Lily takes her mother's big red umbrella and ends up blown into Candy country. She finds herself going on more adventures through a land of gingerbread, cakes and cookies until ending up enjoying the land of wholesome bread. Her adventures teach her to become a good housekeeper and enjoy sweet only at Christmas time.

**New Cover, Same Edition** Gemma thought her mind was gone, but she was wrong. And now she is left trying to figure out the truth to what Stephan is planning to do with her and the star, before it's too late. But finding out the truth is hard, especially since Gemma doesn't know who she can trust. There may be only one person who Gemma can turn to for answers, but that means having to go to the one place no one wants to go-The Underworld.

Few of us ever see our shoulder-devils, those personifications of our own evil side, and those who do are generally hallucinating. But Sir Differel Van Helsing has to be different.... This is a short story.According to long-standing folk tradition, we all have shoulder angels and devils; personifications of our own good and evil sides. They "appear" whenever we face a moral dilemma and offer advice on how to resolve it; we then choose which advice to take. This trope has classically been used in theatre as a means to portray a character's inner dialog to the audience without engaging in a monologue. Nowadays it mostly serves as a form of parody or comic-relief, though even then its allegorical nature is instantly recognizable. Even so, the trope still appears in serious works, such as The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, wherein the classical roles are reinterpreted in the forms of the Tempter and the Guardian Angel. Even so, for the vast majority of people this trope remains metaphorical. After all, no one ever actually sees these personifications.In the world of Sir Differel Van Helsing, however, the allegorical battle between Good and Evil takes on a more personal and concrete form. Furthermore, she has many enemies who wish to destroy her, or corrupt her and turn her to their cause. It therefore should be no surprise that one would impersonate this trope and actually appear to her in person.

Orphaned siblings witness a conspiracy between big business and the demon nation that promises to rid the earth of humans. When they try to expose the plan to a disbelieving world, they becomes targets of a demon death squad. READ WITH CAUTION!An orphaned sibling trio is taken in by a Virginia family and their lives may finally be normal again. They become trapped deep within a cave and witness a conspiracy between big business and the demon nation that promises to rid the world of humans. When telepathic teen, Kelly Bishop, tries to expose the plan to a disbelieving world, she and her family and friends are hunted by a demon death squad. The good news? The kids made a video of the entire event. The bad news? The video may be lost in the demon-infested caves, and nobody believes their story. The Demon Conspiracy is the origin of a multi-book series of apocalyptic thriller novels. If you like nightmares, conspiratorial thinking, deep mystery and unforgettable characters who are forced to the frontlines of a terrible struggle, then you’ll love R. L. Gemmill’s brilliantly visual look at the doom of modern civilization. Face the terror TODAY! READ WITH CAUTION!

Salunas Tac always wanted to do something more. To be something more. When Gaiana, the Druid Mother, visits Aazronia for her Reconcilement blessing, she regales him with tales of the Gift Giver. Inspired to do something for the families of Aazronia, Salunas takes on the mantle of Gift Giver, using his Coercer powers to help spread joy throughout the landBrought to you free. Your opinion matters. Please leave a rating for others to enjoy.Salunas Tac always wanted to do something more. To be something more. When Gaiana, the Druid Mother, visits Aazronia for her Reconcilement blessing, she regales him with tales of the Gift Giver. Inspired to do something for the families of Aazronia, Salunas takes on the mantle of Gift Giver, using his Coercer powers to help spread joy throughout the land.On Whetu, a powerful Abomination has arrived through the Great Portal. Flying to the Druid village under the cover of darkness, it attacks, taking two children and infecting others. When Magistrate Marcus appears on Whetu, with information about the powerful Abomination that is lurking there, he must convince the Druids to take deadly action. On the eve of Reconcilement, this is one thing they refuse to do. Seeking out the help of the Earth Mother, and friends they have gathered along the way, they strive to bring about a resolution that will save humanity.

Rick never understood why his gorgeous wife Marilyn agreed to marry him. She’s a 10 to his generous 5.25. Now she’s caught up in a racket with a shady dermatologist and his non-FDA approved skin care treatments, and Rick's life is beginning to resemble the plot of a zombie movie. Drool? Yes. Shambling bodies? Sure thing. Hungry for Brains? Ur, unfortunately. Beautiful skin? Wait, what?Rick never understood why his gorgeous wife Marilyn agreed to marry him. She’s a 10 to his generous 5 and a quarter. But now that she’s caught up in a racket with a shady dermatologist and his non-FDA approved skin care treatments, Rick’s life is beginning to resemble the plot of a zombie movie. Drool? Yes. Shambling bodies? Sure thing. Hungry for Brains? Ur, unfortunately. Beautiful skin? Wait, what? Now Rick must uncover the truth about this preternatural beauty procedure, or his wife will become the latest corpse with skin to die for.

Blanchard has been tramping all up and down this valley with a rucksack and a camera on his back for as long as he can remember. And yet there is something, someone else out there. After exactly two short glimpses and a few indistinct tracks in the mud, he’s determined to get the shot of a lifetime. A short fantasy story.A short collection of stories set in 1980's Berlin before the wall came down. Quirky, funny, thought provoking by turns, Ewan Alexander Lawrie's book tells how it might well have been, without falling foul of libel laws.

When you're the wrong guy, you're the wrong guy. Pete Mersill is not a hero. A grocery store clerk with a horrible marriage, a fantastic daughter, and no future, he's barely a man. But when visions of creatures taking over the world, using the president as a puppet, start plaguing him, he must take action. But when he shoots the wrong president, he must survive the horrible new world.When you're the wrong guy, you're the wrong guy.Pete Mersill is not a hero. A grocery store clerk with a horrible marriage, a fantastic daughter, and no future, he's barely a man. But when visions of creatures taking over the world, using the president as a puppet, start plaguing him, he must take action. But when he shoots the wrong president, he must survive the horrible new world.

"Beauty will be convulsive...." It's 1941. In the chaos of wartime Marseille, American engineer - and occult disciple - Jack Parsons stumbles onto a clandestine anti-Nazi group, including surrealist theorist André Breton. In the strange games of the dissident diplomats, exiled revolutionaries, and avant-garde artists, Parsons finds and channels hope. But what he unwittingly unleashes is the power of dreams and nightmares, changing the war and the world forever. It's 1950. A lone surrealist fighter, Thibaut, walks a new, hallucinogenic Paris, where Nazis and the Resistance are trapped in unending conflict, and the streets are stalked by living images and texts - and by the forces of hell. To escape the city, he must join forces with Sam, an American photographer intent on recording the ruins, and make common cause with a powerful, enigmatic figure of chance and rebellion: the exquisite corpse. But Sam is being hunted. And new secrets will emerge that will test all their loyalties - to each other, to Paris old and new, and to reality itself.

The morbidly monotonous Dullsville has finally become the most exciting place on earth now that Raven is madly in love with her hot vampire boyfriend Alexander, and a crew of vampires has taken residence in Dullsville's old mill. Raven discovers Jagger's plan to open a new club, The Crypt, right here in Dullsville. But is it her dream come true, or her worst nightmare? Raven and Alexander have to figure out what the nefarious vampire has in store for Dullsville's teen and vampire population. Can Raven convince Jagger to listen to her plans to make the Crypt the morbidly magnificent dance club it could be? Will it be safe for mortals and vampires alike? And as Sebastian and Luna's relationship heats up, Raven wonders about her own amorous fate: Will Alexander ever turn her? Does he crave her and does he want to spend eternity together? And what does she really want? With cryptic secrets and cravings, this eighth installment in the Vampire Kisses series is a romantic and mysterious thrill ride.

Past and present collide in richly mysterious Egypt, where recently divorced Anna Coburn is retracing a journey her great grandmother Louisa made in the 19th century. Cruising down the Nile from Luxor to the Valley of the Kings, Anna carries with her two mementos: an ancient Egyptian scent bottle, and the diary of that original Nile voyage, which has lain unread for a hundred years. As she follows Louisa's footsteps, Anna discovers both the chilling secret of the bottle and the terrifying specters that pursued her great grandmother.

Lilly Mason has had a rough life. And an even rougher relationship with her fiancé, Talbott Angelo. She has felt hopelessness in hopeless situations and despair when the world seemed to crumble around her. But one person has been her rock through it all, the love of her Immortal life, Talbott. Their relationship has been through as many ups and downs as Lilly’s safety. There was a time when Lilly was certain they could never have a future. And then, when a future together became possible, there were too many other reasons for Lilly to put off the man who wanted to marry her. Talbott wants to finally give Lilly the wedding she deserves. And Lilly just wants to say “I do” to the man she has loved since she was a teenager. When outside forces threaten to rip these two Immortal soul-mates apart once again, Talbott and Lilly will do whatever it takes to make their union permanent. They will sacrifice whatever they need to in order to turn their fateful love into something that lasts as long as they will.

The fields at Chickamauga, Georgia--America's oldest national military park--claimed 35,000 casualties during the Civil War. Any good guide will tell you that the grounds are haunted. The battlefield even has its own resident haunt, called Old Green Eyes for his tell-tale luminous gaze. It has long been said that Old Green Eyes intends no harm to those who respect the park. He is no menace, but a guardian of the dead. While he walks, the dead may sleep secure in the knowledge that their rest will be undisturbed. While Old Green Eyes patrols the battlefield, there is nothing to fear, for graves are not robbed and bones are not moved.But suddenly a different phenomenon starts puzzling and frightening visitors, causing tours to be canceled and rangers to quit their jobs. These new ghosts are no illusions carved out of the low-rolling fog. One by one, the solemn-faced spirits in ragged uniforms show themselves, and one by one, they point a determined arm off into the distance. Why do the soldiers march again, and what has become of their unblinking custodian? The spirits need a go-between, someone who can speak to them, and for them.Eden Moore is not interested.But the ghosts aren't taking no for an answer.

STORY LINE: IT IS THE STORY OF THAT LIVING MAGICAL BOOK WHICH HAS THE ANSWER OF THE EVERY EVIL SECRET OF THE UNIVERSE.THERE IS AN INDICATION OF FOUR FIERY SUPERNATURAL BALLS WHICH DECIDE THE FATE OF ALL WORLDS.IF THIS BOOK FALLS IN WRONG HAND,THEN THE VERY DESIGN OF THE UNIVERSE WILL BE CHANGED. GIANTS, MONSTERS, DEMONS, WITCHES, AND ALL THE EVIL AGENTS MAKE DAY AND NIGHT ONE IN ITS SEARCH. BUT THTHE FIRST MEETING Today’s foggy wintry night is magnificently mysterious. The night seems as a sparkling spell of a fairy. The faint silvery light of the new moon has added a magical thrill. It is so charming, so exciting, and so adventurous, that it is beyond expression…The little neglected orphanage is surrounded by jungle and now it is in deep slumber. Suddenly Ray wakes up in cold perspiration.Oh! The same vision! His heart is beating fiercely fast.

How does a virgin lady let her steady date know she has determined to marry him? 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!BobbyB P.S. This story is being uploaded on 2-14-2017, Valentine's Day! Fourteen more short stories will be uploaded, one each weekday. Then four longer stories will be offered for sale.