What you hold in front of you is a small sampling of short stories from the indie zombie series Zombie A.C.R.E.S. All three of these short stories are part of a larger collection entitled AiZ: Alice in Zombieland, which is due out spring 2012. These stories are not only here to whet your appetite for this upcoming anthology, but also to introduce you to a very interesting world.All three of these short stories are part of a larger collection entitled AiZ; Alice in Zombieland (Complete Saga), which is due out spring 2012. These stories are not only here to whet your appetite for this upcoming anthology, but also to introduce you to a very interesting world.This series takes place in a world that is very much like our own. The sky and water are blue just as the grass is still green. Every day, people are going about their business, most just trying to make ends meet. Politicians still get on the television and lie to cameras and the good people of the world.The world of Zombie A.C.R.E.S. has one stark difference from our own – the living dead. This is not an apocalyptic scene of destruction and despair (yet!), but hope for the living is dwindling with every waking moment. Zombie A.C.R.E.S. tells the tale of how this world came to be through short stories about the people of this new world – both good and bad.It all began with The Interview. This is the very first Zombie A.C.R.E.S. short story and it laid out the path for future stories. William Lohman, a recently deceased man, holds an interview that is seen by the entire world. In this interview, he tells of how the largest pharmaceutical company in the world, Roslun Global, has been conducting secret experiments meant to revive the dead, among other atrocities. Mr. Lohman is taken quite seriously seeing as how he is obviously one of these experiments, what with the decay and all.This interview knocked over the first domino in a long series for Roslun Global, and the company’s greedy CEO Richard Roslun. Richard was not known for being subtle or calm, but he was known for getting results…at any cost.Nine years has passed since that historic interview changed the world forever. People have learned to live with the idea of zombies, much the same way they learn to live with many modern diseases; it’s a terrible thing, but it doesn’t affect them. Until it does, that is.Georgia ‘Gee’ Marie is a typical college student in the state of Washington. She enjoys reading and hanging out with her friends, smoking a little weed and going to work. Her life is pretty mundane, until she returns to see her father one day. Tough Love is the story of what this average college student finds when she returns to her father’s home that fateful day. Gee and her younger half-sister Alice, are about to begin the greatest trials of their lives. Not only will their will to survive be tested, but the bonds that hold them together as family and loved ones will be stressed to the max.Gee and Alice are not the only ones to be greatly affected by the terrible actions of Richard Roslun. Sam Ashe and his fiancée, Heather Young, have just moved to a nice neighborhood in Seattle. Their new neighborhood is beautifully manicured, right down to the last tree lining the street. This area was chosen for its aesthetics, but also for its safety. According to several of Sam’s favorite zombie reporting sites, a very low number of incidents have been reported here.This would be why Sam is caught off guard one night in The Boy Who Cried Zombie. After an intense gaming session, Sam sees what he believes to be a zombie. Thinking of his love, he heads off to save her from the inevitable zombie outbreak about to occur. Their path is not an easy one, and again, human emotions will be stretched to the limit. If you have ever been in love, and I mean true love, then Sam and Heather’s tale will grab you by the heartstrings and never let go.If you enjoy these free zombie stories, please make sure to write a review and share it using the buttons on the side of the screen. Thank you.

A trip to grandmother's house that rapidly becomes a descent into an underworld community of vampires and a frantic rush to save Heaven and Earth. Lumi Laura is a Romanian author who now lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. You can learn everything about her on her blog: LumiLaura.com.Teenager Alexandra Eidyn never suspected that her annual trip to Grandmother's house to spend the summer would this time destroy her plans to attend Oxford University in the fall and instead propel her into the World of Vampires and eventually to the gates of Heaven and Hell. On the way, she'd fall in love — something she'd come to think wasn't even possible for her — with two people, become a fugitive from justice, and be a casualty of the Church to which she'd turned for help. She withdraws into a vampire society she never knew existed but that has been waiting for her the last ninety years, and learns that the Divine World has prophesied of her coming for millennia. All this following her grandmother's revelation of a family connection to royalty that has been kept secret for generations.

Cat Royal spins a tale about the search for her family, weaving in friends and foes, old and new. Her journey takes her from riotous London to a revolutionary cotton mill on the River Clyde in Scotland. And a mysterious newcomer is introduced. So take your seats, ladies and gentlemen: the Industrial Age has arrived.

When Ethan Allen was first drawn into the world of The Elementals, he had no idea of the importance he played in their existence, now how different he truly was. Thrown in the middle of a civil war, a vital key to the stability and freedom of his kind, he fights not only for his survival, but for the survival of a world that has been seeking peace for thousands of years.There's a world we know nothing about. There are those who walk among us with powers beyond anything we comprehend. There's a war happening right in front of us and we know nothing about it. When Ethan Allen was first drawn into the world of The Elementals, he had no idea of the importance he played in their existence, now how different he truly was. Thrown in the middle of a civil war, a vital key to the stability and freedom of his kind, he fights not only for his survival, but for the survival of a world that has been seeking peace for thousands of years.Welcome to Season One of The Fifth Elemental.

The land is dying. The first victims of a devastating catastrophe struggle to understand what could cause the terrifying tragedy that seems to signal the end of everything. There is no place to run when the Earth dies. The Perishing Land is a short story (approximately 3,200 words).Fiercely independent Ashla is the healer in a village blighted by the shadow of a dark god. Exinious created Ashla’s civilization centuries ago and silently watches them from his mountain fortress. His only interaction is to choose a bride from their ranks every generation.A disease has stricken the villagers that Ashla can’t cure with her magic potions. She knows this must be the work of Exinious, and journeys to his fortress to face him.Deep down she already knows what’s going on. It’s time for Exinious to choose a new bride, and he must have his eyes on her. Unfortunately for the god, Ashla will never leave her post as healer. She fears the prospect of being the first woman to ever refuse him.

Horn head. Goat-son bastard. Witch. Athemon is of the Caprine race, and because of that he has been called all of these things. When Athemon learns that his race can be a source of power instead of oppression, he claims that power eagerly, using his own rage as a fuel. But Athemon will learn that payback comes with a cost of its own.Athemon Arnmakh has lived all of his short life as a second-class citizen, condemned to squalid poverty and brutal persecution. When the treatment he suffers reaches levels of unprecedented violence, Athemon begins to hear a voice in his head—a voice that tells him not to take any more abuse, a voice that offers him the power to punish his tormentors. Eagerly, he claims that power, using his own rage as a fuel. But Athemon will learn that payback comes with a cost of its own.

From the person who brought you the blog "www.thinkormsby.com" Michael W. Ormsby's first book is a collection of comical and sometimes absurd perceptions about the differences between men and women.These Brother Gregory stories are historical scientific fiction. They start on a cold night in Brno in 1865 when the world learns, for the first time, about the mechanism of genetic inheritance. A giant scientific mystery was revealed, but the time was not quite right. Why? Meet Gregor Mendel, his friends - and his enemies - and find the answer.

James Eddy's spellbinding collection of short stories, circles the lives of Scott Drake, a British singer-songwriter, and Rebecca, the passionate, intelligent young woman he had once loved and may yet love again. The revelation of both their shared and individual pasts is only the beginning of a story that features the contributions of a host of other characters whose paths intersect with theirs.James Eddy's spellbinding collection of short stories, circles the lives of Scott Drake, a British singer-songwriter, and Rebecca, the passionate, intelligent young woman he had once loved and may yet love again. The revelation of both their shared and individual pasts is only the beginning of a story that features the contributions of a host of other characters whose paths intersect with theirs. A man lost in love, a compulsive young thief, a single mother in the twilight of her youth, and a middle-aged man grieving the death of his mother and his lost dreams, all form the foreground and background to the larger story; of love lost, delayed and denied.We first meet Scott in his early twenties, running away from his guilt at the death of a friend by trying to help another. Five years on, he has found success as a musician but his feelings have changed very little; there is the same guilt as before, along with even more that has been piled on top of it, while his ability to self-destruct has not been diminished by the years. We learn the causes of these things and the sadness that can come with survival. We meet Rebecca at the moment she decides that she has to take a chance to see Scott again - at one of his gigs she finds a way backstage to meet him, her name opening doors in ways she hadn’t expected. We then encounter her aunt, Lily, and cousin, Diane, as circumstances envelope them all and place further obstacles into the path of her and Scott.Written in an array of styles and tones ranging from tragedy to surrealism to poetry, Diamonds is a book about the interplay of love and death, about survival, and about how hope can be nourished and set into motion by even the smallest of words and gestures.

I short list of local resources for the Small Business in the Cache Valley of UtahExplore twelve tales of Faerie…and discover its paradox--both close and inaccessible--peopled with heroes, rogues, and ciphers.• A modern dragon who desires more than mere gold,• A troll who longs for the kiss of sunlight on his skin,• Pixies who won’t let breaking-and-entering deter them from their just revenge,• A gargoyle who yearns to safeguard not only a church but a young girl as well,• And a woman who bargains for Faerie help—only to be confronted with a cost that is more than she can bear to pay.Come join them.

Mia is a normal seventeen-year-old girl who thought she had a perfect life. Then, her crush notices her and everything seems to change. Then, she finds out that he only likes the idea of her and she thinks that her life is over. Then she meets Lucas, who is a new student in her class that makes her heart light up like fireworks. Mia loves Lucas, but can she ever learn to trust him?Mia is a normal seventeen-year-old girl who thought she had a perfect life. She has a best friend who loved her in every way. She has a mother who cared about her ever since her dad left her when she was born. Her life was perfect because of one thing. NO BOYS. Before, Mia had crushes but never boyfriends. She has never had her first kiss or interaction with a boy ever in her life. She always thought boys were always the same, with no emotion and would always take advantage of girls. Just like her father did with her mother. Then, her crush kissed her which made her think boys were not all the same until she figured out that he never liked her as her, he only liked the idea of her. Mia thought she will never ever fall in love or trust a boy ever in her life until she met Lucas. Lucas, the new student in her class that makes her heart light up like fireworks. Lucas, the boy who makes you melt when he talks to you or touches you. Lucas, the best kisser in the world and that would never ever hurt you. Only he would keep her safe. Mia loves Lucas, but can she ever learn to trust him?

This issue’s authors are Sean Markey, Laura McKee, Sam Kolinski, Paul Clyne, Ruth Brandt, Flavian Mark Lupinetti, Mack Gelber, Jenny Blackford, Kate Wisel, and Paul French. Sarah Katharina Kayß (issue thirty-six) also returns with another excellent cover image.Neon‘s fortieth issue is filled with some seriously unsettling fiction, with stories revolving around horrors as diverse as giant spiders and drive-thru fast food joints. There’s also a selection of poetry and prose-poetry hybrids featuring errant next door neighbours, lurking swamp monsters, and a pill that can make you fall in love. This issue’s authors are Sean Markey, Laura McKee, Sam Kolinski, Paul Clyne, Ruth Brandt, Flavian Mark Lupinetti, Mack Gelber, Jenny Blackford, Kate Wisel, and Paul French. Sarah Katharina Kayß (issue thirty-six) also returns with another excellent cover image.

Adele was not very good at being a psychic. But dowdy Silvia was going to be easy. And it was! Everything went Adele's way from the start. Suddenly unexpected events began to occur. There was a surprise occurrence at the end. Can you guess what it was before you reach the end of the story?Welcome to the strange city of Odnnol, a muddled, mysterious metropolis that mirrors our own reality, but in a bygone age that possibly never happened. Or did it? Perhaps our age never happened and this one did? Who can really say in the world of imagination and multiple realities? Queen Vitriolica sits on the throne, spitting bile and bitter expletives at her errant subjects, while the Tribish Empire rules the waves, and a considerable portion of the land as well. Keen author Philbert Chicory takes you on a wild escapade meeting a zombi (as it was spelt back then) detective and his sidekick, whom you may or may not recognise, along with the leading character, Mopsy, a small, yet tenacious pug dog. These intrepid adventurers embark on an investigation to find the culprit of the disgusting custard murders, the elusive Rick the Japer, and get involved in one of the greatest capers of the century. The trio face fearsome foes and adversity as they get closer to the truth, in a ripping, rollicking, rivetting tale of high excitement and steampunk fun. Do fear the Japer! Who knows where he might strike next?!

The world was watching as the lights went out in New Orleans during the biggest football game of the year. The official report blamed the outage on a faulty relay device. But what if it had a different cause?Strange things are happening, but no one wants to talk about them. Whether it’s the tales of people with extraordinary abilities, or the rumors of a secret government organization established to hunt them down, few can deny that the world has become a strange and sometimes frightening place. In the middle of it all, a few individuals try to make sense of the mystery and hunt down clues to its origin, while others can only try to deal with the consequences.Book One of the Universe series – This collection is the first part of a serialized short story series I began in 2012 as a way to experiment with mechanics of storytelling. After completing the first few, I realized that they were starting to form a part of a larger narrative, so I've rewritten some of the older pieces and have reformatted others to give a more consistent style throughout. Each story is intended to work as a stand alone tale, but also in conjunction with the rest. Consequently, in many of the stories, there are clues and exposition that give you insight into what is happening in the other stories in the shared universe. I hope you enjoy these stories and will continue to follow these adventures.

This is the story of Eric and his encounter with his inner whale. A meeting after many years of mutual loneliness for both of the creatures that will be fateful. Who swallowed whom?"...His grandmother poured him a warm bowl of soup. With her smile, she encouraged him to eat it all, as usual, so that he wouldn’t lose his strength. When he took a closer look at his bowl, he noticed a whale swimming casually next to the pasta and the carrots. It made quite a bit of noise splashing about, and he was rather surprised that his grandmother didn’t seem to notice it..."

People told Professor Hugo his taste in furniture sucked. That could be because a vampire is occupying his ottoman. Will the professor give in to "the magic of her charms," or can a "cat of many colors" convince him he needs a makeover?My intention is to send across the message of how discrimination occurred in South Africa in those days and reminding human kind the challenged that one had to face in those days. My particular inspiration to write about the prejudice that took place in South Africa came from my past nanny, Dora. She had worked for and taken care of a wealthy Jewish South African family for over three decades throughout the Apartheid era. One day without much notice, they decided to leave the country, leaving her with no pension. This family was very close to her heart, as she had raised their three children and was left heart-broken. She needed a job and my family needed a domestic worker. Dora came in one Monday morning for an interview. I was one year old at the time, and she told my mother that she would be prepared to clean the house but she felt she was too old to take care of me. We agreed to Dora’s conditions and our family was so happy, as she was an amazing worker and a phenomenal, principled person. With time, Dora quickly fell in love with me and could not wait to see her little “Dudu” (in this case it was me) every morning. I would literally run into her arms every morning. I feel that I have many principles today, because of the qualities that she taught me about life. Sadly Dora passed away with cancer in 2006, but has always retained a special place in our hearts. This book is dedicated to her, and describes the harsh times that non-whites had to face during the Apartheid era. I based the fictional story on real events as I thought it would be the best way to communicate the historical occurrences to readers. I used fictional characters but included some real people that made significant differences in the Apartheid such as Nelson Mandela. My purpose in using fictional characters was to create an emotional connection between the readers for them to comprehend the difficulties that different characters had to face. The book is also intended to educate the readers about South Africa and the 20th century of the Apartheid era. I have written the division of chapters by using different character voices. I have written it in two character perspectives, as I want to express both sides of Apartheid, the white side and the non-white side. The main characters are Dora and Danie, which express both sides of the Apartheid system. The story is about a sixteen year old black girl that lives in Soweto with her mother Anesu. Anesu takes care of the white Coetzer family that lives in Boksburg, Johannesburg. In the family, she takes care of a sixteen-year-old boy named Danie that initially is influenced by the white racist society to believe one way until he meets Dora. This event changes his perspective about Apartheid and leaves him in a conflicted situation. Dora however believes that she can make and must make a change. Her friends Hector Pieterson and Kimone Lesendi, convince her that together they can change a law by peacefully rioting in front of the Department of Bantu Education. Nevertheless things swiftly change directions, and the situation gets out of control.

1 New York Times Bestselling Author America’s premier author of provocative fiction delivers the dramatic finale to a series set within the inner circle of glamour, sex and privilege. When it came to playing games, my lover Jax was a master strategist. He pulled strings behind the closed doors of D.C.’s most powerful political players, and somehow still found time to nearly sideline my career. What he didn’t know was that when I didn’t like the rules, I threw them out and made my own. I wasn’t going to let Jax get away with it. I wasn’t going to let him get away at all. I loved Jax enough that it was impossible to give up. Jax loved me enough that giving up was the only end he’d consider. He didn’t think I could swim with the sharks. It was entirely my pleasure to show him that I’d already dived in…

Maisie Danger Brown just wanted to get away from home for a bit, see something new. She never intended to fall in love. And she never imagined stumbling into a frightening plot that kills her friends and just might kill her, too. A plot that is already changing life on Earth as we know it. There's no going back. She is the only thing standing between danger and annihilation. From NY Times bestselling author Shannon Hale comes a novel that asks, How far would you go to save the ones you love? And how far would you go to save everyone else?

Three thrilling, original adventures from the classic Wilbur Smith - for the first time in one collection - that will take you on a journey deep into the heart of Africa at its wildest and most magnificent Elephant Song: In Zimbabwe's Chiwewe National Park, Dr Daniel Armstrong - world-famous TV naturalist - films the slaughter of a herd of elephant. Meanwhile in London, anthropologist Kelly Kinnear is forced into violent confrontation with the shareholders of the most powerful conglomerate in the City of London, warning them of the destruction of an African country. Now the time has come to act. Together, Armstrong and Kinnear forge a passionate alliance – and begin the fight against the forces of greed, evil and corruption attacking a land they would both give their lives to save . . . Hungry as the Sea: Nick Berg - robbed of his wife and ousted from his huge shipping empire - is hell-bent on vengeance. It is the sea which gives him his opportunity. When his arch-rival's luxury liner is trapped in the tempestuous Antarctic, Nick stakes all to pit his powerful salvage tug, the Warlock, in a desperate race against time and the elements . . . Wild Justice: The hijacking of a jumbo jet off the Seychelles galvanizes anti-terrorist chief Peter Stride into the action for which he has spent a lifetime training. But in the hail of bullets which follows, he knows that this is only the beginning of a nightmare. Stride is the one man who might find the twisted genius who holds the world hostage – if only his every move were not anticipated by the enemy . . .

A provocative literary thriller that playfully pays tribute to classic tales of mystery and adventure Lucas Corso is a book detective, a middle-aged mercenary hired to hunt down rare editions for wealthy and unscrupulous clients. When a well-known bibliophile is found dead, leaving behind part of the original manuscript of Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers, Corso is brought in to authenticate the fragment. He is soon drawn into a swirling plot involving devil worship, occult practices, and swashbuckling derring-do among a cast of characters bearing a suspicious resemblance to those of Dumas's masterpiece. Aided by a mysterious beauty named for a Conan Doyle heroine, Corso travels from Madrid to Toledo to Paris on the killer's trail in this twisty intellectual romp through the book world.