Son of a rogue and a gypsy, Nicholas Davies was a notorious rake until a shattering betrayal left him alone and embittered in the Welsh countryside. Desperation drives quiet schoolteacher Clare Morgan to ask the Demon Earl to help save her village. Unwilling to involve himself in the problems of others, Nicholas agrees --- only if Clare will live with him for three months.

A woman determined to uncover the truth about her father's death seeks answers from his mysterious CIA protege. What she gets from him instead is a one-way trip to a shadowy underworld filled with intrigue, terror--and passion. Now she's in over her head, fighting a plot to kill them both before they find out too much about each other. Orginal.

Steffie Costigyn, drug-addicted adventurer, ends up in the clutches of Kathulis the Scorpion, a strange, ancient woman with access to many secrets. Can she break free of Kathulis, the elixir of life and her terrible band of henchwomen of all nations, even with the help of the stalwart Joan Gordon?A Gender Switch Adventure.“I will take care of the body of my lord and you can carry the sword, story teller. For all good stories are about a sword.” The darkest years of the Dark Ages. Britain in AD 597: a land very different from today. Divided into dozens of warring kingdoms - these are the birth pangs of the nation we know today. Life can be short, violent and brutal. Cerdic, the nephew of a warrior, dreams of the glories of battle. When war comes for real, his sister is kidnapped, his family betrayed and his uncle's legendary sword stolen. Cerdic is thrown into the struggles that will determine the future of 6th century Britain.He must find courage to lead his people in one of the decisive battles of his time - a battle which could have seen the end of the English in the North of Britain.The Amber Treasure was awarded a B.R.A.G Medallion in 2012. It is the first novel in the Northern Crown series set in the darkest years of the Dark Ages.

Readers of M.M. Kaye's fiction will discover here the source of the characters, settings, and certain incidents of her novels. Most of all, they will bask in this warm account of a young woman's remarkable life--and the beginnings of a love affair with an India whose time has passed but which has not been forgotten. 24 pages of black-and-white photographs.

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Terry Brooks's The Measure of the Magic. Since the death of Allanon, life in the Four Lands has drastially changed. Yet Par Ohmsford still has some power of the Wishsong. And when a message from the ancient Druid, Allanon, reaches them, Par is ordered to recover the long-lost Sword of Shinnara, and the glory that once was the Four Lands....

Book Two in the Saga of Moonlight Falls...So I have a little bit of a problem.... I'm very pregnant with twins, 18years old and homeless.I have another problem..... I just showed up at Baby dada's pub/restaurant without so much as a phone call.I have one final problem.... He doesn't know I'm pregnant with his babies....Book Two in the Saga of Moonlight Falls...So I have a little bit of a problem.... I'm very pregnant with twins, 18years old and homeless.I have another problem..... I just showed up at Baby dada's pub/restaurant without so much as a phone call.I have one final problem.... He doesn't know I'm pregnant with his babies....Who's brilliant idea was it to travel on an interstate bus with like no money and nowhere to stay? Oh yeah that would be me.... What was I thinking? Clearly I wasn't. But I'm out of options. I have run out of friends couches to crash on and the babies are due in weeks. I need help and I don't know where else to go...Hugo Baker aka baby dada will help me right? I mean yeah I haven't told him about the pregnancy but in my defence he did tell me that it was a one week deal then we would go our separate ways... Only now that's not working for me...

After becoming war-games champion, Udo Berger and his girlfriend, Ingebor go to the Costa Brava where they meet Charly and Hanna. Then Charly disappears without a trace. As everything slips beyond his grasp, Udo attempts to re-assert himself by engaging in a days-long match of his favourite war game, Third Reich.

Short Story. Not for children. The second in a collection called Vampire Morsels about different vampires from the Amaranthine universe. A child vampire in 1831. Not allowed to play with the slave children, Alexander, is in for a lonely evening that turns even lonelier as he struggles to come to terms with the concept of his own immortality.You can also find Alexander in Shades of GrayWhen Victor Frankenstein crafts his infamous creature in Mary Shelley’s masterpiece, he creates something that is a patchwork not only of men but of ideals, of emotions. Out of many, he is one. Indeed, this anthology you read now is something similar, though I do say quite a bit more pleasant to encounter than the fruit of Victor’s labors!What precisely does the word creature conjure in the imagination? Something frightening? Something unknown? The authors of the stories you are about to read had this question to consider and not one of them came up with exactly the same answer as another of their collaborators. The initial reaction to such a question might be to recoil, to think of something unsettling or scary. But then one must consider the creature itself. How does it react to its state of being? It’s surroundings? Does it enjoy killing men or does it loathe violence? Is it predator or prey? Do humans simply fear it or try to combat the creature themselves?It’s the reaction that makes the creature, not the state itself of being an outsider to mankind. You will read in these pages about various supposed monsters, and they all behave differently. The creatures in these stories are everything from horrifying killers to sympathetic lovers to misunderstood beings trying to fit into human society, each one with its creator’s personal stamp placed upon it. This anthology was born out of a desire to come together as authors, out of a sense of community, and the reader can certainly feel this as well. Despite the occasionally-gruesome or unsettling subject matter, this is a labor of love, we promise!The idea to create a compilation was posed by author B.C. Sirrom on the Paranormal and Horror Lovers group on Goodreads in May of 2012. The idea took off immediately, with eight writers contributing to the work and several others offering to help with editing and cover art. But what was to be the topic of such an anthology?After much deliberation, the topic of creatures was chosen, an emphasis placed on the unique and the cultural. The rules were simple: the story must be in the paranormal or horror genre and between five and ten thousand words. While mature content was allowed, it was not required, and contributors had to be willing to assist with editing. With the ground rules in place, the authors set out to craft their tales.This specific topic is one that not only fit the overall theme of the group itself, but also one that allowed the authors room to breathe, room to create and thus, room to craft a collection of well-fitted stories that will entertain, thrill and horrify.No matter what the word ‘creature’ initially brings to mind for you, the reader, that is only the beginning

Teenager Allie Collins is fighting to recover from a traumatic accident. When she finally steps out of the shadows and dates popular Shane tti, the school halls fill with harsh gossip and make life harder than ever.Seventeen-year-old Allie Collins would rather hide behind rumors than face the truth—her life will never be the same as it was before the accident. As a star athlete grieving in the shadows, she hopes to find normalcy in boys and basketball. When her best friend sets her up with the popular Shane Moretti, Allie drags her feet, reluctant for added complications. Then she decides that dating Shane would be the perfect shield from last summer’s tragedy. However, what starts as a mere distraction proves much more complex. As Shane leads Allie into questionable situations, gossip continues to swirl.Battling for her own identity while barricading painful emotions, Allie won’t escape her senior year without new wounds. After all, tragedy is no stranger to her. The events that unfold will draw readers deep into a well of emotion in Rumors, a Lingering Echoes Prequel.

A man, a woman, a car, and a camera on a sentimental journey through the past. He kills, he photographs, she writes about it -- or she dies, too. Detective Mercedes Barren has a reason to give chase: her niece was a victim. So does psychiatrist Martin Jeffers, a specialist in sex offenders and a more than passing acquaintance of the killer.

Considered by many to be Mahfouz's best novel, Midaq Alley centers around the residents of one of the hustling, teeming back alleys of Cairo. No other novel so vividly evokes the sights and sounds of the city. The universality and timelessness of this book cannot be denied.

Pence is the story of a small boy carved out of a potato with all the wrong proportions of courage and common sense, a big ego, and an even bigger mouth.This is the story of a small boy carved out of a potato with all the wrong proportions of courage and common sense, a big ego, and an even bigger mouth. With a rock for a brain, a pair of emerald earrings for his eyes, and a rare seed pressed into his chest that beats with a pulse, Pence awakens his first morning with grandiose ambitions but he is quickly brought down to earth by the old man who made him, who sternly tasks the boy with an impossible quest and then kicks him out of the garden with little more than a splinter for a sword and a penny for a shield.Pence does not appreciate having his life charted out for him, but a boy cannot outrun his own heart. Whether he likes it or not, Pence was made for a purpose: he is the gardener’s last hope.Pence makes me laugh. He is only five inches tall and wonderfully fragile, but he approaches the world outside the garden fearlessly and never backs down from danger. Half fairy tale, half fable, half comedy, half tragedy, Pence is a brief, bittersweet tale about growing old gracefully in a world that has passed you by, about selfless loyalty, courage in the face of certain death, and undying love.The structure of the book is somewhat odd: there are only a handful of characters, only a couple settings, and the whole story takes place over a few short days; yet within Pence's whirlwind adventure there is contained a hundred years history of The Hundred Kingdoms of Man, and his own small place in that long-unfolding epic may be more important than he could ever know.

Young newlyweds out to discover a new life in the sage desert of central Wyoming stumble upon uncharted territory within their relationship that is more beautiful and more hazardous than the rigorous terrain.In this short story, recently married twenty-year-old Zach and eighteen-year-old Allison, accompanied by their Brittany spaniel Gina, leave the comfort and security of their New England home in search of new opportunities in the far-off wilderness of central Wyoming.While camped in that wilderness they discover unexpected challenges within their relationship and in the unforgiving countryside that threaten both their marriage and their lives.This familiar theme of youthful idealism colliding with worldly realities and constraints is rendered in clear refreshing prose and placed in an original setting where the sage desert of Wyoming becomes a virtual character in the drama, complete with its demands and surprises.

Weekly summary of soap opera's hottest news, stories, humour, gossip, blind items, top stars/stories/couples/characters to watch, snark galore, review, and analysis.INSIDE — HAPPY GAY PRIDE SPECIAL STARRING GAY ICON NADIA BJORLIN — Exclusive Interview: Beautiful Bjorlin Joins THE GROVE; Life With Fary; What’s Up With Brandon Beemer; Her Post-DAYS Life (“I Would’ve Written Off Chloe, Too!); VENICE and More! Is Salem About to Become A Bopeless Place? It Looks Like Peter Reckell IS Leaving DAYS! Fearless Summer Predictions! Michael Easton Exiting GH After Explosive Sonny-McBain Showdown! Another Y&R Actor Out? Plus: Is Ted Shackelford Bolting Y&R for DALLAS? Cameron Mathison’s New Soap Job! Twat Blog: Was PORT CHARLES Alum Brian Presley Set Up? And Why Did The Media Take The Bait? Controversial Y&R Pairing: Paul and Emily?! Judith Light Wins a Tony! Last Week's Reviews, Unbelievable Blind Items, and Next Week's Cheat Sheet!

Seventeen year old Brianna Miller hears voices and suffers from a strange itch. That itch leads to the world changing color, and when the world changes color people around her show up dead. Now the question is whether Brianna is simply a danger to those around her or if she plays a role in a larger supernatural order.When war comes after a century of peace, it is sudden and brutal. Taken by surprise Earth's far-flung colonies are in danger. The only son of an admiral, Second Lieutenant Michael Sheridan finds himself thrust into a desperate conflict that he and the untried soldiers under his command are ready for. Focusing on the people struggling to survive the onslaught, First Strike is a novel that propels the reader to the furthest limits of space. Fighting a ruthless and determined enemy, Sheridan soon learns the brutal lessons of war and that his enemy may not be what it appears to be.

Dean is faced with the prospect of living alone, after a nasty divorce, only to find an unexpected roommate.NYC Midnight hosts an annual short story writing competition. I competed with over 1,400 writers in the first round of the 2015 writing challenge. Writers are placed random in heats and are given a genre, subject, and character assignment. They then have 8 days to write an original story no longer than 2,500 words. Heat 9, my heat, was assigned Ghost Story for the genre, Agoraphobia for the subject and Divorce Lawyer for the character. I came up with two stories that I liked, Liberty Meadow and Do Us Part. I submitted the former. For your reading pleasure here is the latter.Synopsis: Dean is faced with the prospect of living alone, after a nasty divorce, only to find an unexpected roommate.

Was there a time you got lost? Mary is lost in the city. Would she be able to get back?Sometimes nature preaches silent sermons. For Riley, it wasn’t so silent. Standing on the cliff edge of hopelessness, a dark tragedy stood behind him, pushing him forward, shouting his sins. But a small animal swam near him, its very behaviour mimicking his own. He had always used the platypus to justify his position, but had never seen it as explaining his actions.His knowledge of the animal was renowned, and to Riley, knowledge was god. There were others in his life though, who had a different God. Flaming creationists! He couldn’t stand their ignorance, but neither could he choose his family, so he tolerated it and tolerated them. Barely. If only they would respect his wisdom like his colleagues did.As a professor, Riley was esteemed. It was hard to turn that down, even when it turned him into someone he didn’t want to be, and took him to places he knew he shouldn’t go… like this cliff, where a dark past shouted insult, and a small animal whispered wisdom while swimming blind.

You can run but the shadow of The Bomb falls wherever you might go. For Jason and his fiancé Thelma, the bomb meant he never had to invade Japan and maybe die or at least be wounded. For Fred, the bomb means guilt and fear, wondering why it had to be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki as his wife Sally tries to help help him.You can run but the shadow of The Bomb falls wherever you might go. For Jason and his fiancé Thelma, the bomb meant he never had to invade Japan and maybe die or at least be wounded. For Fred, the bomb means guilt and fear, wondering why it had to be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki as his wife Sally tries to help him. For Soviet and East German scientists, trying to develop a sufficient weapon of mass destruction means involuntary servitude to a nation intent on catching America in an arms race. For a federal employee who worked where the first bomb was developed, life spirals into a search for an escape from nuclear annihilation.When Jason discovers that radioactive fallout from the tests conducted after the war may be responsible for his child's handicaps, he too looks for a safe haven, even if it's only a bomb shelter.Day of the Bomb is Book One of the Victory to Dystopia series. The series covers the 150 years of American history from 1945, when the United States took on the mantle of the number one world superpower, until 2095, when it has descended into a dystopia controlled by soulless private citizen messianic technocrats and governmental bureaucrats and the computers and drones they use to control a no longer free people.Book Two is The Human Factor.Book Three is You Will Be Like God.

When Vance, Ava, and Remi claimed an abandoned space station, they left many of their problems behind. But even with an entire station to themselves, they still have to learn with one another.Symbiotes is the second story in the Horizon Station series. You can read it on its own, but it will probably be more enjoyable when read along with the other stories in the series.In the distant future, humanity has spread across the stars, and now the majority of people live in space stations. Almost all habitable planets have been converted to agricultural purposes and the promise of liberation through space colonization has been forgotten. But even in a universe where people live like insects in hive-like space stations and trade conglomerates have replaced governments, there is hope.When Vance, Ava, and Remi claimed an abandoned space station, they left many of their problems behind. But even with an entire station to themselves, they still have to learn with one another.Symbiotes is the second story in the Horizon Station series. You can read it on its own, but it will probably be more enjoyable when read along with the other stories in the series.