There’s a new Monarchy on the world stage, and it’s also one of the oldest.In a history where King Edward VIII never abdicated the throne, the British Royal Family turned out differently.King Alfred reigns.Frustrated by the lack of real power of the modern monarchy, the King seizes back the power once wielded by his ancient ancestors.But the world does not want to let him keep it...BREXIT’s got nothing on the British New Order! The Age of Kings is back with a vengeance.Alfred II, the good-hearted but iron-willed King of England, seizes the power once wielded by his ancient ancestors in a quest to reshape the world.But ruling a modern nation as absolute monarch has unforeseen perils.Prince Adrian, a wastrel accustomed to a life of ease and decadence, dislikes the responsibility of heir to the New Order, descending into depression.The ambitious Princess Frances envies Adrian’s birthright and plots to gain power herself.The King’s long-time friend, the traditionalist Archbishop Youngblood, turns against and seeks to destroy the Royal Family.Civil war looms as factions rise up, resurrecting a centuries-old conspiracy against the Monarchy.Worst of all, the US President takes issue with the renewed autocracy, threatening war against its former ally.Can one man stand against his family, his country, and the world?A truly modern thriller with a dramatic link to the past, bringing the intrigues, powerplays, and skullduggery of the Age of Kings into modern times!

"John Barron was once a top detective in the Los Angeles Police Department's elite 5-2 Squad. A deadly shootout with fellow officers changed his world forever. " "" "Taking a new identity, he fled the country he loved and as Nicholas Marten became a landscape architect in the north of England determined to put a life of violence behind him forever. Then suddenly he found himself in Spain ensnared in a massive global conspiracy where he saved the life of John Henry Harris, the president of the United States. Not long afterward the president came calling again. " "" Sent to the West African country of Equatorial Guinea to gain information on alleged collusion between a U.S. oil company and mercenaries hired to protect its workers, Marten is caught up in a bloody civil war between rebellious tribesmen and a merciless dictator. Soon he meets a priest who has clandestine photographs that show the mercenaries supplying arms to the rebels. In a blink the priest is captured by army troops and Marten flees for his life, determined to find the photographs and turn them over to the president before they are made public and ignite a global firestorm of protest and propaganda. But others are close on his heels. Among them; Conor White, a highly decorated former SAS commando turned elite killer; Sy Wirth, the arrogant president of the oil company; the alluring and dangerous oil company board member, Anne Tidrow; and, quietly, operatives of the CIA. Murder, suspense, and deceit shadow Marten every inch of the way as his harrowing journey takes him to Berlin, to the Portuguese Riviera, and finally to the always-mysterious Lisbon. At stake is the struggle for control of an ocean of oil, and with it the constantly shifting line between good and evil, love and hate, law and politics. Its cost, thousands of human lives. Its cause, a top secret agreement called "The Hadrian Memorandum."

A gifted boy faces the ultimate question of whether or not he can kill in order to save his loved ones.From #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author comes a heart-pounding adventure of love, loyalty, and survival.A gifted 7-year-old boy and his teen siblings are ripped from their peaceful lives—kidnapped by a sinister organization determined to get back at their father. But when their plane crashes an ocean away in the bear-infested jungles of South China, the mysterious motive behind their abduction is the least of their problems, and they must lever every ounce of their courage and wits to survive the wilds and escape the ruthless drug lord who is hot on their heels. Can a gifted child learn to kill in order to save his loved ones?An “international thriller with soul.” Ideal reading for fans of Michael Crichton, Clive Cussler, James Rollins, Brad Thor, Dan Brown, Matthew Reilly, Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, and Vince Flynn.Important Note: This 130-page novella features the characters and continuing story from the #1 Bestselling “Brainrush” Thriller series. It is a complete story unto itself, compiled from books four and five of the series, “Brainchild” and “Smoke & Mirrors.” If you’ve read those full-length novels, then you’ve already read most of the contents of this novella.

“Purple Carrots” is an all new "easy to read" poetry ebook with good rhyme schemes and cadence that was created by T. Sky Handring and Randolph Knight.“Purple Carrots” is an all new "easy to read" poetry ebook with good rhyme schemes and cadence that was created by T. Sky Handring and Randolph Knight. Other ebook publications by Randolph Knight and T. Sky Handring include: "Poetry Perfect", "Poetry Reveals", "T. Sky Handring Poetry", "Under Cover", "Wiggle Room", "Poetry From The Heart" and "Poetry 4U". These ebooks are available at your favorite ebook retailer.

Luane Devore's days are numbered. All her neighbors in the declining seaside resort town of Manduwoc want her dead. Some, like her young husband Ralph and his girlfriend Danny, want the thousands of dollars she keeps hidden under the mattress she spends her days resting on. Others want her to stop her malicious gossip--some of which could ruin lives. Told from multiple perspectives, The Kill-Off tells the story of a woman not long for this earth--but who will finally take matters into their own hands, and when? THE KILL-OFF was the basis of Maggie Greenwald's critically acclaimed film of the same name.

Sanders McGee is a man on the edge. When a lightning storm hits San Diego and his kids are threatened he pulls himself together. As Sanders tragically finds out, however, lightning doesn’t have feelings…or does it?With the death of Yoshika Funakoshi, Jamie Raleigh now lives his greatest fear . . . standing before the elders of the Funakoshi clan to petition for leadership. But telling his clan the truth about her death—that she was killed by a mutated wizard on an alien world—prompts a challenge against his leadership by an old rival. What is the leader of Adventure willing to do to keep the leadership of the Funakoshi within its founding family?This short story takes place after Gateway to Thera.

From the world’s number-one bestselling crime writer comes the extraordinary new Kay Scarpetta novel.  Massachusetts Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta has just returned from working one of the worst mass murders in U.S. history when she’s awakened at an early hour by Detective Pete Marino. A body, oddly draped in an unusual cloth, has just been discovered inside the sheltered gates of MIT and it’s suspected the identity is that of missing computer engineer Gail Shipton, last seen the night before at a trendy Cambridge bar. It appears she’s been murdered, mere weeks before the trial of her $100 million lawsuit against her former financial managers, and Scarpetta doubts it’s a coincidence. She also fears the case may have a connection with her computer genius niece, Lucy. At a glance there is no sign of what killed Gail Shipton, but she’s covered with a fine dust that under ultraviolet light fluoresces brilliantly in three vivid colors, what Scarpetta calls a mineral fingerprint. Clearly the body has been posed with chilling premeditation that is symbolic and meant to shock, and Scarpetta has reason to worry that the person responsible is the Capital Murderer, whose most recent sexual homicides have terrorized Washington, D.C. Stunningly, Scarpetta will discover that her FBI profiler husband, Benton Wesley, is convinced that certain people in the government, including his boss, don’t want the killer caught.  In Dust, Scarpetta and her colleagues are up against a force far more sinister than a sexual predator who fits the criminal classification of a �spectacle killer.” The murder of Gail Shipton soon leads deep into the dark world of designer drugs, drone technology, organized crime, and shocking corruption at the highest levels. With unparalleled high-tension suspense and the latest in forensic technology, Patricia Cornwell once again proves her exceptional ability to surprise—and to thrill.

Dixie Bannerman and Rani Shulpa are on the hunt for a dangerous chemical bomb that is hidden somewhere inside a mall in Germany. Unfortunately they have no way to track the would be terrorist to stop her act of destruction. This is a Dixie Bannerman short story.Mia would never let anyone choose to die for her. After learning of Eva’s decision to do just that, Mia vowed that when the time came, she would ensure that Eva was the one to survive. Knowing the only one who Eva could have sought this favor from is the archangel Michael, Mia calls to him and makes arrangements to be the one who pays for the gift of her time with Andrew and her family. The battle with William and his men to reclaim one of their own led to Mia’s death at Sanctuary. As Andrew tackles a world without his other half and struggles to pick up the pieces of his children’s mournful hearts in facing a world without their mother, Mia is thrust into an existence which no longer affords her the protections of Sanctuary and her powers.Knowing Mia’s heart would ache from the loss of her soul mate and family, Michael shrouds her new existence in a history haunted by memories of losing her husband in a violent home invasion. In doing so, he isolates her heart and opens the door to Mia’s most deadly challenge to date. Stripped of the ability to awaken her powers or recall her past, she is unaware that she has fallen into the hands of her most feared enemy, Jonathan. Armed with new skills and a secret which he will use to deceive Mia into making a commitment that seals her fate for all eternity, Jonathan is determined to claim his prize. This time the dark side may just get the soul it is hungry to consume, but only if it claims Mia before a mistaken belief leads to the end of her life at the hands of one who will extinguish his own in the process.

Ferocity is the story of Jack Tide, a young hitman trying to pass his college exams, maintain a normal life, find out what happened to his girlfriend who dumped him, and assassinate a senator. It's a black comedy adventure thriller in the vein of Nick Hornby's High Fidelity mixed with David Sedaris mixed with James Bond. A story about negotiating love and explosions in the new age.Chaos begins with love. This is a fact that Jackson Tide is rapidly discovering as he negotiates his increasingly chaotic life. Jack's not just a young hitman living in the emerald city of Seattle, but also a college student with dreams of teaching. Now, not only has his girlfriend mysteriously left him, but a powerful organization has hired him to take out a senator. The organization hints that there is more to Jack's past than believed. Questions arise. What is a Ferocity? Who is the enigmatic Mr. Sunset? Why did his girlfriend leave him (and was she cheating on him), can he pass his Humanities test, and is he a sociopath or just unlucky in love? Ferocity is a black comedy adventure thriller in the vein of Nick Hornby's High Fidelity meets David Sedaris meets James Bond. It's a story about relationships in the new millennium and bullets.

A short story. A man wakes up in a seemingly endless white hallway with no memory of who he is, or how he got there.The Orus system’s Orussians had found a brilliant way to harness the power of labor by engineering ant-monkeys, a hard-working and unswervingly loyal slave species—until the uprising.Having further manipulated the genes of her own male ant-monkey, Inoatar, and granting him free will, bioscientist Uriëlla has grievously breached the code of conduct. The barbaric penalty for these acts would not only involve her, but her entire clan as well. As a result, she must wrestle with emancipating Inoatar despite desperately needing him.The uprising, Uriëlla’s actions and their subsequent fallout lead to a struggle of biblical proportions which promises to forever alter Orus civilization.

The Rand scientific expedition entered the lush wilderness of the Amazon and never returned. Years later, one of its members has stumbled out of the world’s most inhospitable rainforest: a former Special Forces soldier – scarred, mutilated, terrified, and mere hours from death – who went in with one arm missing…and came out with both intact. Unable to comprehend this inexplicable event, the government sends Nathan Rand into this impenetrable secret world of undreamed – of perils to follow the trail of his vanished father…toward mysteries that must be solved at any cost. But the nightmare that is awaiting Nate and his team of scientists and seasoned U.S. Army Rangers dwarfs any danger they anticipated…an ancient, unspoken terror – a power beyond human imagining-that can forever alter the world beyond the dark, lethal confines of the Amazon rainforest for better… and for worse.

For breathless action, gripping suspense, and intense romance, bestselling author Linda Howard never misses a beat–and her thrilling new novel will have your heart racing. In the charming rural town of Trail Stop, Idaho, accessible to the outside world by only a single road, young widow Cate Nightingale lives peacefully with her four-year-old twin boys, running a bed-and-breakfast. Though the overnight guests are few and far between–occasional hunters and lake fishermen–Cate always manages to make ends meet with the help of the local jack-of-all-trades, Calvin Harris, who can handle everything from carpentry to plumbing. But Calvin is not what he seems, and Cate’s luck is about to run out. One morning, the B&B’s only guest inexplicably vanishes, leaving behind his personal effects. A few days later Cate is shocked when armed men storm the house, demanding the mystery man’s belongings. Fearing for her children’s lives, Cate agrees to cooperate–until Calvin saves the day, forcing the intruders to scatter into the surrounding woods. The nightmare, however, is just beginning. Cate, Calvin, and their entire community find themselves cut off and alone with no means to call for help as the threat gathers intensity and first blood is drawn. With their fellow residents trapped and the entire town held hostage, Cate and Calvin have no choice but to take the fight to their enemies under the cover of night. While reticent Cal becomes a fearless protector, Cate makes the most daring move of her life . . . into the very heart of danger. From the Hardcover edition.

Vastrick Security are hired to keep an African Stateswoman alive for just 72 hours until she can deliver a speech that will rock the world. Not too difficult a task unless several African despots, rogue security forces and the world’s deadliest assassin want her dead. The second City of London Thriller has shocks at every turn as the plot races from London to Cuba and on to the USA.Vastrick Security are hired to keep an African Stateswoman alive for just 72 hours until she can deliver a speech that will rock the world. Not too difficult a task unless several African despots, rogue security forces and the world’s deadliest assassin want her dead. The second in the deeply authentic City of London Thriller series has shocks at every turn as the plot races from London to Cuba and on to the USA. A gripping story told in around 100,000 words.

The middle third of the book, DARK. Contains the next 15 of 56 original, eerie poems and delightfully frightening stories--some morbidly amusing, others downright disturbing. Darkly evocative engravings add to the macabre nature of this collection. For all readers, DARKER contains no excessive profanities nor sexual content. Perfect fireside reading on stormy nightsAbout DARKER:Imagine you are a mind reader—a voyeur who can steal dreams. It happens in the book, DARK. Now, DARKER, the midsection of DARK you are “The Thief of Dreams,” allowing you to purloin many dreadful, occasionally humorous, and sometimes downright disturbing dreams--fantasies and nightmares of others. All are expressed as poetry and short stories, each designed to make you laugh, shudder or cringe, or all three.For example, all SIX parts of “The Zombie Apocalypse” series (two in DARK, one in DARKER and 3 more in DARKEST) drew that title from a recent admission by Google® that this was their most-searched term in June, 2012. Many believe the Z A will happen. Brakken explains, in his Z A series, that, thanks to recent scientific innovation, this idea, this threat, is, indeed, plausible. Those who initially thought this term laughable may find themselves reconsidering. As we all know, science can be wonderful—or terrible—depending on the final outcome. (In DARKER, there is an invitation to new authors to submit their own Z A episodes for an upcoming anthology.)Brakken's poems such as “In Gloomy Wood” and “The Parson Joshua Black” tell stories that will tingle the spine. Others like “Something in the Shadows” and “Bedtime Story” may lead to the bedroom light being left on until morning. “Gramma’s Noggin” will elicit a laugh while helping readers pronounce Namakagon correctly. Brakken's earlier book is THE TREASURE OF NAMAKAGON.) A sonnet, “The Count,” will beg readers for restraint regarding releasing evil upon the land. There are so many more.Brakken included “Nevermore” a poetic tribute to Edgar Allen Poe and a favorite of many. “Nevermore” answers Poe’s question about the final resting place of the spirit of the deceased maiden in Poe’s, “The Raven.”A number of poems, including “The Ballad of Ole Johnson” and “A Pinery Tale” found inspiration in actual deaths that occurred during northern Wisconsin’s 19th century timber harvest, giving them the western texture akin to the cowboy poetry of Baxter Black. Several mysterious excerpts from Brakken’s 19th century“lumberjack” era novel, THE TREASURE OF NAMAKAGON, complement the poems nicely. And, if dragons are to your liking, you’ll savor the author’s “Three Dragons” series.Beware! Although this large collection of Brakken’s macabre writings will delightfully scare the reader and sometimes stimulate nervous laughter, the author advises us that some of these works are utterly disturbing. His advice? Beware! Read at your own risk: Here there be dragons.Perhaps that is why, for visual relief, the author included many darkly evocative engravings by long-dead master artists from ancient times. Gustave Dore and Albrecht Durer are among the artists who now, long after their death, add mystery and macabre charm to Brakken’s work. Note that these images are not intended to illustrate the writings. Rather, they simply add to the enigmatic, bone-chilling nature of DARK.THE AUTHOR ADVISES READING DARK IN THE ORDER PRESENTED. Jumping ahead may spoil the twisting, turning plots of some sequential works.Sneak peeks of both DARK and THE TREASURE OF NAMAKAGON are at BadgerValley.com.Enter DARKER at your own risk. Then, if you dare, find DARKEST at Smashwords.com. Step into DARKER -- We've been waiting for you.Contents of DARKER (Second of 3 sections):Thief of Dreams IIINevermoreLike MagicThief of Dreams IVThe Ballad of the Ne’er Do Well BoysThe Great MakwaaOh, Shanty BoyThat’s OneBeneath the ClayThe WidowmakerBeastly FeastingsThe Zombie Apocalypse Part IIIGramma’s NogginThree Dragons Part II: The Second DragonDeath’s Dreadful ScheduleOver 20 more poems and short stories await you in DARKEST. Muster all your courage and seek them out at amazingly discounted prices!

It's 2022 and a left wing authoritarian Progressive Party seizes control of the government. The country spirals into chaos. The money is worthless and the cities are charred ruins after the food riots and epidemics. States are seceding and printing their own money. Mexican armies recapture large areas of the southwest. The nation is paralyzed until, finally, the people take action.The Constitutional Convention of 2022The Whig Party was once the majority party in this country but disintegrated in 1854. That year, in its place, the Republican party was founded. It quickly grew and took the White House in 1860.In 2016, after eight years of health care and immigration debacles, epidemics and lawlessness, the Democrat Party imploded. But from its ruins, a new, authoritarian Progressive Party rapidly rose on a sea of billionaire funding.The Progressive political philosophy was simple: representative democracy is an obsolete and outdated concept from another era. In the modern world, governments should be run by experts and charismatic leaders, not 18th century debating societies. Through clever changes to the voting laws, a few well chosen dossiers supplied by the NSA, and a general amnesty, the Progressives seize control in the election of 2020. They quickly consolidate their power by means of the endless alphabet soup of Federal agencies to which lazy Congresses, over many years, have delegated vast regulatory and rule making authority. Congress, shirking its duty, made itself irrelevant. The new Progressive executive knows this. Overnight, the nation slips into dictatorship.But things do not go well. Laws and policies once hammered out by political compromise are replaced by an endless stream of ill-thought-out central government executive decrees. The economy, now micro-managed from Washington, spirals into depression. The government, struggling to pay its debts and its hordes of EBT clients, prints ever more money to survive.The economy is so weakened that the Chinese decide the time is right to strike. Realizing they will never be repaid, they dump their trillions in Treasury bonds onto the world markets. The dollar collapses. Overnight, the Renminbi becomes the new global reserve currency. America is bankrupt.By 2022, all is chaos. The money is debased. The supply chain for food and fuel shipments grinds to a halt and the riots erupt. The large cities are soon charred ruins. Midwestern states begin seceding and printing their own money, backed by gold. Emboldened Mexican armies recapture large areas of the southwest. Russian and Chinese armies are also on the move. A desperate, enfeebled Federal government begins confiscating gold, silver, anything of value, and scrambles to sell overseas assets to buy foreign exchange. The nation is paralyzed.But when all seems lost, a brave governor in the Midwest organizes the opposition and calls for a Constitutional Convention to smash the Washington leviathan. But the federal beast, though wounded, fights back. Read it while it's still fiction!