When Arabella and Mariana Gray are presented with an invitation to assume residence in their landlord's grand country estate, a decision must be made. It isn't as simple a matter as it seems.The Invitation is bonus material—the first five chapters of the original version of Cry of the Peacock—reworked to be told as a short story.Arabella and Mariana Gray are presented with an invitation to assume residence in their landlord's grand country estate. Mariana considers it the opportunity of a lifetime, while Abbie fears being beholden to her landlords, toward whom her parents had long held resentment.When the invitations is refused, and the sisters go instead to live with an aunt in London, will they regret their decision or find purpose to their lives they had never expected to know? The question is the same for both sisters. The answer, however, is vastly different.The Invitation is bonus material—the first five chapters of the original version of Cry of the Peacock—reworked to be told as a short story.

Noni, a beautiful innovative fashion designer from Los Angeles has it all going for her—a blossoming career, a creative brand, and a multi-million dollar deal. Yet, the only thing missing is love—until one day Noni meets a handsome marketing executive named Rome. Due to Noni’s strict standards and rules because of the men she had been with like Rome, she pushes him away—only to later be surprised.Noni, a beautiful innovative fashion designer from Los Angeles has it all going for her—a blossoming career, a creative brand, and a multi-million dollar deal. Yet, the only thing missing is love—until one day Noni meets a handsome marketing executive named Rome. Due to Noni’s strict standards and rules because of the men she had been with like Rome, she pushes him away—only to find herself actually falling for the person she thought she would never give a chance.

On a rainy day which had canceled out a glider training flight, the time was spent investigating an odd rectangle in the desert vegetation off the edge of an old runway. What they found there brought memories of WWII-era tale that enlivened nights around the campfire at the ranch long ago.Any scientific expedition to the Arctic expects plenty of risk. However, Dr. Welham of Miskatonic University's survey uncovers far more than the usual geologic and ethnographic samples. In the severe, rock-scouring blizzards of the far north, the team comes across a hideous object from an elder age. A relic that brings earth shattering terror in its wake...  This story is loosely inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's short story, Polaris, which was written in 1918. In that story, a modern man is troubled by recurring dreams, gaining in intensity. During these visions, he assumes the role of a sentry guarding the pass against the invading Inutos people from the west. However, under the malign influence of the pole star, the watcher falls asleep. This time, when he awakes, screaming, the sentry wakes as a modern man and realises that he has failed the marble city of Olathoe in the lost land of Lomar.

All kids have a folklore about their neighbourhood, whether it's an old woman who's really a witch or, in this case, a derelict house that's haunted. Two boys decide to watch an eclipse at the dead of night. -0-The world is full of wonder and meaning yet, today, to understand it we seem to have to choose between science and superstition. I prefer the daydeaming, storytelling way.Samantha and Tracy have been best friends since kindergarten, but now that Tracy has gotten over her shyness and made new friends, Samantha is feeling left out. This is nothing compared to how she feels when a strange girl named Jessica tells Samantha that she’s actually an imaginary friend. Tracy has outgrown Samantha, and it’s time for Samantha to help another child who needs her. But will Samantha be able to move on and fulfill her duty as an imaginary friend?

The year is 2021 and something sinister is going on at the country's leading cancer hospital. One doctor discovers a secret that will shatter his world and pave the way for invasion.Donal's school trip to the zoo turns into an unexpected journey across space. Accompanied only by a lofty camel and a stowaway lemming, he finds himself trapped on a alien spaceship which is hurtling towards a distant planet.The little green Meerie who greet him look friendly enough. But when they send him on a quest to find their missing space fleet, it means a dangerous journey across the desert where far more terrifying aliens live... An exciting and humorous science fiction story for ages 8 to 12.

The Islamic politicians won the elections throughout Egypt. But they were a new and different generation of the Islamic politicians. Many previous Islamic politicians won their popularity through clash with the west. But the new politicians’ project was the Islamic Civilization based on the spiritual Islamic principles and the scientific Western Civilization.A burned out drunk on the verge of death is saved by an alien scientist who wishes to use him as a host to study the human race. He is given a new body with enhancements with such features as telescopic, microscopic, infrared, and x-ray vision. His new improved brain allows him to invent new products and write computer programs which make him very wealthy. The alien helps him transform his body and assume a new identity and live out his dream of being a singer and attracting females to his private fan club,His new life doesn't not go unnoticed. A female journalist investigates rumors that he is using his fan club as sex slaves. Also, a detective comes to investigate his possible involvement in the murder of his former self. The detective brings a black cocaine whore to keep him company while he does his investigation.Once he has learned to use his new enhancements, the alien adds a Time/Transport Bubble to his body. To familiarize himself with the abilities of this amazing device, he does a few test trips in current time and in the not too distant past. For example, he travels to North Korea to steal the virginity of the dictator's new bride and wreck his new weapon of mass destruction. He also uses his abilities to save a famous woman who was unfairly accused of being a spy during World War 1. These are only two of the many adventures the new time traveler experiences.

I have a question for you ladies. What would you do to marry the man of your dreams? Would you be willing to risk everything for love? I did, the day I met my fiance I knew he was my soul mate. And I was willing to do whatever it took to get him no matter what the cost. My name is Pebbles and this is my story.It's been a difficult year for Abilene Collins. Since her father's death, her whirlwind life of adventure and travel has come to an end.Now, she's living with her mysterious uncle. He's a man with secrets, living almost alone in a ridiculously large mansion that he doesn't own. He doesn't like questions, and when Lena starts asking after the enigma of his job, it isn't hard to tell that he's hiding some family secrets.Family portraits have been removed from the walls, and areas of the house are off limits. Some rooms even seem to have been walled off completely. No one will talk to her.The young and ambitious groundskeeper has become her only friend, and one day he tells her that she was stolen from her mother years before. Lena's family are all telepathic, and that isn't all. They're a religious pillar of the Silenti society. Her grandfather has used his religious standing to gain political power, decimating his rivals along with anyone who gets in his way. Suddenly thrust into a life of political plots and religious fanatics, Lena finds herself struggling to navigate her own life. Some people aren't fond of the Darays, and the family has nearly died out through assassination.It appears Lena is the latest target.

An international romance novel set in Rome and New York during the turbulent 1960’s. It deals with love thrown away and then regretted amid social and political upheaval across two continents.'The sleepy historical city of York is about to wake up'. It is Christmas Day in York. A woman is found dead in her bed. A suicide note is found on her chest. It reads ‘I am so sorry Martin’. Hours later the police are called to a house a few miles away. A mother and her daughter have been brutally attacked; the mother is dead and the daughter is barely alive. The father is found shaking uncontrollably in the corner of the room. He is covered in blood but he is unharmed. His name is Martin Willow. Detective Sergeant Jason Smith is put in charge of the investigation. After reaching dead end after dead end, Smith starts to put the pieces together and figures out that Martin Willow is innocent and the killer is still out there. The little girl who was attacked on Christmas Day wakes from her coma and gives Smith a clue about the attacker; a piece of a song she heard directly before the attack. Smith then finds himself in a race against time to find this maniac before he kills again.

Compilation of different cases.A top secret military complex far below the city of Glennville is the key That Frank Morgan needs to understand what has happened to his fellow reporter Jimmy. It seems that things are spiraling out of control between the former Soviet Territories and the United States government, and Frank has wondered more than once whether Jimmy's disappearance has something to do with the secret base and the situation in the West. If so, can he get to the bottom of it before someone pushes the button to start World War Three?Earth's Survivors Settlement Earth, begins the saga of a small group of people in the know. A small group of people who understand what is going on in an upstate New York town, and the rest of the people in the world who are going about their day to day lives with no idea of the showdown that is building in the shadows between the West and the East. In the end they will have more in common than they would have ever thought possible if the threat of Nuclear annihilation does become more than just a threat.Joe Miller felt the blade of the knife sink deeply into his chest... Dead, he told himself. But death seemed to hold more than he had known it could.Willie LeFray sat slumped against a wall in an alley off Beechwood Avenue, in Seattle's red light district. He had been dead for over six hours. The money he had stolen, had allowed him to indulge in his habit for over forty six hours with no sleep. The last injection had killed him. But like Joe Miller, he would soon find that death was no escape from life’s problemsIra Pratt had died in the early fifties, yet he stood before God now ready to do as he commanded.5471 Beechwood avenue had been home to Arlene since she had begun her life on the streets. Since things had gone crazy she had locked herself in her apartment with her pistol. Ready to die if she had to, but hoping she would not have to.Follow along in the first book as the world begins to crumble and everyone scrambles to hold onto whatever remains to hold onto and become Earth's Survivors.

In the frenzy of general elections, candidates were busy vying for media attention. The outcome had been ever so slightly manipulated by a sinister foreign hand. A calculated plan had been carried out,by a group, so bent to destroy the will of the people. Several forces, both from living and dead resonate and lead to uncovering of world's first bloodless plot.What is a home? It is a familiar base that protects you, provides for you, while making great demands on you as time goes on. The servant slowly becomes more of a master. Letting go of the past is a frightening thing, which is as it should be. That keeps us from racing into uncertainty with too much risk. But too much reliance upon a past home prevents a new one from having a chance to form. We push our children out of their nest as part of our parental duties. Who, then, will push us out when we are the only one in the nest?

Paul O’Shaughnessy is an American con man on the run from the FBI, hiding out in Bogotá, the Colombian capital. He’s running his latest scam from a bar stool in the lounge at the Hotel Tequendama, and when he finally gets a fish on his line, he reels in a pocketful of hot emeralds, and a lot more trouble than he bargained for.CIRQUE DU FLAIREPietro Augustus Flaire's Dazzling Spectacle of Delectation! Stimulation! and Stupefaction!Amidst the Clouds andAmong the Firmament!When she is accosted in the street by the bedazzled and flamboyant Eitenne Allard, a funambulist for the Cirque du Flaire, who claims his employer, Pietro Augustus Flaire, has bewitched his twin sister, Elodie, and has concocted a most nefarious scheme involving the apparent disappearance of a favoured spectator, Astrid Darby and her clever young wards, Xander Knightly and Juliana Coffin, are drawn into a surreal and shocking mystery upon the famous flying carnival. Amongst cavorting clowns, frolicking funambulists, exotic beasts, a gruesome freak show and a mysterious snake charmer with an uncanny instrument, Astrid, her wards and Agent Asher Key of the Ministry of Defence attempt to thwart the charismatic Flaire's dastardly plot. They are soon to discover, however, that their considerable skills are little match for the ringmaster's adroit and deadly tricks.

The story is centered around how a banished young lion called Ola discovered and fulfilled his destiny despite the various temptations he encountered in the paradise of lust. He was fortunate to oblige himself the opportunity life offered him while he was in the Great, Great, Wild Jungle. He however determined not to lose his focus on his destination. His destination was his destiny.This highly interesting and life impacting comical piece is a work of fiction. The author, Moses Olanrewaju Bolarin, was in a trance on Monday, July 5, 2010 when this story was revealed to him. This story is already in a short animated cartoon film format as well as in mobile phone screensaver, wallpaper, and video formats.The story is centered around how a banished young lion called Ola discovered and fulfilled his destiny despite the various temptations he encountered in the paradise of lust. He was fortunate to oblige himself the opportunity life offered him while he was in the Great, Great, Wild Jungle. He however determined not to lose his focus on his destination. His destination was his destiny.Everybody, young and old, has a lot to learn from this exhilarating story.

Delivered on 22 August 2024, Forbes v Baker [2024] WASC 643 represented a turning point in the law as to what it means to be human.Delivered on 22 August 2024, Forbes v Baker [2024] WASC 643 represented a turning point in the law as to what it means to be human.The Deceased, David Baker, was born in unusual circumstances and into a difficult life. Cloned by his father, his genetic code mixed with non-human material, the Deceased died leaving a wife, a lover, and a substantial estate.The Wills Act (WA) provides that a person can make a will. It is alleged by the Defendant, the Deceased's wife, that the Deceased was, by virtue of his mixed DNA, not a "person" for the purposes of the Wills Act.This case represents an important milestone in the developing law relating to reproduction, cloning and humanity.

An event happens on January 22 that changes the course of history forever. Two towns are destroyed, and there is one survivor, Pollock Drake, a 15 year old. He is taken into custody as a suspected terrorist. Another attack occurs during the interrogation. Drake escapes and fights to survive against a country that is after him while trying to kill what destroyed his home.An event happens on January 22 that changes the course of history forever. Two towns are destroyed, and there is one survivor, Pollock Drake, a 15 year old. He is taken into custody as a suspected terrorist. Another attack occurs during the interrogation. Drake escapes and fights to survive against a country that is after him while trying to kill what destroyed his home. Told in the curious narrative style of epistolary form. It takes information from different newspapers around the country, journal articles, "confidential presidential transcripts," and many more to tell a story about one man and how he affects the country around him. One question remains, though, what is the Dragon Cycle? Is it about a real dragon? Is this dragon even real? Is this dragon a person who belongs to a group called Dragon? Answers will be answered as we go on.Everything that is in this book is important to the plot of the book. That includes the date which is oddly written as ???3 for the year.

When not only her way of life, but also the life of her dearest friend is threatened by an old associate, will it be enough for Madison, an ex-con artist, to continue as a law abiding citizen, or will she be forced back into the line of work that claimed the love of her life?After a heist goes horribly wrong, resulting in the death of her fiance, Madison is determined to turn her life around. Forced to disappear, she leaves everything behind, including her most trusted friend, Skyler. She follows the rules and gives up cracking safes in attempt to escape the dangerous lifestyle they were both leading. Even still, she cannot outrun her past. Now an old associate threatens Skyler and Madison must face the ghosts that haunt her. Left with no choice, she has to set aside the shards of her broken heart and the memories of her lost love in order to save something even greater.

The ghost of an Indian Chief is living in the spooky garage in Emily's back yard, and he needs her help to find an object he lost hundreds of years ago. With the help of her friends, Shayna and Sydni, Emily is in a race against time to find the object and return it to the Chief.The ghost of an Indian Chief is living in the spooky garage in Emily's back yard. At first, she is afraid of him, but she soon overcomes her fear and discovers he needs her help. He lost an ancient artifact hundreds of years ago. The artifact was given to the Chief by a benevolent spirit and is vital to the survival of his tribe. Emily knows where it is and she needs to get it back for the Chief before it's too late. Accompanied by her friends, Shayna and Sydni, she plans a caper to recover the artifact and return it to the Chief.

Jamie Kendrick is known for his bad decisions—jacking a squad car and turning it over in a ditch, for example. But he's going to show everyone. With some help from his brother—and a court-ordered ankle monitor—Jamie's going to get sober, join the army, and shake his white trash reputation. That is, until someone frames him for the grisly murders of his brother's family.Jamie Kendrick is known for his colossally bad decisions—jacking a squad car and turning it over in a ditch, for example. But he’s going to show everyone. With some help from his brother—and a court-ordered ankle monitor—Jamie is going to get sober, join the army, and shake his white trash reputation. He’s actually doing a decent job until someone frames him for the grisly murders of his brother's family. No one believes that Jamie is innocent. No one but a mysterious blonde with a gun. She gives Jamie a choice: spend the rest of his life in prison or help her take down the man who killed his brother and set him up.

Global and bizarre anomalies have appeared connecting our world to the barrens of Purgatory. Despite this known fact, folklore has mentioned fragments in time where mortals have been able to traverse through buildings made of stone and granite. Passing through without caution nor resistance, onto territory flooded with creatures brutish and perpetually lost as they too, traverse back to our realm.Belinda is the most beautiful damsel in all of aristocratic England, and as she heads to an afternoon tea party she feels confident that every man she encounters will worship the ground she walks on. What this fluffy belle cannot foresee is that one gent’s desire for her will turn into a scandalous obsession destined to keep gossipmongers talking for years. Nor can she predict the full scale war that will break out between her army of guardian fairies and a gnome who is hell bent on destroying her esteemed reputation.

They're getting ready to blow him out the airlock, but Esric has other plans.Wily bounty hunter Esric Kol has yet to meet his match. But after he lets his guard down around the beautiful Captain Xerana, he just might pay for it with his life. On the verge of execution, betrayed by the Captain he thought he could trust, Esric has one ace up his sleeve: an alien with an attitude.

Once Upon a Remembrance: Book 1 Women of Strength time travel trilogy: Photographer Isabeau Remington travels to 1894 Virgina and falls in love with a man she must ultimately leave behind when she returns to her own time...but things are not always as they seem. Hawk is a man endangered by his own memory loss, and soon that danger reaches out to envelop Isabeau.Once Upon a Remembrance: Book 1 Women of Strength time travel trilogy: Photographer Isabeau Remington travels to 1894 Virgina and falls in love with a man she must ultimately leave behind when she returns to her own time...but things are not always as they seem. Modern day photographer Isabeau is pulled from the present time and thrust back into the year 1894 in Virginia. She must help save Hawk Morgan, a man threatened by a killer, a man endangered by his own erased memories. Hawk must survive in 1894 so his present day ancestor Pierce Morgan, will be alive in Isabeau's future.Isabeau begins to fall in love with Hawk Morgan but with both their future's uncertain and a killer on the loose, neither one of them may have a tomorrow to look forward to.

Prophets pertains to a SciFi/Fantasy/Cyberpunk trilogy, involving current and advanced technological theories along with mythological references. Think "The Fifth Element" fantasy, "X-Men" ambition and "300" grit. Outlining a rising empire’s lust for dominion and its treacherous collapse, with an aftermath that will leave once fertile lands in ruin and cinder.Prophets pertains to a SciFi/Fantasy/Cyberpunk trilogy, involving current and advanced technological theories along with mythological references. Think "The Fifth Element" fantasy, "X-Men" ambition and "300" grit. The main focus would center on a new super-villain with vile intentions and great power that is sure to garner high rankings amongst fantasy enthusiasts.Able to demonstrate peak or superhuman levels of stamina in addition to control variable psycho-kinetic abilities, both Nathaniel and his fellow homo-dragonous have proven to become socially “unstable” and have been detained within government funded "institutions" for protective purposes.Nathaniel has been a long time resident of a concentration camp-styled facility utilizing controversial methods to house and restrain a collective of potentially dangerous citizens of our population. Time and failed escape attempts would progressively create a twisted man despite all efforts to keep this monster at bay.He is able to break away from the institution and amass a great number of followers, promptly earning the label as a ruthless dictator with great ego and bravado. Announcing himself with god-like status, he is to be worshiped as the peak of his species. His traits demonstrate the purest example of class dominance and is convinced that he should worshiped as such.Thus igniting a scale of holy war unmatched to any other within our history. He assembles foot-soldiers and aerial battle cruisers to impose his might, to smite his opposition who choose not to praise nor submit to his demands.Engaging in costly battles against The United Nations with clear objectives to scorch the Earth, often overwhelming forces in order to put an end toward his global influence. "Prophets: Heaven's Adversary" is the first installment within this new Sci-Fi Trilogy. Outlining a rising empire’s lust for dominion and its treacherous collapse, with an aftermath that will leave once fertile lands in ruin and cinder.

It has been nearly a year since Madison and Skyler married and moved to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Worlds away from Chicago, Morgan, and all his goons, perhaps it is time for them to find happiness. Yet, for two run-a-way miscreants, what kind of happiness can they expect? This story takes place after Where to BelongIt has been nearly a year since Madison and Skyler married and relocated to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Here, they are settling into a new life of their own. Seemingly worlds away from Chicago and Morgan and all his goons, perhaps it is time for them to find happiness. Yet, for two run-a-way miscreants, what kind of happiness can they expect? This story follows Where to Belong.

An astronaut travels through a wormhole, thinking he is going to a recently-discovered distant planet. What he finds is a Life-changing experience.An astronaut travels through a wormhole, thinking he is going to a recently-discovered distant planet. What he finds is a Life-changing experience

This amazing piece of children stories is written by children for children.This is the second in the 3niti Multimedia Academy Children Projects Publications, this one being a compendium of stories by the 2014 Summer Multimedia Training students(Ages 6-19).It is amazing to see children learn at a quick pace and come up with their own stories and drawings within a short period after their training.This amazing piece of children stories is written by children for children. This is the second in the 3niti Multimedia Academy (3MA) Children Projects Publications, this one being a compendium of stories by the 2014 Summer Multimedia Training (SMT) students. In August 2014, 3MA organized a 3-weekend, 5 hours a day training for Children between ages 4 and 19. The children were trained on Basic Digital Multimedia. Within a cumulative period of 15 hours, they learnt how to use the Microsoft Windows 7 & 8, Ms Paint application, Sound Recorder, Notepad, Wordpad, Muvee Auto Producer, Microsoft Powerpoint, and Microsoft Word. It is so amazing to see children learn at such a quick pace and come up with their own stories and drawings within such a short period. This concept is borne out of a passion to empower children and teenagers by 3MA Chief Executive, Moses Olanrewaju Bolarin.

Snarky, delicious fun! A laugh-out-loud mashup of romantic comedy, crime fiction, and satire: Dorothy Parker meets Dorothy L. Sayers. Perennially down-and-out socialite Camilla Randall a.k.a. "The Manners Doctor" is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong, but she always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way.Snarky, delicious fun! A laugh-out-loud mashup of romantic comedy, crime fiction, and satire: Dorothy Parker meets Dorothy L. Sayers. Perennially down-and-out socialite Camilla Randall a.k.a. "The Manners Doctor" is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong, but she always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way. Usually with more than a little help from her gay best friend, Plantagenet Smith.After Camilla's celebrity ex-husband’s ironic joke about her “kinky sex habits” is misquoted in a tabloid, New York etiquette columnist Camilla Randall’s life unravels in bad late night jokes. Nearly broke and down to her last Hermes scarf, she accepts an invitation to a Z-list Writers’ Conference in the wine-and-cowboy town of Santa Ynez, California, where, unfortunately, a cross-dressing dominatrix plies her trade by impersonating Camilla. When a ghostwriter’s plot to blackmail celebrities with faked evidence leads to murder, Camilla must team up with the dominatrix to stop the killer. Meanwhile, a wannabe writer who happens to be a hot L.A. cop just may steal her heart."Twisted chick-lit noir with a side of funny!""This book is hysterically funny AND accurately depicts the Santa Ynez Valley. Anne Allen gets it right, down to the dollar bills stuck on the ceiling of the Maverick Saloon. It was so fun to read as she called out one Valley landmark after another. Allen got the local denizens right, too""This feisty tale trips along like an A-list hooker in high heels, street-wise and chic."

Ashley and Geoff fight to survive on District 13, the Angel City Orphanage and Juvenile Detention Center; run by teen gangs and governed by a pack of serial killers, preying on the otherwise helpless children.Ashley is now 15, and her parents have returned from the dead - only to be killed again, on her birthday!Ashley and Geoff are sent to a hell-hole of an orphanage, where they must fight to survive. Gangs rule the district with terror and violence, but Ashley kneels for no one.

Chauncey hasn't seen another unicorn in an elf's age. He's been unsuccessful to find his mate, Shastra. So he returns to the meadow in which he first met her. Shastra isn't there but Lac Minifrey is. Lac is fifteen with three years at a Magical Academy. What Chauncey doesn’t know is that Lac is terrible at controlling his magic.Chauncey has searched and searched but he hasn't seen another unicorn in an elf's age. He’s trying to find his mate, Shastra, and has not been successful. So he returns to the meadow in which he first met her. The meadow is now a park in a bustling community. Shastra isn't there but Chauncey meets LacCluster Minifrey. Lac is fifteen and has been in Barry Ding's Magical Academy for three years. He has innate magical ability and school would of course one it and give him the learning he needs to control the magic and pass the certification exam. Lac wants to accompany Chauncey as he feels he can gain more knowledge of magic. Chauncey decides to allow Lac to journey with him in the wilderness. A wilderness which contains many magical creatures, such as trolls, hobgoblins, and a at least one huge and hungry dragon. A dragon who above all loves to ingest beings with innate magic. What Chauncey doesn’t know is that Lac is terrible at controlling his magic. He hasn't to date passed one test...and if he fails in the wilderness he may be the last person to see the last and almost unicorn in this quirky but sweet novella.

This is a short story featuring the main character, Gladius Oldmont, from the Gladius Adventure Series.Gladius competes in the annual Bartlett Trial Preliminaries, but before the race begins, Gladius learns the truth behind the mystery of a community death. Could this new discovery unexpectedly change the outcome of the race? The only way to find out is to run The Race. Approx. 6300 words.This is a short story for middle grade readers featuring the main character, Gladius Oldmont, from the fantasy adventure novel Gladius and the Bartlett Trial, by J. A. Paul. In this exciting story, Gladius competes in the Bartlett Trial Preliminaries, an annual race for future Bartlett Trial newbies, but before the race begins, Gladius learns the truth behind the mystery of a community death. Could this new discovery unexpectedly change the outcome of the race? The only way to find out is to run The Race.This is a short story of approximately 6300 words.

As a first time publisher I thought, why not write poems about something I know best- myself. Each of the poems in my book 'Poems From My Life' are in some form about myself and about my life. Whether it's about an self-harm problem or about the future, this book is sure to capture your attention and teach a little something about a struggle. The following 11 poems will get your heart racing.As a publisher, and a teen of the age 17, why not write poems about something I know best- myself. Each of the poems in my book 'Poems From My Life' are in some form about myself and about my life. Whether it's about an self-harm problem, or about the future, this book is sure to capture your attention and teach a little something about a struggle. The following 11 poems are guaranteed to get your heart racing and to turn your emotions on.

Markie is a successful hitman who has it all. He's tough and in demand and to the crimelords who run San Francisco, he's considered number one. Tommy Brown is a young, clean-cut arms dealer from Boston. He has built up a good reputation for being reliable. But a dark cloud hangs over their criminal relationship and now Markie's past is about to catch up with him.Markie is a successful hitman who has it all. He's tough and in demand and to the crimelords who run San Francisco, he's considered number one. Tommy Brown is a young, clean-cut arms dealer from Boston. He has built up a good reputation for being reliable. But a dark cloud hangs over their criminal relationship and now Markie's past is about to catch up with himA short crime story by Richard Quinn, an aspiring crime novelist with a passion for the retro crime novel.

What are the odds that aliens bent on enslaving humans arrive on Earth just after a global cataclysm is a coincidence? Rogue geologist Dr. Prezlee understands the magnitude of the catastrophe and helps many to survive it and learn to live without the help of their governments - they've been destroyed. He creates a guerrilla band and attacks the aliens, which, by the way, are human.How would you proceed to survive a huge global cataclysm - though not as bad as the one at the K-T bouundary? Your government no longer exists, 60 to 80 percent of the world's population is gone. It would be difficult, No? But, that's only one of the problems facing the survivors. Turns out descendants of former earthborn humans have returned...with a plan. The plan is to enslave all who remain...or kill off those who oppose them. Dr. Jonathan Prezlee, a rogue geologist, understands about global catastrophes and helps many to learn to adapt to the new world age. Yet, his job is not done but he's no fighter, no military man yet...[Once I finished the events after 67,000 words plus I realized there would be as many words for the conclusion. That would be too much of a novel so I stopped there. It occured to me that this novel would be a great pilot for a SciFi channel series. I'm pricing it low as I have other projects and I cannot get to the conclusion of this story for a while. If you enjoy the story please be patient and if you do not like it...c'est la vie.]

Imagine meeting the one, the person who takes your breath away, makes your heart skip, and leaves you weak, shaking with desire. Imagine losing them moments later. What would you do?Robert’s an ordinary guy, working his way across the known universe, living a hollow life. Then he meets her on Runalli-4 and everything changes.Imagine meeting the one, the person who takes your breath away, makes your heart skip, and leaves you weak, shaking with desire. Imagine losing them moments later. What would you do?Robert’s an ordinary guy, working his way across the known universe, living a hollow life. Then he meets her on Runalli-4 and everything changes.Join Robert as he quests through space and time, to the edge of existence and beyond seeking the woman who sparked the fires of true love in his heart, only to vanish moments later.Join Robert on Runalli-4.Reviews:“I read this while in a airport waiting for a flight and when they called us to the Gate, I was actually upset to put it down.”— Jaclyn R.“I didn’t want the story to end but it ended fantastically.”— Mars P.“The protagonist has a depth of character that unfolds throughout the yarn. The plot is intriguing and gripping, making this a one-sitting read; because you won’t want to put it down.”— Curtis LarsenAnd remember to stay on the lookout for more Science Fiction and Fantasy stories from Roland Byrd!

This amazing piece of children stories is written by children for children. This is the first in the Majestic Multimedia Academy (MMA) Children Projects Publications, this one being a compendium of picture stories by the pioneer students.This amazing piece of children stories is written by children for children. This is the first in the Majestic Multimedia Academy (MMA) Children Projects Publications, this one being a compendium of picture stories by the pioneer students.In January and February 2014, MMA organized a 7- week, 2 hours a day training for Children between ages 4 and 11. The children were trained on Basic Digital Graphics 1. Within a cumulative period of 14 hours, they learnt how to use the Microsoft Windows 7 & 8, Ms Paint application, Notepad, and Microsoft Word.It is so amazing to see children learn at such a quick rate and come up with their own stories and drawings within just fourteen hours. This concept is borne out of a passion to empower children and teenagers.by MMA President, Moses Olanrewaju Bolarin. One of the global strategies of MMA is to make children published authors on a global landscape, after empowering them with various multimedia skills.

A short story about vanishing youth and fighting pseudo-dinosaurs.Lt. Edward Philips is a Pyrrianaut, one of the elite soldiers used by ColAdmin to guard their off-world colonies.And he has a problem; well, two problems:At 22 he's getting too old, and his mind too set in it's ways, for the neural link to his armour, and he's going to have to retire soon, and he's not sure what to do, but that's going to have to wait until he resolves the more immediate problem: a gigantic alien pseudo-dinosaur is about to fly into his colony, and he's going to have to stop it.

This is an enthrawling short story that starts with instant anxiety, drama and fear. In this Story RUBY is faced with conflict and danger immediatley. This short story will grip instantly.There are as many Gods in this universe as there are beings. And the game we play is called “Touch.” It’s a form of spiritual hugging. Easy to begin, pretty much impossible to bring to a close.How it came about: Before the beginning of the universe, before there even was a universe, we all held hands—well, figuratively speaking. We touched, I guess would describe it (hence the name of the game), and touching we synchronized, and synchronized we decided (on three, everyone: 1-2-3) to BE. So now we all WERE. Simplicity itself.Then we decided to decide (on three, everyone) for the universe to BE. And so it WAS and still IS. Very much so. And, yes, I’m talking about this physical, Capital-U Universe, the one with galaxies, stars, planets, black holes, oceans, parking tickets, crazy politicians, and inane commercials. Yes, this one.The rules of “Touch” are few and simple.Rule number One says that once we’ve made the Big One—which is basically somewhere to play this game—anyone of us can, if synchronized with (i.e., touching) anyone else—either one or many as the case may be—decide on a new smaller (I guess that would be lower-case-u) universe, within the Big One. “Sub-universe” would be as good a word as any. And from then on they, those who co-decided, would share this thing, this co-created sub-universe, and it will remain real as anything, going forward.Nazi Germany was/is a pretty blatant example of this, if deadly and in very bad taste. Rome was/is another. Soccer huddles, too.Your marriage is probably one. Trysts often are. Most romances, for sure.Now, according to rule number Two, to end one of these sub-universes (for they can all be brought to a close, i.e., ceased), all you have to do is re-synchronize and non-decide the thing. Non-decide might also be a word for it. You know, like dis-appear. First it appears then it disappears—first you decide then you non-decide. But non-decide is closer to the truth, so we’ll stick with that.So, first you decide, then you non-decide. Really, it’s as easy as 1-2-3. Could not be simpler. And to end the Big One altogether (and this is rule number Three), all we have to do is re-synchronize and non-decide IT. I ask you, what could be simpler?On paper.For, oh yeah, there is a rule number Four (and why we agreed on this one I shall never know, but it’s on the books, I’m afraid, and still very much in force): In order to end the Big One, in order to un-BE (non-decide) the entire universe, each and every sub-universe, large and small, must first be non-decided. That’s right, before we can all touch and un-BE the lot, i.e., the Big One, we must clear out all the sub-ones.I guess we decided this into the “Touch” rules to protect the Big One, to make it hard to vanish, i.e., make it last. And that has worked (and still works) like a charm for the Big One, as you know, is still very much in play.Needless to say, this all happened a few unforeseen complications ago, for by last count there were 8,444,547,856,334 first generation sub-universes on this planet alone, and each of these have since sprouted many, many, many generations of subs who in turn, well you get the point.And to make matters a little more harrowing (from the standpoint of climbing back out of this sizeable hole by ending the Big One), by now most of us have not only forgotten the name of the game, but that this is all, in fact, a game.And, sad to say, the handful who do remember are mostly locked up (for their own protection, or so the story goes).

Pandimora loves the faerie realm Aisywel, but she's a bit of a rebel; has little interest in faerie lore, loves to eavesdrop and hops portals into the earth realm against the advice of the high elders. All in all her independent spirit isn't going well in the faerie realm. What she knows about herself as a faerie will be sorely tested when she's kicked out of her beloved home.Drew Maddox is a rough Private Investigator who believes what his eyes can see and his senses feel. He has very little use for imagination and flights of fantasy annoy him, yet when a naked woman suddenly appears on the road in front of his truck it sends his brain tumbling and his life into a spiral of myth he can barely comprehend. Pandimora wears her name well, causing her own flurries of Pandemonium just by existing. Born to a mother rumored to have the madness in her, Pandimora is different than most fairies in the Realm of Aisywel. She has little regard for the incredible histories of her people, nor of the supposed rules. While not an outright rebel, she skirts the laws of Faerie propriety, but no more so than when she overhears a conversation her ears should never have found. A high elder, one of the strongest and most magical of her people has committed a crime – and now he knows that she has heard, and seen him. Pandimora has fled, but not before the elder, Lukais wraps his dark tentacles of power around her, poisoning her and barring the doors to her realm – forever. Hurt and grieving, Pandimora awakens on a snowy road – moments from being hit by Drew Maddox’s fast moving truck. Her senses muddled, her powers muffled and her entire sense of self shaken, Pandimora reaches out to Drew in desperation, finding in him the young boy she once danced with in a field. With cord of attachment fully realized between them, Faerie magic is at play, pulling them both deep into a mire of intrigue and deceit – one that sets this unlikely pair against an entire realm of mystical beings with their own rules, trials and meanings. “Find Me” is Book One in the new Faeries Lost Trilogy – an epic journey into the center of the unknown and the hearts of two souls that can never be.

A humorous look at the British class system. Meet Buntie and Rupert, stalwarts of the etiquette police, chinless wonders who bellow and bluff their way through life. This story was inspired by the poster that used to hang in the boarding house windows in London at the turn of last century stating, “No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish.”Once upon a time I was fishing away when a man appeared across the creek from me. He sat down on a large rock holding an acoustic guitar. Yes sir! Yes sir! He was wearing all black with a fedora, silver chains around his wrists, his mouth was stretched in a large wide smile that went from ear to ear. A white tie hung down to his waist with gold buttons in the middle. Not a single word was spoken between us and we did not even acknowledged that the other person was there. Something was odd about this man. Yes sir! Yes sir! Butterflies seem to be flying around his head as if they were being pulled in by his gravity. He was an eerie man. I do not even think my twisted mind could make him up. His presence wasn't erotic, but it was a sick pleasure.

A Noir-ish story set in 1950's England, Dennis and Celia have spent two years having an affair. Her wealthy husband will not grant her a divorce and is determined to make her life a misery. Dennis and Celia devise a plan to get rid of Simon for good. At first, the plan seems foolproof. But nothing is infallible, and Dennis and Celia soon learn that getting rid of Simon wasn't such a good idea.A Noir-ish story set in 1950's England, Dennis and Celia have spent two years having an affair. Her wealthy husband will not grant her a divorce and is determined to make her life a misery. Dennis and Celia devise a plan to get rid of Simon for good. At first, the plan seems foolproof. But nothing is infallible, and Dennis and Celia soon learn that getting rid of Simon wasn't such a good idea after all. A dark tale with a grisly finality, The Long Drop To Eternity is a short story that noir fans will love.

The story centers around Marie, a modern day 40-something housekeeper and Katriena, an 18th century slave girl of about 15 years old.Katriena is pregnant with her white master's baby, which she desperately wants to save.Marie, who is Katriena's only remaining descendent, is the baby's only chance of survival.Marie is a 40-something housekeeper leading a pretty humdrum existence in modern day Saltriver, Cape Town.She has regular church meetings, a grown son and a husband she barely talks to.Marie starts having excruciating back-ache and eventually loses track of parts of her day.Katriena is a 18th century slave-girl of about 15 years, who is pregnant with her white master's baby and desperate to save her unborn child.Johannes, a medicine man, promises to help her do this, using her link to Marie who is Katriena's only living descendent.

Deception ~ Short romance 24k words. Trey's boss is old, sick and his days are numbered; and he wants to see his missing granddaughter Katharine before he dies. Trey will do almost anything for the old man, even if it means having artist Sacha Fortune pretend to be Katharine.Deception ~ Short romance, 86 pages. Trey's boss is old, sick and his days are numbered; and he wants to see his missing granddaughter Katharine before he dies. Trey will do almost anything for the old man, even if it means having artist Sacha Fortune pretend to be Katharine.Sacha is forced to assume the other woman's identity, because if she doesn't comply, Trey will expose her criminal past to the art world which has so recently embraced her art. But Sacha has more to lose than Trey could ever guess.

'The Other Side of the Marshmallow' is a short story, designed simply to be entertaining.It shows what happens when the real world, meets the world of confectionary and the unlawful.‘Sarah was completely different to the women he'd known since his records started selling. She was real and that made her an exception to the boho posing and tragic gracelessness of everyone else. That was also what made missing her even more terrible. So, most of the time, he avoided thinking about her. It was much easier to silently destroy all the women who could never compare to her…’Scott Drake is alone in a hotel room and there is no escape. He can walk out at any time but there is no getting away from the past, from his guilt, from himself and the fear of losing someone that he loves all over again. ‘Fading Polaroids in Reverse’ is a series of snapshots of moments and memories in Scott’s life, and is the sixth short story in the ‘Diamonds’ Collection that also includes ‘Bewilder’, ‘Heart over Head over Heels’, ‘Bonfire Blues’, ‘Lily Green’, and ‘The Devil eats Coleslaw’.

Though unsuccessful to a certain degree, Nazi ideology was forced to take a back-seat during the dissolution of WW2. This most definitely being the furthest reach of Judaism with its many streams of ideology and practices.The feasts! The pageants! The coconuts! Fromsday is here and Klondaeg is invited. Join Klondaeg as he visits the land of the frog-people to attend a festival in honor of Fromdon, God of Coconuts. But all is not well in the frog-lands, where a monster has disrupted the proceedings and threatens to pull a family apart. Can Klondaeg save Fromsday? Find out in this very special episode of Klondaeg the Monster Hunter.

Gemma sat alone in her bedroom, her favorite teddy bear “Gruff” in her arms. Other toys were positioned on the bed as she played her game "Make Believe" exchanging secrets in a world of her own. A new baby brother changes everything but he took a lot of getting used to.In a time before Knight Graham adventured for the three magical artifacts, a magical kingdom named Daventry was ruled by King Edward.The king ruled with his beloved wife using the three magical treasures which were the all seeing mirror, the all mighty shield and the always full chest.But bad times are upon Daventry as it becomes a Kingdom in Distress, as evil entities spawn their own plans.This book was written by King's Quest fans (the game series which were created in the late eighties), to King's Quest fans, as a prequel to the game series, this book enrolls the events which led to the first King's Quest.Please visit my site and subscribe for any future updates, news and freebies: daventrytales.com

In this contemplative mystery novel, because death is unknown, life becomes the puzzle. War In A Beautiful Country follows Regina as she is suddenly forced to find her way through a newly dangerous life already rocked by emotional loss and artistic disappointment. An unexpected event, turns everything around.Last weekend I was looking through my computer. Over the years I've written short stories on whatever subject that interested me at the moment. Here is a sample for you to enjoy. In the properties of each file I found the earliest date recorded on my present computer and listed it. I included it for your information only. I only did minor editing to clean up the stories. I only ask one thing. After you read these stories, please go to the end of the book and click on the link and let me know how you liked each story. A simple GOOD, BAD, TERRIBLE, QUIT POLLUTING THE INTERNET WITH E-BOOKS, or any other comment will let me know which type of stories you like. I don't aim to please, because I write for my enjoyment, whether you like them or not. However, I do listen and sometimes change my mind.Back before I knew about e-books I took a writing course online. One of the questions asked was my goal to get published. Because I knew that the publishing houses controlled writers, I replied that I wanted to collect a thousand rejection slips. The instructor praised me for my attitude because she said that many aspiring writers gave up after rejections by the print publication houses. I failed because I only collected seven before I discovered online publishing at Smashwords. No use banging my head against a brick wall where someones else's preconceived ideas limit my freedom of expression.

Spending years in a wooden chest Betty "The Doll with Odd Eyes” was reluctantly given to a charity shop. She was a gift to Annie over 60 years ago. What will become of her favourite doll now? Would she be loved and cared for.?Investigating the bow and arrow murder of Marko Dubzek at a naturist park just south of town presents Inspector Gilles Maintenon with a pretty pickle indeed. There are no suspects, no one saw or heard a thing and Dubzek has a bit of a past with the police. Death is a many-splendored thing, and in the end, it’s always the one you least suspect. The eighth in Louis Shalako’s The Inspector Gilles Maintenon Mystery Series, this intriguing noir mystery will not disappoint.

These five short stories tell, each in their own way, what people do when change enters their lives.Written clearly and concisely, the stories are tragic, ironic, touching, and hopeful.Whether it's about love, loneliness, or the yearning for recognition, in each story a decision must be made to give up, or to keep going, in the face of new situations.Secrets unravel in this science-fiction fantasy about a girl troubled by the death of her twin sister. Haunted by dreams and memories, seventeen-year-old Casey George struggles to reconnect with her former self, and when strange things start happening at school, Casey is convinced she's going crazy. Things go from bad to worse when Casey is implicated in the strange goings-on, and her future at the Malvern Academy hangs in the balance. After an attack by a malevolent creature, handsome newcomer, Caleb, takes Casey to Displacia - a rogue planet where the inhabitants possess unusual and powerful gifts. In this new world, Casey learns that her life is not what it seems and that her sister's death may not have been the tragic accident it was thought to be. Surrounded by mystery and intrigue, can Casey overcome her personal barriers to save both Earth and Displacia from the sinister force known as the Shadows? Please note: this book is the first part of a trilogy, the second instalment will be available Winter 2017.

This book is a collection of love poems which were originally posted on a blog by Monica Renata. Each poem in this collection shows a different aspect of love. In addition, some of the poems depict what others may go through in their attempt to hold on to what they consider love to be. All of these poems can be found in the blog which is managed by the author. On this blog, you could post commBeware the Scent of Tuberose and the Maniacal Music of the Keys!At six years old, Lissette attends a concert by the handsome and dazzling concert pianist, Armand Guy de Rais. She is instantly infatuated. Ten years later, their lives destroyed by the French Revolution, Lissette's mother marries her off to a wealthy aristocrat living on a Caribbean island. Could Lissette's childhood fantasy be coming true? Or is there more than a whiff of decay in the flowers, in the house, in the music of the keys?This is a Gothic Faery Tale of about 6,000 words.

A Sci-fi vs Fantasy tale where an alien plague takes out most of the worlds population and magic tries to right itself as the dominant science.Treyson McAlister on a dream vacation amongst castles and lochs in Scotland searches for and finds a sword hidden long ago by his grandfather. All seemed well on his get-away from a job he hated until the planet’s population is devastated by an alien plague leaving him without communication or air flight home to his very pregnant wife.Unbeknownst to him the world experiences what is known as a Renewal which occurs every ten to fifteen millennia. It also ushers in an age-old battle not between good and evil, but between magic and technology. Being heir to the ancient sword Treyson is chosen to lead the fight to restore magic to the dominant force of science. But he first decides to find a way home, to determine the fate of his wife and unborn son.

"Three" contains three short stories: Down, The Reckie, and Feena. All the stories are fictional, with fantasy, history, and dystopian elements. You will surely enjoy these stories! And better yet, the book is free! So please take a moment to download this book and submerge yourself in worlds beyond your imagination."Three" contains three short stories: Down, The Reckie, and Feena."Down"Bryan loves caving; his twin Joel hates it. Exploring newly discovered caves, Bryan gets lost. To find him Joel is helped by Roke, a strange, giant of a man who lives in the caves year-round. Quarreling at first, they learn to get along as they overcome the terrors of cave-climbing and attacks by thugs who want to kill them. Finding Bryan near death, they face their biggest challenge: how to save him."The Reckie"Mozart was never able to finish his last and greatest work, his Requiem, because he died of an infection. Carol and Mathew want to time travel to the l8th century to cure him with antibiotics so he can finish it as a gift for her musician dad. They find a way to do it, but then Mozart gives them the wrong music so he has to time travel to America himself to deliver it."Feena"In this dystopian fantasy, Feena is a human survivor of an interplanetary war. She falls for Jome, an enemy robot soldier severely injured in the conflict. An enemy official, called the Inspector, wants her to be his slave and tries to kidnap her. She must find a way to foil him and mend Jome.

Snapper Jack was rescued from Swamp Island. He meets Sizzer the Crocodile that sees two of everything. Lazy Susie who goes around in circles and a Bob tailed Lizard that thinks Jack is his dad!A northerner by birth, Willow moves south when she inherits her grandfather’s ice cream shop. From the slow southern dialect to the crazy drivers, Willow finds herself at odds with what most call “southern charm.” She becomes obsessed with cook-offs and bake-offs, wanting those trophies for her mantle. With the chili cook-off just around the corner, Willow manages to provoke one of the judges to a fit of road rage. When that judge ends up face down, dead, in a bowl of Willow’s chili, police chief Grice looks to the newest town resident as his number one suspect. Willow must find out who wanted Ms. Delonda Posey dead before the good citizens of Turtle, OK run her Yankee bottom out of town.