Inner Fire (Sexy Non-Erotic Free Fantasy)

      Kaye Skellington
     Inner Fire (Sexy Non-Erotic Free Fantasy)

Areesal is on a quest for green fire! But what will the end result be for this shy elven lass who still pulls away from her own fiance and hides from her parents?It's 1518 and the Catholic Church is under attack from a man named Martin Luther while the Spanish Empire extends its bloodthirsty rule across the world against the wishes of arch-rival, Portugal. The Line of Demarcation divides the world between Portugal and Spain but no one knows on which side the fabulous Spice Isles lie; least of all the inhabitants of those islands. Only one man has the knowledge, experience, talent and determination to settle the question: Ferdinand Magellan, hated both in Spain and his native Portugal. Antonio Pigafetta, former ambassador of the Holy See to the royal court of imperial Spain, casts his lot with a captain set up to fail. Himself beset by religious conflict, Pigafetta has no idea what he is letting himself in for. Mutiny, murder, shipwreck, and wars of religion are only part of it but Pigafetta retains his humanity and loyally serves the Captain General to the end.

Read online

  • 531

    Dead on Arrival

      Crystal Lynn Hilbert
     Dead on Arrival

Max is dead. Cut himself shaving and now look at him. A ghost in his old apartment, Max is stuck haunting the new tenant, a girl named Charlie. And while Charlie can see him, well… she’s not the most cheerful of girls on the best of days, and she’s certainly not thrilled to be sharing her apartment with a maudlin Irish ghost. Life—or un-life, as the case may be—is about to become difficult.Max is dead. Cut himself shaving and look where it got him. A ghost in his old apartment, Max is now stuck haunting the new tenant, a girl named Charlie. And while Charlie can see him, well… she’s not the most cheerful of girls on the best of days, and she’s certainly not thrilled to be sharing her apartment with a maudlin Irish ghost. Life—or un-life, as the case may be—is about to become difficult.

Read online

  • 531

    Night Ride of the Sidhe

      Shana O'Quinn
     Night Ride of the Sidhe

The riding forth of the Sidhe, who meets a lone old man walking home one night. The Irish Celts knew them as the Sidhe--the Shining Ones. Padraic O'Connell experiences a night of joy, wonder, and paralyzing fear after meeting strangers in the dark forest. There are creatures more wild and less friendly than elves on the road at night. Was it all a dream?Legends tell us of the magical beings known as elves and of their rides on certain nights. The Irish Celts knew them as the Sidhe--the Shining Ones. Supernatural, capricious, and fearsome they are, but there are other things more terrible and less friendly out on the road at night, as old bard Padraic O'Connell finds out. He experiences a night of joy, wonder, and paralyzing fear after meeting strangers in the dark forest. Was it all a dream?This ties in with the Secret Ones volumes and the book Lady of the Sidhe. A part of the Ages of Telamon series.

Read online

  • 531

    The Warrior

      Paul Jackson
     The Warrior

The underground sanctuary has fallen, ravaged by famine and war.Our hero’s life is now an uncertain one. He could either stay and fight to the death or venture into the unknown. The Journey to the second city would be fraught with danger. Will his destination prove to be worse than his homeland or will his luck change?Join the desperate warrior as he takes on his perilous trek to find out.The underground sanctuary has fallen, ravaged by famine and war.Our hero’s life is now an uncertain one. He could either stay and fight to the death or venture into the unknown. The Journey to the second city would be fraught with danger. He would have to cross the wastelands, a baron plain filled with killer beasts with cunning traps.He has no way of knowing what fate had in store for him but he would rather take a chance than stay behind and end up feeding off the dead.Will his destination prove to be worse than his homeland or will his luck change?Join the desperate warrior as he takes on his perilous trek to find out.A short story that you will want to read again as soon as you have finished it.

Read online

  • 531

    The One Way Forward

      Wil Clayton
     The One Way Forward

A young prince Calum escapes his bed in the dead of night to meet with the illusive wanderer, known to the men of Calum’s kingdom as Roland the Ferocious, at a crossroads. And with that, Calum begins his journey west to the kingdom of Dunway where he seeks a new life. Only the forests stand between Calum and his new home, but how will the young Calum survive the trails he finds within.A young prince Calum escapes his bed in the dead of night to meet with the illusive wanderer, known to the men of Calum’s kingdom as Roland the Ferocious, at a crossroads. And with that, Calum begins his journey west to the kingdom of Dunway where he seeks a new life far from his father’s kingdom. Only the forests stand between Calum and his new home, the gruff, and hardened Roland, his only guide, but how will the young Calum handle himself when confronted by the beasts and trials he finds within.

Read online

  • 531

    To Defame, To Devour: The Prequel to a Time-Travel Adventure

      Lewis J Jones
     To Defame, To Devour: The Prequel to a Time-Travel Adventure

Through the dark, poisoned streets of London, a man carries with him a secret that will change the world forever.Its the truth behind the Evergreen family, the first people to have murdered in 100 years.With Travesty Abbey in his sights, where the halls echo with sins of the past, can Ardwick survive the night to tell the family's perilous tale?Discover the beginning of an epic time-travel adventure series in To Defame, To Devour!Their sins will shine forever more in the halls of Travesty Abbey...Through the dark, poisoned streets of London, a man carries with him a secret that will change the world. Ardwick is making his way to Travesty Abbey, to where the abandoned halls echo with sins of the past.Resting upon his shoulders is the secret of the most notorious family of murderers. It is a truth that no one will ever be able to believe, but one that must be told:The Evergreen family are the first people to have murdered in one hundred years.And they are innocent.But the Evergreen family have disappeared. Where have they gone … or more accurately … to when have they gone?To Defame, To Devour is the prequel to An Empire Of Dreams, the first book in a spellbinding time-travel adventure series.Exclusive offer: At the back of To Defame, To Devour you will find the opening chapters of An Empire Of Dreams. Start reading today and discover a spellbinding time-travel adventure!

Read online

  • 531

    Suicide Kings

      George R. R. Martin
     Suicide Kings

From the #1 "New York Times "bestseller, the third of a new generation of Wild Cards tales In 1946, an alien virus that rewrites human DNA was accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It killed ninety percent of those it infected. Nine percent survived to mutate into tragically deformed creatures. And one percent gained superpowers. The Wild Cards shared-universe series, created and edited since 1987 by "New York Times "#1 bestseller George R. R. Martin ("The American Tolkien"--"Time "magazine) along with Melinda Snodgrass, is the tale of the history of the world since then--and of the heroes among the one percent. Ranging from New York and New England to ravaged Africa and New Orleans, encompassing war, devastation, and stubborn hope, "Suicide Kings" advances the story of the Wild Cards, and their struggle to be fully human in a world that fears and mistrusts them.

Read online

  • 531

    Happy Hour in Hell

      Tad Williams
     Happy Hour in Hell

I’ve been told to go to Hell more times than I can count. But this time I’m actually going. My name’s Bobby Dollar, sometimes known as Doloriel, and of course, Hell isn’t a great place for someone like me - I’m an angel. They don’t like my kind down there, not even the slightly fallen variety. But they have my girlfriend, who happens to be a beautiful demon named Casimira, Countess of Cold Hands. Why does an angel have a demon girlfriend? Well, certainly not because it helps my career. She’s being held hostage by one of the nastiest, most powerful demons in all of the netherworld - Eligor, Grand Duke of Hell. He already hates me, and he’d like nothing better than to get his hands on me and rip my immortal soul right out of my borrowed but oh-so-mortal body. But wait, it gets better! Not only do I have to sneak into Hell, make my way across thousands of miles of terror and suffering to reach Pandemonium, capital of the fiery depths, but then I have to steal Caz right out from under Eligor’s burning eyes and smuggle her out again, past demon soldiers, hellhounds, and all the murderous creatures imprisoned there for eternity. And even if I somehow manage to escape Hell, I’m also being stalked by an undead psychopath named Smyler who’s been following me for weeks. Oh, and did I mention that he can’t be killed? So if I somehow survive Hell, elude the Grand Duke and all his hideous minions and make it back to the real world, I’ll still be the most hunted soul in Creation. But at least I’ll have Caz. Gotta have something to look forward to, right? So just pour me that damn drink, will you? I’ve got somewhere to go.

Read online

  • 531

    Poison

      Chris Wooding
     Poison

A brilliant, twisted, spirited anti-fairy tale from the amazing Chris Wooding Poison has always been a willful, contrary girl, prone to being argumentative and stubborn. So when her sister is snatched by the mean-spirited faeries, she seeks out the Phaerie Lord to get her back. But finding him isn't easy, and the quest leads Poison into a murderous world of intrigue, danger, and deadly storytelling. With only her wits and her friends to aid her, Poison must survive the attentions of the Phaerie Lord, rescue her sister, and thwart a plot that's beyond anything she (or the reader) can imagine. . . .

Read online

  • 531

    Secret Santa

      Sierra Dean
     Secret Santa

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The season for mistletoe, Christmas lights…and a killing spree. When Secret’s friend, Detective Mercedes Castilla, asks for help to solve a series of murders longer than a string of lights, Secret resigns herself to the fact her holidays will be anything but peaceful. It seems someone is killing New Yorkers in an unusually gruesome way, and as the bodies pile up faster than presents under the tree, the police are no closer to finding the killer than Secret is to finding the perfect present for one of her boyfriends, Lucas. Tracking down a monster in Manhattan the week before Christmas is almost as difficult as shopping for her ever-expanding collection of loved ones. When tragedy strikes close to home, Secret must do everything in her power to put an end to the horror in time for Santa to come down the chimney. Warning: Contains a less than merry McQueen with a sword and a reason to use it; a festive new use for mistletoe; and a promise that will haunt Secret like the Ghost of Christmas Future.

Read online

  • 530

    Ajax Penumbra 1969

      Robin Sloan
     Ajax Penumbra 1969

August 1969 San Francisco. Ajax Penumbra seeks a book--the single surviving copy of the Techne Tycheon, a mysterious volume that has brought and lost great fortune for anyone who has owned it. Late one night, after another day of dispiriting dead ends, he stumbles across a 24-hour bookstore, and the possibilities before him expand exponentially.

Read online

  • 530

    Soul Bonds: Book 1 Circles of Light series

      E.M. Sinclair
     Soul Bonds: Book 1 Circles of Light series

A young slave girl flees from the Lord who owns her, choosing to die in the mountains rather than become one of his 'pretties'. When that death seems all too likely, she is found by one of the Dragon Kindred and Tika's life takes a twist she could never have imagined in her wildest dreams - or her worst nightmares.There’s really no way to prepare…for something…like this…Step into the shrouded realm of mysteries – a place where ordinary people have extraordinary abilities, where dark shadows hide unspeakable evil and pure light veils unbelievable power…Tray and Ember Pateman are gypsies, living on their own, hiding in plain sight. They appear to be average high school siblings, but appearances can be deceiving. Gifted with supernatural abilities, they must learn to wield their epic powers before the approaching evil arrives.Join them as they face off against the wicked shadows. Unearth a clandestine culture. Discover the shrouded unknown. Begin to unravel the mysteries in Ember Rising Light, book one in the epic fantasy six novel It Begins...the Series.Will you dare…to brave…the dark?

Read online

  • 530

    Conjuring the Shroud

      Tim O'Leary
     Conjuring the Shroud

What's a bisexual teen to do when his fantasy world of elves and wizards keeps intruding on his first time with his boyfriend?In the real world, Adrian Ocampo is a high school junior with a Mohawk, an eyebrow ring, and a crew of nerdy friends. But when he and his buddies get together to play their favorite role-playing game, he is transported to the world of Kazala, a world of elves, wizards, and monsters, a world in which Adrian is a mighty elf warrior fighting for the good of the land.To add to the fun, Adrian recently started dating the handsome Jesse, one of the guys in his gaming circle. In the past, every attempt they’d made to be alone had been thwarted by overly present parents. But one day, after wrapping up the game, Jesse invites Adrian to his house and explains his mother will be away all night. Excited by the possibility of finally having sex with Jesse, Adrian’s mind catapults back and forth between the real world of Jesse’s kisses and the imagined world of Kazala, where he and Jesse must battle a terrible enemy.Conjuring the Shroud is presented as part of Brent Hartinger’s Real Story Safe Sex Project, whose mission is to encourage safe sex among gay and bi teens and twenty-somethings while also providing some entertaining reads.

Read online

  • 530