. But there are still dreams that haunt me, and people that threaten to tear us apart. Our shared ecstasy makes me feel alive, and I’ll do anything to keep Damien close. He is my future, my hope, my every want and need. And once you’ve tasted that kind of obsession, nothing can make you give it up.   ***Have Me* is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.** ** **

Even before the enormous success of A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin had secured his reputation as one of the most exciting storytellers of our time. The second of two thrilling collections, Dreamsongs: Volume II continues the story of his amazing journey from a young writer to a #1 New York Times bestselling force of nature. Whether writing about werewolves, wizards, or outer space, George R. R. Martin is renowned for his versatility and expansive talent, as demonstrated in this dazzling collection. Dreamsongs: Volume II contains acclaimed stories such as the World Fantasy Award winner “The Skin Trade,” as well as the first novella in the Ice and Fire universe, The Hedge Knight—plus two early screenplays. Featuring extensive author commentary, Dreamsongs: Volume II is an invaluable chronicle of a writer at the height of his creativity—and an unforgettable reading experience for fans old and new. “Science fiction, fantasy and horror fans alike will be blown away by the diversity and quality of stories. . . . This extraordinary collection is one to cherish.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)   “Dreamsongs is the ideal way to discover . . . a master of science fiction, fantasy and horror. . . . Martin is a writer like no other.”—The Guardian (U.K.)   PRAISE FOR GEORGE R. R. MARTIN “Of those who work in the grand epic-fantasy tradition, Martin is by far the best. In fact . . . this is as good a time as any to proclaim him the American Tolkien.”—Time “Long live George Martin . . . a literary dervish, enthralled by complicated characters and vivid language, and bursting with the wild vision of the very best tale tellers.”—The New York Times   “I always expect the best from George R. R. Martin, and he always delivers.”—Robert Jordan

Everything will happen in just one night . . . After spending one life-changing day in Paris with laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter, sheltered American good girl Allyson "Lulu" Healey discovered her new lover had disappeared without a trace. Just One Day followed Allyson's quest to reunite with Willem; Just One Year chronicled the pair's year apart from Willem's perspective. Now, back together at last, this delectable e-novella reveals the couple's final chapter.

For every woman who has ever fantasized about driving past her exit on the highway instead of going home to make dinner, for every woman who has ever dreamed of boarding a train to a place where no one needs constant attention--meet Maribeth Klein. A harried working mother who's so busy taking care of her husband and twins, she doesn't even realize she's had a heart attack. Afterward, surprised to discover that her recuperation seems to be an imposition on those who rely on her, Maribeth does the unthinkable: She packs a bag and leaves. But, as is so often the case, once we get to where we're going, we see our lives from a different perspective. Far from the demands of family and career and with the help of liberating new friendships, Maribeth is finally able to own up to secrets she has been keeping from those she loves and from herself.

The legions are about to be unleashed, and no human, rogue dragon or former dragon slayer can stand against the coming horde. Dragon hatchling Ember Hill was never prepared to find love at all--dragons do not suffer human emotions--let alone the love of a human and a former dragonslayer, at that. With ex-soldier Garret dying at her feet after sacrificing his freedom and his life to expose the deepest of betrayals, Ember knows only that nothing she was taught by dragon organization Talon is true. About humans, about rogue dragons, about herself and what she's capable of doing and feeling. In the face of great loss, Ember vows to stand with rogue dragon Riley against the dragon-slaying Order of St. George and her own twin brother Dante--the heir apparent to all of Talon, and the boy who will soon unleash the greatest threat and terror dragonkind has ever known. Talon is poised to take over the world, and the abominations they have created will soon take to the skies, darkening the world with the promise of blood and death to those who refuse to yield.

The extraordinary beginning of an epic series brimming with the unbridled action, adventure, and imagination that have made the name R. A. Salvatore synonymous with the best in fantasy! Jeff "Del" DelGuidice was proud of his assignment to the research submarine The Unicorn. But his mission had barely begun when the vessel was sucked into a mysterious underseas void where time stood still, before propelling it forward, through the centuries. The crew surfaced in a strange, magical world changed forever by nuclear holocaust. Here a race of angelic beings had taken pity on the remnants of humankind, offering a chosen few a precious second chance. Thus the Isle of Hope was raised from the poisoned seas and set like a jewel in Earth's ravaged crown. But the jewel had a flaw, a dark vein of evil. For a sinister expert of the mystical arts had embraced the forbidden third magic, the most deadly sorcery of all. Only Del could defeat it--a hero sworn to peace and fated to wield the dazzling power of the fourth magic. . .

SUMMER AU PAIRS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY For four energetic children, between 3 and 10 years old. Join a NYC family for the best summer of your life in East Hampton, July 4-Labor Day. Pay: $10,000.00 Driver's license a must. Familiarity with the Hamptons, a plus. Send resumes and head shots to [email protected] Meet Mara Waters, Eliza Thompson, and Jacqui Velasco -- new au pairs for one of New York City's wealthiest families -- who will spend their summer in one of the most posh, most exclusive spots for summer summering: the Hamptons. For good girl Mara, this job is a way out of another go-slow Massachusetts summer. Eliza, New York City's former It Girl, knows this is the fast lane back to the stylish world she wishes she'd never left. And for Brazilian bombshell Jacqui, it's a boarding pass back to her American love who told her he'd e-mail as soon as he got home, and didn't. After all, how hard can an au pair job be? Slap sunscreen on the kids during the day and party at the coolest hot spots at night, right? Wrong. While Eliza is desperately trying to hide her baby-sitting job from her superspoiled friends who think she's still just as rich as she used to be, Mara's getting awfully cozy with the kids' extremely attractive older brother, Ryan. And Jacqui is heartbroken when she discovers that the love of her life may have been nothing more than a spring fling. If the girls can manage au pair duties -- all the while mastering the ins and outs of the Hamptons' social scene -- it might just turn out to be the most incredible summer of their lives. But to do it they'll have to stick together. And that's where things definitely get sticky.

The omnibus edition of New York Times bestselling author Brent Weeks' blockbuster NIGHT ANGEL TRILOGY. With over one million copies in print, Brent Weeks has become one of the fastest selling new fantasy authors of all time. For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art - and he is the city's most accomplished artist. For Azoth, survival is just the beginning. He was raised on the streets and knows an opportunity when he sees one - even when the risks are as high as working for someone like Durzo Blint. Azoth must learn to navigate the assassins' world of dangerous politics and strange magics - and become the perfect killer. THE NIGHT ANGEL TRILOGY, one of the most popular epic fantasy series in recent years, is compiled into one volume for the first time. Included in this omnibus edition are: The Way of Shadows, Shadow's Edge, and Beyond the Shadows.

In the arid canyonlands of Mexico the race is on for the ultimate end-of-the-world codex—the final 1000-year-old prophesy of the god-king, Quetzalcoatl, who ruled Mexico 1000 years ago. Rita Critchlow and Cooper Jones hunt for that sacred codex in those scorching desert canyons, while 500 years ago, Pacal, a young slave-scholar, sets out on the same deadly quest.  He too must find those apocalyptic writings, knowing that his era—the Age of the Aztecs—may well come to an end if he does not find them.  For Pacal, the End-Time is at hand.  Montezuma has built a vast empire based in what will one day be Mexico City.  Now however he faces war, disastrous drought, death-cult priests, who rip the hearts out of thousands of people atop their pyramids . . . and the arrival of red-bearded horse-borne conquistador, bearing preternaturally powerful weapons and catastrophic plagues, sowing pandemic death wherever he goes. America’s leaders are also staring into an apocalyptic abyss.  Their own time mirrors that of Quetzacoatl’s and the Aztec’s in shocking detail. Convinced that Quetzalcoatl’s codex holds the key to humanity’s survival—that he is warning them of a global, planet-killing threat—the two women battle broiling desert canyons and drug-cartel warlords to track it down and decipher it.  Moreover, earlier glimpses of his prophesy foreshadow uncanny similarities to those of John’s Book of Revelation.  Are Quetzalcoatl’s and Revelation’s prophesies one and the same?  Can they crack the 2012 code and save their world from their deadly fate?  The countdown is on.

For years the Department of Military Sciences has fought to stop terrorists from using radical bioweapons—designer plagues, weaponized pathogens, genetically modified viruses, and even the zombie plague that first brought Ledger into the DMS. These terrible weapons have been locked away in the world’s most secure facility. Until now. Joe Ledger and Echo Team are scrambled when a highly elite team of killers breaks the unbreakable security and steals the world’s most dangerous weapons. Within days there are outbreaks of mass slaughter and murderous insanity across the American heartland. Can Joe Ledger stop a brilliant and devious master criminal from turning the Land of the Free into a land of the dead?  Code Zero, a Joe Ledger novel from Jonathan Maberry, is the exciting direct sequel to Patient Zero

Summer knows that kouun means good luck" in Japanese, and this year her family has had none. Just when Summer thinks nothing else can possibly go wrong, an emergency whisks her parents away to Japan, right before harvest season leaving Summer and her little brother, Jaz, in the care of their elderly grandparents, Obaachan and Jiichan. Obaachan and Jiichan are old fashioned, very demanding, and easily disappointed. Between helping Obaachan cook for the workers and with all the other chores, and worrying about her little brother, who can't seem to make any friends, Summer has her hands full. But when a welcome distraction turns into a big mess, causing further disappointment, Summer realises she must try and make her own luck as it might be the only way to save her family.

Bestselling, award-winning, author Kim Stanley Robinson continues his groundbreaking trilogy of eco-thrillers–and propels us deeper into the awesome whirlwind of climatic change. Set in our nation’s capital, here is a chillingly realistic tale of people caught in the collision of science, technology, and the consequences of global warming–which could trigger another phenomenon: abrupt climate change, resulting in temperatures... When the storm got bad, scientist Frank Vanderwal was at work, formalizing his return to the National Science Foundation for another year. He’d left the building just in time to help sandbag at Arlington Cemetery. Now that the torrent was over, large chunks of San Diego had eroded into the sea, and D.C. was underwater. Shallow lakes occupied the most famous parts of the city. Reagan Airport was awash and the Potomac had spilled beyond its banks. Rescue boats dotted the saturated cityscape. Everything Frank and his colleagues in the halls of science and politics feared had culminated in this massive disaster. And now the world looked to them to fix it. Whatever Frank can do, now that he is homeless, he’ll have to do from his car. He’s not averse to sleeping outdoors. Years of research have made him hyperaware of his status as just another primate. That plus his encounter with a Tibetan Buddhist has left him resolved to live a more authentic life. Hopefully, this will prepare him for whatever is to come.... For even as D.C. bails out from the flood, a more extreme climate change looms. With the melting of the polar ice caps shutting down the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, another Ice Age could be imminent. The last time it happened, eleven thousand years ago, it took just three years to start. Once again Kim Stanley Robinson uses his remarkable vision, trademark wry wit, and extraordinary insight into the complexity between man and nature to take us to the brink of disaster–and slightly beyond. From the Hardcover edition.

Wendy isn't as blind as a bat--there are bats that can see better than she can. Which is why, when her new glasses break, she's all too happy to wear the dorky pair of sunglasses she finds on the lawn. They seem to match her prescription, and that's all that matters if she's going to be able to make it through her school day. But the glasses correct her vision too much. She begins to see things that no one else can see: cheerful corpses, frightening crones disguised as teenyboppers, and portals to other worlds--places where people are all too aware of the magical properties of her new shades . . . and will do anything to get them.