These are a loose collection of short stories and poems I've written [and by short stories, I really mean vignettes]. Most of these, especially the poems, were originally posted to my blog at wessf.tumblr.com. This just seemed like a great way to combine them all into one THING — plus it's given me something to offer for free on smashwords.com [more to come, I'm sure].Sometimes destiny can no longer wait ….Annie Carter is new to the future. Born 400 years in the past, she was cryogenically frozen after a serious illness, only to wake up to a new world.One that has a plan for her.Annie is not normal. She has an ability – one that could condemn the very universe.People will kill to get to her.There is one man who can keep her safe. But to get to him, she must battle her way through assassins, armies, and friends.The stakes could not be higher, for they are everything.….Betrothed is a five-part sci fi series. It is complete, and all five episodes are currently available. A space opera packed with adventure, action, and romance, it is sure to please fans of Odette C. Bell’s A Plain Jane and The Betwixt.

A selection of short stories by Michael Bryson, showcasing the author's disparate reach and contemporary voice.After reading a newspaper article about his viciously murdered neighbor, Businessman Carter Lowe becomes inexplicably paranoid that something similar could happen to him or his wife, Tracy. After seeing a masked man armed with a knife frequently across town, he comes face to face with his worst nightmare, and it too, is in a mask.

Private Peaceful An Elephant in the Garden Shadow

After literally dodging a bullet and thwarting an attempted robbery, lovable loser Jim Bailey is thrust into the spotlight as a bona fide hero, a Messiah, a Real Life Neo of sorts. He's invited to appear on a morning talk show, and after making a complete ass of himself on national television, is given a choice: cash in on his celebrity or retreat into full on exile.Jim Bailey hates the spotlight. He hates it. Yet somehow, he always winds up in it. Dodger is his story, the story of a man in love with being in love, in love with being drunk, and in love with the idea of dodging responsibility and real life until the world ends completely. Along for the ride are the object of his affection, Kara, and Paige, the reporter who just won't let sleeping dogs lie and will stop at nothing to get Jim to spill his guts about everything. And so begins the tale of the Dodger...

This is a very short story (less than 900 words), but it has been lovingly crafted.Fans of "The Lottery" and "The Lady or the Tiger" might enjoy this work.This is the story of the night watchman of the Tangi Bridge.Comprehensive lesson plans are also available.A longer short story, "The Executioner", is scheduled for May 2013.Thanks for reading!'Greywolf', volume eleven in the Stanton Chronicles series of novels.The Millennium war games amid 'Circles of Fear', the government and media covered up the fact blues guitar player Jason Brinkly fought the battle of Armageddon, but with the hand of whom on his shoulder? Governments and commercial entities withdraw to their own circles driven by fear as the awesome weapon ADAM resurfaces in the hands of Greywolf, but had it ever slept. They regrouped ready to strike, they waited a long time for the ageing vigilante to wane, they would soon beg for his return. The stock market crashed, as the rich ran for cover they left the poor to put the bill, the rich for no other reasons than wealth rather than purpose, were hunted down. Greywolf unlike Stanton was not confined by matters of state, but by matters of servitude. He lived by the gun, the gun of his father; he served the righteous, in the name of his mother. Greywolf began to stalk the corridors of power. Educated by the sword of the cross, armed with the power of technology, authoritative information far beyond the gun, loyal to none but servant to all, even Stanton struggled to understand his creation. His mother 'Bella Elizabeth', a ruthless assassin was horrified. Grey by the wisdom of his father's hair, wolf by the virtue of his mother, 'Greywolf' became the law.

When Edie and Dylan first see each other in photography class, an instant attraction draws them together. But true love never does run smoothly—the two spar as much as they can’t keep their hands off each other. Then comes the college trip to Paris: Edie’s willpower will be tested to the limit! In between furious arguments and trips to the Louvre, the two share some passionate moments—but will it last?

Why doesn’t eight-year-old Brett’s mother understand? All she wants is a pet. Since the family first moved to Texas a few months earlier, the girl has seen nary an alligator...either from her perch, high in the SUV motoring around the Urbs or the sub-urbs, or out the back or front doors at home. Why can’t her mother just get over what happened in coastal Florida to her three precious pups?If Brett has to believe in magic to get a pet companion - or two - she will. Of course she’d rather do it the normal way: by asking. Which of course she’s tried. Over and over again. And continually failed. But she always comes back to try again. Like today. Already scanned the area for alligators, too, and is relieved to report none. Now, if only Mom will cooperate.So far the woman’s first brunch martini has slid down without resistance, so Brett knows after one or two more, her mother may very well be in a cheery enough mood to agree. To something, even if it’s just another ant farm.The house keeper is always talking about ants made of fire, but she told Brett they don’t seem to have any in their yard. She’s also told the girl about Texas scorpions, and best thing about both of those pets? They’d be free.

12 Short Stories by the Tunbridge Wells Writers (Draft Copy)At age fourteen Femi Akindele, an orphaned street-boy from the Makoko slum in Lagos decided to call himself Pastor Gabriel Joshua. Unqualified and self-taught and now in his mid-forties Gabriel has become a highly acclaimed international speaker on African affairs, economics, terrorism, corruption, fraud and the widespread poverty and economic migration that results. But Gabriel soon discovers that popularity never guarantees solutions or support for change. Together with his loyal, boyhood friend Tunde Oyedepo who, aged thirteen, became Solomon, Gabriel’s long ambition has been to create an alternative society funded by private donations and profits from their own company, Solomon Trading. But the area he has chosen for his economic experiment lies on the poverty ridden but dangerous northern borders of Nigeria and, if he is to achieve anything and attract investment, it’ll need defending from the ongoing terrorism that still plagues the area. With the US, UK and other Western powers still unwilling to help, Gabriel again decides to do it himself with a small, private army run by an ex British SAS soldier. But then Gabriel receives notice of an international arrest warrant falsely alleging fraud, corruption and money-laundering by Solomon Trading in connection with a big Nigerian government contract. This is followed by the murder of Solomon Trading’s London-based manager. In an attempt to understand what is going on and who is behind it, they employ the services of London-based international commercial crime investigators Asher & Asher. What Mark Dobson from A & A uncovers is a mixture of corporate politics – Russian and French – and a highly-organised group of wealthy and corrupt individuals already financing a terrorist operation (the COK) with one purpose in mind – the overthrow of the democratically elected Nigerian President and the establishment of a vast, new West African state. What stands in their way is the widespread popularity of Gabriel Joshua, the recently elected Nigerian President Hamed Massoud Azazi. and the newly appointed head of the Nigerian State Security Service, Colonel Martin Abisola. With the story covering events in London, Washington, Cairo and Nigeria, “An Honourable Fake” is a powerful follow-up novel to Terry Morgan’s “The Malthus Pandemic” and the second in the Asher & Asher series.

Sheep Farm expands on Christ’s analogy of people as sheep in His parables. Bennie is a curious little sheep who is more than a sheep because he thinks for himself. Join Bennie as he ventures out into the greater world beyond the farm and meets new friends that may just be the key to the farm’s survival. Discover the strength and hope for the future we all can find when we engage our minds.“Let the little children come to Me.” Matthew 19:14“I am sending you out as sheep among the wolves.” Matthew 10:16For as long as any of the animals could remember the old farmer had run the farm and controlled their lives. They had little choice and for the most part did not care. The wolves in the woods were kept at bay, and no sheep were lost because of them. Only the old sheep remembered the threat of the wolves. Bennie did not fear the wolves. He always watched out for them and would quickly return to the farm if he even thought they were nearby. Sheep Farm expands on Christ’s analogy of people as sheep in His parables. Patrick Rees draws inspiration from Animal Farm in this portrayal of Bennie, the curious little sheep who is more than a sheep because he thinks for himself. Bennie and his friends will face their biggest struggle when their tranquil existence on the farm suddenly changes. Join Bennie as he ventures out into the greater world beyond the farm and meets new friends that may just be the key to the farm’s survival as it faces its greatest challenge, the wolves in the woods. Sheep Farm artfully shows how people can be more than sheep when they engage their mind. Follow Bennie in his wanderlust as he embraces the farm’s new experiences with freedom. Discover the strength we all can find and hope for the future in today’s children.

Randy was a senior in high school, and everything was going great, or so he thought. When he wished to read other people's thoughts, he got his wish. It was not as great as he thought it would be. He realized that everybody thought he was a jerk, or used him to get what they wanted, including his girlfriend, teammates, and teachers. His little sister thought that he hated her, and his parents were fed up with his attitude. Randy was suddenly seeing himself as everyone else did, and he didn't like who he was anymore. Could he change, after all this time? Read and find out.Andrew’s Mission is a Portallas short story that tells some of the back story about one of the main characters from the Portallas series of books. Andrew is a young Woodsman in training now living in the village of Morelle, which resides in the western part of Forestium. We first meet Andrew in Forestium: The Mirror Never Lies, which is book one in the Portallas series.In Forestium: The Mirror Never Lies, Andrew joins his best friend, Joshua, who decides to go on an epic journey to help find the truth about his long-lost Father. In Andrew’s Mission, we discover how close the relationship is between Andrew and Joshua, as Andrew attempts to help save his best friend’s life by going in search of something that could very well kill him.

Thirteen-year-old Sunny runs away from her current foster parent in search of her twin sister, from whom she was separated ten years earlier. On the way, she'll face a tornado, bullies, and a stray dog- and the fact that her sister may not be who Sunny hoped she would be.

The greatest gift is getting what you never thought you wanted. Mitch Magruder, rich, successful, wildly popular surfer and entrepreneur, is always on the lookout for the next big wave or the next great deal. So when he s home for the holidays, he jumps at the chance to build one of his famous hotels right on the white, sandy, Florida beach where he grew up. The only thing standing in his way is Greta Mason. Divorced with two children, Greta welcomes the struggle to make ends meet at the ramshackle beachfront motel her father left her. The motel means everything to her, and no amount of money or hot nights of persuasion offered by gorgeous, sexy Mitch is going to change her mind. No matter how much his touch unravels her defenses. For once, Mitch finds he s the one doing the chasing, and Greta s doing more than throwing a monkey wrench into his perfectly orchestrated world. She s making him think about things he s never considered before, things other than the pursuit of money. Things like settling down with the right woman. Now if only he can convince her he wants more than hot sex, moonlit nights, and her hotel "

Savage man, loner, warrior… I am dangerous at my core. I have lived amidst the untamed wild of the rainforest, in a society that reveres me and where every woman falls before me in subjugation. Now I’ve been discovered. Forced to return to a world that I have forgotten about and to a culture that is only vaguely familiar to my senses. Dr. Moira Reed is an anthropologist who has been hired to help me transition back into modern society. It’s her job to smooth away my rough edges… to teach me how to navigate properly through this new life of mine. She wants to tame me. She’ll never win. I am wild, free and raw, and the only thing I want from the beautiful Moira Reed is her submission. She wants it, I am certain. I will give it to her soon. Yes, very soon, I will become the teacher and she will become my student. And when I am finished showing her body pleasure like no other, she’ll know what it feels like to be claimed by an uncivilized man.