Inasmuch as it was by your command, illustrious and exalted lady, that I have gathered together these stories to form the present little book, you should the less readily suppose I have presumed to dedicate to your Serenity this trivial offering because of my esteeming it to be not undeserving of your acceptance. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Rebecca Harding is an ordinary teenager whose DNA hides an extraordinary secret. A routine blood test after an accident turns her peaceful and rather mundane life upside-down, as she is forced to come to terms with being the world’s newest and most reluctant vampire.Rebecca Harding is an ordinary teenager whose DNA hides an extraordinary secret. A routine blood test after an accident turns her peaceful and rather mundane life upside-down, as she becomes the focus of three powerful brothers with exceptional skills and an age-old secret. As she begins to come to terms with her life as the world’s newest and most reluctant vampire, she is abducted, and must embrace her new powers if she has any hope of escape.

AMBITION is a short story prequel to PERCEPTION, capturing the beginning of Noah and Zoe’s story from Noah’s POV.5k = approximately 20 pagesAMBITION is a short story (5k) prequel to PERCEPTION, capturing the beginning of Noah and Zoe’s story from Noah’s POV.Eighteen year old Noah Brody doesn’t like GAPs—Genetically Altered Persons. He’s taken up his dead father’s cause, speaking out and protesting against unfair GAP policies that are responsible for the massive social divide between wealthy GAPs and poorer naturals.If only he could keep his mind off of perfect Zoe Vanderveen, daughter of the GAP family his mother works for. And can he really fill his father’s shoes?Keywords: dystopian, science fiction, apocalyptic, genetic engineering, robots, artificial intelligence, family issues, social divides, rich and poor, beautiful people, wealth, power, corruption, teen love, forbidden love, free, free book

When Thetra’s parents are assassinated by unknown murderers, it leaves him eager for revenge. He sets out with his brother Arek to hunt down the killers. They find them in the city’s restaurant, acting as normal citizens of Toage, but they attack them with their weapons. Arek has a bucket of paint poured on him, and Thetra must save his brother's life.There is only one dragon that can save Thetra.There is only one army Thetra must protect.Everyone else is his enemy.When Thetra’s parents are assassinated by unknown murderers, it leaves him eager for revenge. He sets out with his brother Arek to hunt down the killers. They find them in the city’s restaurant, acting as normal citizens of Toage, but they attack them with their weapons. Arek has a bucket of paint poured on him, and Thetra must save his brother's life. He has never saved a man’s life before, and he does not know what to do.

When Astria, a distant planet makes it's way into earth's course and collides, nobody is ready. A young girl, Natalia Earhart, must pursue a cult of humans looking to to start a war before it is too late.Earth: 2214. Our population consists of 20.407 billion people. As we advanced further and further to what we called perfection, our ignorance clouded our judgement. We had become our own so-called “Masters” of travel and even living in space. We knew we were alone, and everyone convinced that we were nearing perfection. That took only a single moment to prove everyone wrong.They called it a spacequake. A rip in space sent our life as we know it into a whirlwind in panic. Why?Because it sent an entire planet crashing into ours.We survived somehow. Not ever expecting anything like this to happen, everyone panicked. Nobody, not even what was left of governments could qualm the storm of fear, until we met the Astrians.Astrians. Brute soldiers that had wings of angels. We were defenseless and unprepared, but they chose peace over war. Not taking long before diplomatic bridges were signed, our people build a bridge that connected our two planets. So Astrian and Human could live together in harmony.But this was old news to me, Because I've been sheltering one for years. My name is Natalia Earhart. This is the story of how Heaven and Hades collide, and earth is it’s battlefield.

When Erin adopts the Last Inn, she little realizes that she has to worry about more than just keeping the old wreck of an inn afloat.Erin Smith just wanted to get out of town, and raising money through the Last Inn seemed like a good first step. Problem is, the place is falling apart and the only person who's willing to help her is a stranger from out of town. Kota is helpful enough, but between his curse, a town full of secrets, and some very strange guests, the Last Inn may be more trouble than it's worth.

It has been almost a month since Luia was destroyed, and Jacob leads his remaining people into the land known as Aelia - potentially bringing the wrath of the Order Lords upon them by breaking the ancient law. While Jacob continues to come to terms with his new role as Commander and an unexpected infatuation, Teanne finds herself suddenly walking in someone else’s shoes.The ad in the Chicago Daily News read,"Needed: Personal AssistantMust have basic military training, good manners, know how to read and write. Interviews held between 14:00 and 16:00 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 60620 Dresden Drive 7. Floor 2, Apartment 9. Only apply if your last name is 'Smith.' No exceptions."But what Adam Smith gets is more than just a job interview. In a weird combination of luck, chance and circumstance, he ends up on an adventure spanning multiple centuries and countless galaxies, all thanks to a woman who changes his life forever. For better or worse, only time can tell ...This is a FAN-MADE story inspired by the SHERLOCK HOLMES, DOCTOR WHO and STAR WARS franchises. It is INTENDED TO CELEBRATE these franchises and is in no way affiliated with the copyright holders or the official works.

Growing up in a small corner of paradise, a young couple don't realize what they have until they are forced to leave it all behind. Another Wolfcaller Chronicles short story.Long ago, during the Great War that devastated two worlds, a peaceful race took in a group of refugees, asking very little in return; their help, their labor, and their children.The war is over but the descendants of those original refugees still live among their original caretakers, their needs still met in exchange for the same favors. But not everyone is willing to pay the price of their ancestors.

In a small country town an ancient evil is rising...Concealed, hidden in plain sight for millenia this dark force is feeding its way through the town's population, making puppets of them. For years it has been growing, biding its time, and now, it's almost ready....In the tradition of Stephen King's classic 'Salem's Lot, newcomer Paul Andrew Taylor crafts a tale of a small Australian town overcome by a dark and creeping horror.The Shadows are Coming...In the country town of Casino, a young mother hangs clothing on the old hills hoist while her toddler son plays on the lawn beside her. The sun shines brightly, painting shadows across the back yard. When her son's happy gibberish suddenly breaks off into choked gasps, his mother spins around to find him wrapped in her shadow, choked and grey and gasping for breath. The Shadows are Coming....A man sits in a park by the river, quietly feeding pigeons, shadows pooling beneath the bench. He drops some dry bread crumbs by his feet and a bold pigeon struts over to investigate. The man's shadow snaps out and drops over the pigeon like a blanket, devouring it in a puff of feathers and dust.The Shadows are Coming...When Ben Reilly returns to his home town of Casino, soured on city life after a bad break-up, he's hoping for little more than the comfort of things known and familiar and a place to clear his head. Instead, he finds a town full of strange, hungry people with jet black eyes and shadows that tug at their heels like hungry dogs.And like dogs, they need to feed...Searching the internet for answers, Ben draws the attention of a mysterious stranger with no shadow who claims to be impervious to the effects of the shadows. Known only as Shade, the stranger will lead Ben into the heart of darkness in a centuries old battle against these sinister Shadoweaters, people who are little more than appendages to the living shadows that have infected them.

Wings in the Night collects Robert E. Howard's fiction and prose published in Weird Tales Magazine from July 1932 to May 1933. These works represent literary stepping-stones to Howard's infamous Cthulhu mythos stories and his most famous character of all -- Conan the Cimmerian -- and ably demonstrate that each of Howard's stories improved and added to his formidable skills as a master of fantasy and adventure.

C. J. Cherryh's upcoming new science fiction novel Hammerfall (Avon Eos, 7/01), is the perfect opportunity to revisit this author's strong backlist, including the latest book, Devil to the Belt (Warner, 12/00). Ranging from Earth to the asteroids and beyond, the acclaimed novels first published as Heavy Time and Hellburner are knife-edged thrillers of deadly intrigue in an era of dangerous transition. In the future world of the Merchanters and the Alliance, emerging new forces, including the Union and the Fleet, are challenging the strangle-holds of global governments and world-spanning corporate cartels. But it will be ordinary people -- the innocent and the unlucky -- who are trapped in the turmoil when interstellar powers collide.

Gloriana St. Claire-curvy, stylish, and undead-is spending New Year's Eve alone. And it's all because her boyfriend, Jeremy Blade, is traipsing off to parts unknown to rescue his supposed daughter from the clutches of "dangerous radicals. " But just as Glory settles in for the evening, a phone call from the bodyguard of a drunk, newly-undead rock star could end her year on a crazy note.

Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper, and his friends are led into a mortal struggle with Arawn and his deathless warriors. Taran must wrest the black cauldron from them, for it is the cauldron that gives them their evil strength. But can he withstand the three enchantresses, who are determined to turn him and his companions into toads? Taran has not foreseen the awful price he will have to pay in his defence of Prydain...

Starting school is supposed to be a fun and exciting time for any new student. But for Lark, a skilled archer and fledgling mind-reader, it’s a creative form of torture. Bombarded by the thoughts and feelings of his peers, Lark is a prisoner. What Lark fails to realize is the value of his rare ability, and just how far some are willing to go to have control of him.“Sparks is an impressive first work from a new writer.” ~Stormrune, Amazon Reader“Lark is a sweet, good, caring, loving guy… I fell instantly in love with him.” ~Book Boyfriends“Enchanting to the last page turned, it’s a veritable feast for the imagination as McCoy blends the boundaries of her imaginary world.” ~Book Viral“I find that it has more twists and turns than a weasel in a rock slide.” ~B. Blair, Amazon Reader“This is a really solid, tight fantasy. The "sparks" are interesting, varied, and really well thought out.” ~MichaelSciFan“RS McCoy is not afraid of doing things in her book that I've seen some authors struggle with.” ~BookChick“Everyone in the world has a Spark, a light inside that guides them, keeps them alive.” Starting school is supposed to be a fun and exciting time for any new student. But for Lark, a skilled archer and fledgling mind-reader, it’s a creative form of torture. Locked in rooms and hallways with both friends and enemies, bombarded by the thoughts and feelings of his peers, Lark is a prisoner. On a quest to master his Spark, Lark’s mentor–his one ally–is anything but helpful. What Lark fails to realize is the value of his rare ability, and just how far some are willing to go to have control of him. Now including Chapter One of Spirits.Genre: Paranormal FantasyLength: Novel, 301 pagesSeries: Book One of Three in Sparks Saga

*(Caution: If you are prone to nightmares do not select this title)* - MATURE CONTENT - Desperate to clear his client, an attorney solicits the supernatural talents of a spiritualist in order to gain access to a deceased witness, but in the process, pays an unusual price.In a desperate attempt to get his client acquitted of a murder charge, a practical, no nonsense, skeptical attorney is forced to consider using supposed supernatural means to resurrect the only witness to the crime to get the corpse's testimony. The means by which this feat is to be accomplished is as bizarre as the price for said service.