Off in a distance stood a dark desolate castle in north-western Ireland full of mystery and macabre known as Castle Drac Von Stoller. Anyone that would dare talk bad about the castle would later come up missing without a trace. Legend has it that Count Drac Von Stoller was cursed to remain in the castle's mirror for impaling the great wizard Estavon unless someone could break the curse.Off in a distance stood a dark desolate castle in north-western Ireland full of mystery and macabre known as Castle Drac Von Stoller. Anyone that would dare talk bad about the castle would later come up missing without a trace. Costume parties were held at the castle where ballroom dancing would also take place. Legend has it that Count Drac Von Stoller impaled the great Wizard Estavan and just as the Count was about to sink his teeth into the Wizard's neck the Wizard pulled his magic wand out of his cloak and a beam of light shot through the wand into the mirror standing in the corner. Estavan the Wizard said as he was gasping his last breathe on the impaling stake. "Count for what you've done to me I curse you to the mirror where you will remain for all eternity unless you can find thirteen virgin maiden's impale them and suck every drop of their precious blood from their bodies. If you fail the mirror will be your final resting place, you only have one chance to lift the curse.” Views: 639
As sweeping historical romance. From the high society of Charleston to the green hills of Ireland.Baltimore-born Ireland Rose, daughter of Irish immigrants, must be married by her seventeenth birthday. Rose's father finds a suitable husband, Captain Camden Lovell, twenty-seven years her senior. Captain Lovell takes his bride to Charleston, provides her with a beautiful home on the Battery and good standing in Charleston Society.Three years later Rose is a widow. Captain Wyatt, her husband's trusted employee is now in charge of her affairs. Rose senses he does not like her. One day he brings a young woman with child to her - and a secret that must be kept. A little girl is born, and Rose becomes a mother. Captain Wyatt offers to marry her in name only to protect her from Charleston society gossip, but she is determined she will not marry a second time for protection. She will marry for love or live alone.Just three months later, August 31st, 1886 the city of Charleston suffers the worst earthquake of the century. Her beautiful home is in shambles. Rose has no choice but to return to her parents' birthplace in Ireland. The only record she has of her Irish ancestry is in her mother's Bible. She and her infant daughter take the next ship to Ireland. She has begun to hope she has finally found happiness when Captain Wyatt comes with news that shatters her heart.Every person Rose loves is taken away. Her faith in God is shaken. There is a plan for her, but she can't see it. Captain Wyatt breaks her heart, not once but twice. Views: 639
Hiding behind an armchair, five-year-old Emma does not witness the murder of her mother, but she hears everything. And when the assassins finally leave, the young Tutsi girl somehow manages to stumble away from the scene, motivated only by the memory of her mother's last words: "You must not die, Emma!" Eventually Emma is taken in by an old Hutu woman who risks her own life to hide the child. Emma stays with the old woman and a quiet bond forms between the two, but long after the war ends, the young girl is still haunted by nightmares. When the country establishes courts to allow victims to face their tormenters in their villages, Emma is uneasy and afraid. But through her growing friendship with a young torture victim and the gentle encouragement of an old man charged with helping child survivors, Emma finds the courage to return to the house where her mother was killed and begin the journey to healing. Views: 639
This is a collection of eight short stories that depict the nuances of human psychology, the predicament of individuals via-a-vis the complexities of social life and the pains and pleasres of human living.When the Oonocks sank their golden city of Atlantis beneath the ocean, only the words of Plato gave testimony of its existence. Now learn a new theory of who the Atlantians were and why they had to sink their city that eventful night. Find out why 6000 years ago, a race known as the Oonocks left their beautiful, lilac waters of Jupiter’s ice moon Europa to begin a new life on Earth. Discover the real Atlantians. Europa is a nineteen year old human female who has never heard of the Oonocks. And, although she’s heard of the legend of Atlantis, she’s never giving the story much thought. That is until her mother is assassinated and her world is turned upside down. Venture with Europa as she discovers a secret attic above her mother’s bedroom where pictures of her parents hundreds of years old are kept. Gasp in amazement and confusion as she reads in her mother’s diary that she would be born as a human and never know who she really was. Go along on Europa’s journey of discovery, a journey of many dangers as her mother’s assassin chases her, determined to personally end her life. Cry with her as she loses almost everyone and everything she loves. Can she survive? To do so she must somehow discover the truth of her past and awaken the queen inside her. She must learn and accept the true story of Atlantis, the Oonock race and what lives beneath Europa’s ice. If she can’t, then she will never see her twenty-first birthday. Views: 639
aqua (n) - water, used in compound names, or substances in water. synthesis (n) - The combining of elements into a unified entity. aquasynthesis (n) - a combining of worlds within a pool of water; an anthology of short stories from Splashdown authors:Fred Warren, Caprice Hokstad, P.A. Baines, Adam Graham, R.L. Copple, Travis Perry, Mike Lynch, Keven Newsome, Kat Heckenbach and Ryan GrabowEdited by Grace BridgesNarrated by Walt Staplesaqua (n) - water, used in compound names, or substances in water. synthesis (n) - The combining of elements into a unified entity. aquasynthesis (n) - a combining of worlds within a pool of water; an anthology of short stories from Splashdown authors.Gizile follows her mysterious teacher, Tok, as they look into the ice of an ocean pool to contemplate a series of strange and mystical visions: astonishing tales of technology and transcendence, aliens and elves, space and time, dragons and demons, prophecies and scriptures, humor and horror, the gifted and the enslaved, virtual and supernatural reality, insanity and inspiration.Dive into the creations of the Splashdown wordsmiths. Visit the edges of story worlds you love already, and taste their delights if you are new to Splashdown's universe.With short stories from Fred Warren, Caprice Hokstad, P.A. Baines, Adam Graham, R.L. Copple, Travis Perry, Mike Lynch, Keven Newsome, Kat Heckenbach, and Ryan Grabow. Views: 639
For millions of people around the world, Carol Brady is synonymous with motherhood, but growing up as the youngest of ten children in rural Indiana in the aftermath of the Great Depression, Florence Henderson lived a life quite different from that of the quintessential TV mom she later played on television. Florence's father was a dirt-poor tobacco tenant farmer who was nearly fifty years old when he married Florence's twenty-five-year-old mother, and was nearly seventy when Florence was born. Florence's childhood was full of abuse and abandonment. Her father was an alcoholic at a time when there was no rehab or help for the disease. Their home rarely had electricity or running water. When she was twelve, Florence's mother left the family to work in Cleveland and never returned. Florence is ready to open up about her childhood, as well as the challenges she's faced as an adult, including stage fright, postpartum depression, her extramarital affairs and divorce, and... Views: 639
These eight essays cover some of the strategies writers use for getting started, how to balance professional and practical concerns, and the value of creative writing courses. They are published here as an adjunct to the how-to manual called "Writing, a practical guide" which is available as an ebook.Writers are always talking to each other over coffee or lunch about what they do, how they do it, what concerns them, and how they manage their working lives. The eight essays in this short book cover some of the topics discussed, such as what gets us started, how we balance professional and practical matters, the value of creative writing courses, and other aspects of the writing process. The ideas have been developed during many years of writing, and teaching creative writing to adult students. This last has been a most rewarding experience because it has been a two-way street. I have learned at least as much from my students as I hope they have learned from me. These essays have been previously published elsewhere as separate pieces, and I have collected them together now as an adjunct to the how-to manual called "Writing, a practical guide" which is also available as an ebook. Views: 639
Haven: Jennyville, The newest installment of the Haven: novels about the inhabitants of a community living in a post Zombie apocalypse world. Ralph Mason and Rob Mathews must adapt to their situation or shape it to fit themselves. After a year of risking their lives for the good of the community they balk when they are ordered to start to taking orders from the community members.Haven: Jennyville, The newest installment of the Haven: novels about the inhabitants of a community living in a post Zombie apocalypse world. Ralph Mason and Rob Mathews must adapt to their situation or shape it to fit themselves. After a year of risking their lives for the good of the community they find that they must adapt to taking orders from the community members. They are forced to make the decision to stay and adjust to the new situation or leave and abandon Haven and its residents. Or they can stay and fight the elected representatives of Haven. The Security subcommittee has decide for the safety of Haven they need more control of the foragers. They feel the rogue free lance foragers need to be reigned in. Suddenly the two men find themselves fighting the Zombies, hostile survivor groups and the councilmen of Haven as well. Views: 639
Jack Landry, a notable wire-form artist seems to not be feeling like himself. He woke up one morning and discovered he was a robot, or more correctly, an android! Talk about waking up on the wrong side of the bed!Part of my "Snack Reading" series that can be read in about an hour.Jack Landry, a notable wire-form artist seems to not be feeling like himself. He woke up one morning and discovered he was a robot, or more correctly, an android! Talk about waking up on the wrong side of the bed!He enlists the help of his brother Bruce, who is an MD to help him get to the bottom of this problem. Jack has all his human memories and experiences. So what's going on???Part of my "Snack Reading" series that can be read in about an hour. Views: 638
From a young age we are urged to fight our fears. For Simon, those fears involve girls, bullies and things that lie deep beneath the surface of the pond.During their first Dream-year in the Land of Dreams, Eile and Sunny were mentored by Medb hErenn, who taught them about the Dreamworld and trained them in how to conduct adventures and to defend themselves. By the end of that year they had learned enough and gained enough experience to adventure on their own, but Medb sometimes still accompanied them, both because she enjoyed their company, and because she found their choices of adventures intriguing.One of their favorite pastimes is looting lost and abandoned temples, castles, and other ruins, both because they tend to be lucrative, and for the excitement of discovering something no one else had. So when they heard about the legendary temple of Ubasti, they decided to try to find it, and Medb volunteered to come along.They did find it with relative ease, and discovered the treasure was real, but a booby trap separated Sunny and Medb from Eile, and guards attacked her, forcing her to flee for her life.Now she must find a way to save herself and rescue the others, before some awful fate befalls them, but she will need help. Fortunately, she is able to find some, but it comes from the most unlikely source imaginable. Views: 638
Previously published in Supernatural
New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione tempts you into the darkly irresistible world of Demonica, populated by angels and demons, shifters and humans, all with a thirst that must be quenched . . .
When a wave of violence that hits too close to home forces shapeshifter and underworld nurse Vladlena Paskelkov to go undercover, her first stop is a haven of vice—with a dangerously sexy vamp in charge . . .
Legendary, jaded, Nathan Sabine is the manager of Thirst, a wildly popular vampire club—and secret underground blood arena. But Nathan, a rare daywalker, possesses other, even more explosive secrets, as does his beautiful new medic, Vladlena. The one thing they can’t conceal is the lust that simmers between them . . .
Now, in an underworld divided by revelry and violence, debauchery and vengeance, Nate and Lena will discover which risks are worth taking—and which desires demand surrender . . . Views: 638
Ruby Redfort is a genius code-cracker, a daring detective, and a gadget-laden special agent who just happens to be a 13-year-old girl. She and her slick side-kick butler, Hitch, foil crimes and get into loads of scrapes with evil villains, but they're always ice-cool in a crisis. Views: 638
Peter stands up to his older brother who stole from him.Lindsay Matthews has reached a critical and painful decision to leave her home because the man she has loved for many years has pushed her away and said to leave him alone. In the middle of a casual dinner between the two, Lindsay disappears and Nick Cates is bewildered by Lindsay’s sudden withdrawal from their life-long friendship because he isn’t aware that he has hurt her. These two need to work through the issues and will need the assistance of a rodeo rope trick. Lindsay is book two of the Stage West series. Views: 638