The Kingdom of the Lost Book 1

      Isobelle Carmody
     The Kingdom of the Lost Book 1

Winner of the 2011 CBC Book of the Year - Younger Readers. Now in paperback. The first book in The Kingdom of the Lost seriesWhen a devastating red wind sweeps across the land, brothers Bily and Zluty are forced to fight for their survival and journey into the perilous unknown. A magical new series for younger readers from the award-winning author of the Little Fur.

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    Exit West

      Mohsin Hamid
     Exit West

In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet—sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. They embark on a furtive love affair and are soon cloistered in a premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city. When it explodes, turning familiar streets into a patchwork of checkpoints and bomb blasts, they begin to hear whispers about doors—doors that can whisk people far away, if perilously and for a price. As the violence escalates, Nadia and Saeed decide that they no longer have a choice. Leaving their homeland and their old lives behind, they find a door and step through. Exit West follows these characters as they emerge into an alien and uncertain future, struggling to hold on to each other, to their past, to the very sense of who they are. Profoundly intimate and powerfully inventive, it tells an unforgettable story of love, loyalty, and courage that is both completely of our time and for all time.

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    The Replacement

      Brenna Yovanoff
     The Replacement

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world. Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

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    The Iron-Jawed Boy and the Siege of Sol

      Nikolas Lee
     The Iron-Jawed Boy and the Siege of Sol

"One pantheon desperate to keep power. Another desperate to seize it. Two teenage gods stuck in the middle."  Year 2302 On the Continent of Origin, deep in the deserts of the High Heat, rises one of the last remaining Citadels of the humans. Defiant and well-defended, it is known as Sol. And in this epic third installment of the Guardians of Illyria series, it will be the stage for one of the greatest conflicts yet waged between the oppressive forces of Illyria and the rebel human race. Now 14 years old, Ionikus Reaves, Thunder Lord of the Endari, is plagued by the darkness of his past and future. His powers grow stronger by the day, as do the doubts in his plans for revenge. But when the Endari scheme to forge an alliance with an unlikely foe—the humans of Sol—Ion must set aside his uncertainties. One misstep and his allies could become his enemies, his ultimate plan never come to fruition. Lady Lillian of Illyria has only recently settled into her new position amongst the pantheon she long feared and respected. But soon, she finds her elven blood a problem for the pureblooded gods of Illyria. On top of navigating their foreign customs, backstabbing, and searing whispers, she must also endure their wrath…and the dark secrets behind the fall of the previous pantheon.

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    Rebellion (Chronicles of Charanthe #1)

      Rachel Cotterill
     Rebellion (Chronicles of Charanthe #1)

When her dreams are smashed by an assignment which would leave her trapped in a job far beneath her abilities, Eleanor has nowhere to turn. The Imperial system prides itself on unassailable perfection. In desperation she rejects her assignment and the quality of life she would have been guaranteed - and finds her imagination captured by legends which tell of a secret society of elite assassins.Since every song tells a story, the entire world is about to learn about the sadness and pain behind rising R&B artist Mia King. Even being on the run from her past couldn't diminish the star she was meant to be. Mia learned the hard way that the family you were born into could be your greatest downfall, and that true die-hard fans are more than the people who buy your music and stand in line for your concerts... They can literally save your life and be the family you always wished you had.

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    No Place to Lay My Head

      E. A. Walker
     No Place to Lay My Head

A vampish romance, this is a short story with fangs! A gentleman from Eastern Europe is looking for a new home. In his search he discovers Juliet, a delicious young estate agent who finds him equally irresistible. There is just this one little obstacle to their mutual happiness...A fantasy "Short Story" about a gambling Seawardsman named Loudin, and the Lion Lord of Westland. These events happened a handful of years before The Wardstone Trilogy begins. You will find both characters in the #1 bestselling fantasy epic The Wardstone Trilogy, which starts with book one, The Sword and the Dragon. A Wardstone, "Flash Fiction" story called, The Blood of Coldfrost, is also included in this download.

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    Fall of Igneeria: The Half-ling

      Kaylee Soderburg
     Fall of Igneeria: The Half-ling

Four teenagers ban together to stop an evil force trying to reach Earth from another world. They face many challenges: demons, riddles and a destiny they know nothing about."Summer vacation’s supposed to be fun right? I wish I had a better answer to that question." Jazell’s different, along with her three friends Emily, Jason and Seth. They protect Starlings, New York from an unseen band of monsters that would wreak havoc if the four friends didn’t stop them. They do the same routine every day. But things are changing. Some powerful demon is rising in the world that these monsters are from. Now they must travel to a new world, meet new enemies, and realize their destiny. But what worries Jazell the most is: What if they can’t stop it?

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    The World's Next Plague

      Colten Steele
     The World's Next Plague

A cover-up hides a deadly plague which has been confined to the deep jungle for many years. A film crew of survivalists from the Archive Channel accidentally stumbles across a village of the undead and records some unbelievable findings. If they can avoid being infected themselves, the fate of an unsuspecting world may lie in their hands.A cover-up hides a deadly plague which has been confined to the deep jungle for many years. A film crew of survivalists from the Archive Channel accidentally stumbles across a village of the undead and records some unbelievable findings. If they can avoid being infected themselves, the fate of an unsuspecting world may lie in their hands.Is it more important to escape with their lives, or to bring this deadly infection back to civilization for a cure to be discovered?

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    Issue 16

      The Cross and the Cosmos, Jr
     Issue 16

In this ecxiting issue of the Cross and the Cosmos:Embers, Part IIIBy Johana RakkavTesaraBy Joel ParisiDaughter of Abundanceby Eric OrtlundDr. Felicity Hamilton-Smith desperately needs a change of scene so she signs up for a ten-day bike ride around Victoria. The last thing she expects is to run slap-bang into her former fiancé. For her, the past is over and best left behind, or so she thinks. The last time Dr. Drew Baxter saw Felicity was when he broke her heart when he left to serve in Afghanistan. Now, seeing her again, is breaking his.

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    Wizard of Ends Companion

      Vanessa Finaughty
     Wizard of Ends Companion

A companion to the Wizard of Ends fantasy adventure series - learn more about the characters and author, and read two free chapters of Wizard of Ends.This companion to the Wizard of Ends fantasy adventure series includes character interviews, a guest post written by the series’ main character, Lashlor Leaflin, insights into the series, its characters and the author, and the first chapter of Books 1 and 2.

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    The River In the Stars

      Cheyenne Lynnae
     The River In the Stars

After being attacked and kidnapped by her sister's widower, 17 year old Ellasis is rescued by the Elvin People. When she awakes she finds out isn't marked for death by the Nature Catchers, she is one.In book 4, Vagan river pirates, twins with exotic powers, a new prince with designs on Helsop--all work to keep Princess Electra at the top of her game if she hopes to save her home.In Book 1 (Princess Electra) Electra met her real parents, the King and Queen of Fernland for the first time. She chose not to live the life of a princess and chose instead to help a poor village survive.In Princess Electra Book 2 Out of Barburee, Electra finds her chosen life of simplicity threatened by the specter of the Great Khan's army. She is called back to play her role as Princess of Fernland, but how much will she be willing to give up to aid her countrymen? Electra's quick wit comes to the fore once again as kingdoms clash and alliances rise and fall.In Princess Electra Book 3 Gypsy Music, Electra is living alone at King's Lake, pursuing a career in medicine. The arrival of a Gypsy caravan and the invitation from Bataar to attend the Nomadic Games, bring a new round of travel and adventure.

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    Fiction Vortex - August 2013

      Fiction Vortex
     Fiction Vortex - August 2013

Fiction Vortex publishes science fiction and fantasy short stories for the discerning reader, if by "discerning" you mean someone who likes solid plots, great characters, and fascinating technologies and cultures. This issue includes all the short stories that appeared on FictionVortex.com during August 2013.the Last One offers the reader a hopeful and possible way forward to a better world. A world leader, a woman of extraordinary leadership skills, brings the nations of the world together. Moving them beyond fear and distrust she gains their cooperation, to commit to an act that changes everything.

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    Marriage & Prosperity

      Chris Hampton
     Marriage & Prosperity

How an enduring and faithful marriage led to great wealth. That's all I'll tell you. Click the blue below to see why. Here it suffices to say that the story is short and free. Why read a summary when with little more effort you can read the whole thing? If you can't spare a moment more, you shouldn't be wasting time reading fiction anyway. Go back to work!"One can not judge a book by its cover." So we are told. But a cover is usually the only thing a reader has to base a judgment on. Smashwords tries to aid readers by providing summaries, one short, one long, for each book it distributes. For non-fiction this works well. But this, it seems to me, defeats the whole purpose of fiction. After all, one reads a story to find out what will happen. It’s the uncommon twists and turns that make a story interesting. But if a summary has told all this beforehand, what fun is to be had in the reading? Therefore, no summary of the present short story is given. It's short and it’s free! So read the whole thing and see if you like it. I ask you to do this because I think it is the best book judging method. To find fiction you like you must first read around enough to learn something of the style and stories of different authors. Then you can judge books, not by their cover, but by the your opinion of the writer. I'd like to help you do this. The present short story is one of several which I will make available free at Smashwords. Read a few (or all of them) and decide if you like them. It won't cost you a dime. If you like them, you can then purchase some of my not free (but still inexpensive) longer stories. All these stories are of one particular kind. To reflect this similarity all have the same cover picture, the Kitty & Rose shown above. So after you’ve read a few, you can, in fact, judge them by their cover. The common theme of the Kitty & Rose stories is human sexuality. This is not unusual. Most fiction concerns sex in one way or another; ranging from romances so sedate and demure an extraterrestrial could never know sex is at the root of everything described, to erotica so unrestricted even an extraterrestrial might blush. Kitty & Rose stories are in the middle of this range. All deal with human sexuality, but none do so explicitly. Rather, they are seemly. The dictionary gives three meanings for seemly: Attractive or agreeably fashioned; Decorous or conventionally proper; and Appropriate or suited to its purpose. With respect to appropriateness, seemly sex stories range from the humorous to the inspirational, but all concern human sexuality. So they are clearly appropriate. These stories are also seemly in the decorous and conventionally proper sense. For, while they treat sex candidly, they do not do so graphically. There is nothing pornographic nor erotic in any seemly sex story. Of course, different persons’ opinions about this may differ. A few consider frank pornography decorous. At the opposite extreme are those like the abbot of the monastery where the great biologist Gregor Mendel did his epochal research. This abbot thought Mendel’s studies were decidedly indecorous because they involved the sex of pea plants! Finally, there is the principal sense of seemly, attractive and agreeably fashioned. Like every author I exert my every effort and ability trying to make these stories seemly in this regard. But like every author, I must await your determination of the degree of my success. Since both of us will be pleased if you find them attractively seemly, I very much hope you do.Happy reading!BobbyBP.S. This is the fifth Kitty & Rose short story, uploaded 2-21-2017.

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    Palace of the Damned

      Darren Shan
     Palace of the Damned

Before Madame Octa... Before the Cirque... Before Darren Shan... Larten Crepsley was a young man. After failing his mentor and killing the entire crew of a ship in a bout of revenge for the death of his assistant, Larten is bereft with guilt. He no longer has the drive to live the vampiric life, and hides out in Paris, masquerading as a human. There, he finds some happiness, even falling in love with a girl. But the darkness inside him is too great for humanity, and he is forced to make a choice: hide in the shadows of the human world, or take his place among the vampire clan and protect those weaker than himself. But enemies are waiting, traps are laid, and Larten's path is bound to be strewn with bodies. This is his story.

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