An Orwellian Dystopian Society - Keira Maddock lives in a dark future in which the Elite have everything, and everyone else suffers. She is a survivor. Out of necessity, she has become a skilled seductress, thief and bounty hunter – a Freelancer. When a typical job goes awry, it changes everything. Alliances are formed, long kept secrets are revealed and lives are forever changed.Keira Maddock has never considered herself a lady. In fact, she often acts in ways that would be considered downright un-ladylike. A hired killer and thief whose only goal is to provide the necessities of life for herself and her sister, she has learned to be brutally effective in her trade, with skills as sharp as the weapons she prefers. And when the head of a huge, shadowy corporation hires her to remove a powerful and wealthy opponent, Keira is happy to oblige. Until she meets him...Scott Maddock is a hardened Terenian soldier-for-life. His job, to uphold the motto of the realm: "Reliance on Citizens Makes Us Great!" Soldiers work for the Gov, and the Gov is run by heads of corporations. But where do Scott's loyalties really lie? Only he and his best friend know for sure.April Maddock is trying to make it on her own and has taken a job with a wealthy family. She has chosen not to fight the system like Keira, nor to fight for the Gov like Scott. Unlike her siblings, she recognizes the good in everyone. Even so, outside appearances can be deceiving. April knows that better than most.Infested with greed and divided by power, the realm of Terene bears remarkable resemblance to our own society. But opposite despair, there is always hope. Whereas Keira Maddock brings destruction, Guy Bensen brings promise. Wealthy and powerful, yet thoughtful and caring, he is an anomaly who throws her completely off guard. When she learns of his connections to Scott and April, Keira knows she has made the right decision in not only sparing his life but in joining his cause.In book one of the Reliance on Citizens trilogy, S.L. Wallace introduces a world divided in which not everyone is who he seems to be. In a seamless blend of action, sci-fi, romance and political suspense, we are encouraged to consider the bonds that makes us human. Views: 339
Francis Brett Harte was born at Albany in the State of New York, on August twenty-fifth, 1836. By his relatives and early friends he was called Frank; but soon after beginning his career as an author in San Francisco he signed his name as “Brett,” then as “Bret,” and finally as “Bret Harte.” “Bret Harte,” therefore, is in some degree a nom de guerre, and it was commonly supposed at first, both in the Eastern States and in England, to be wholly such. Our great New England novelist had a similar experience, for “Nathaniel Hawthorne” was long regarded by most of his readers as an assumed name, happily chosen to indicate the quaint and poetic character of the tales to which it was signed. Bret Harte’s father was Henry Hart; but before we trace his ancestry, let us endeavor to see how he looked. Fanny Kemble met him at Lenox, in the year 1875, and was much impressed by his appearance. Views: 339
In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.
Engrossing and suspenseful, All These Things I've Done is an utterly unique, unputdownable read that blends both the familiar and the fantastic. Views: 339
It is May in Aberystwyth, and the mayoral election campaign - culminating in the traditional boxing match between candidates - is underway. Sospan the ice-cream seller waits in his hut for souls brave enough to try his latest mind-expanding new flavour, and Louie Knight, Aberystwyth's only Private Detective, receives a visit from a mysterious stranger called Raspiwtin asking him to track down a dead man. Twenty-five years ago Iestyn Probert was hanged for his part in the notorious raid on the Coliseum cinema, but shortly afterwards he was seen, apparently alive and well, boarding a bus to Aberaeron. Did he miraculously evade the hangman's noose? Or could there really be substance to the rumours that he was resuscitated by aliens? Now, as strange lights are spotted in the sky above Aberystwyth and a farmer claims to have had a close encounter with a lustful extraterrestrial, Iestyn Probert has been sighted once again. But what does Raspiwtin want with him? And why does Louie's investigation arouse unwelcome interest from a shadowy government body and a dark-suited man in a black 1947 Buick?** Views: 338
An aspiring writer suspects that her work has been stolen by someone in her writing workshop. (Short Fiction)An aspiring writer suspects that her work has been stolen by someone in her Writing workshop. (Short Fiction) Views: 338
A beautiful woman. An unrequited love. An excuse for murder.Araminta Jewell is one of the beauties of her day. Even her marriage to the staid and ugly Sir Martin Culthorpe has not discouraged her hordes of admirers. It is during her first sitting for a portrait painted by the fashionable French artist Jean-Paul Villemot that the architect Christopher Redmayne meets the lovely Lady Culthorpe, although he has heard much about her through his brother Henry, one of her most ardent pursuers. Before the portrait can be finished and revealed, however, Sir Martin is murdered. Joining fores with his good friend, the puritan constable Jonathan Bale, Christopher embarks on a quest to discover the killer's identity.In his latest Restoration mystery, Edward Marston, the master of historical detail, reveals the dark and often debauched depths of seventeenth-century London.Review"The past brought to life with brilliant colors, combined with a perfect whodunit." About the AuthorEDWARD MARSTON was born and brought up in South Wales. A full-time writer for over thirty years, he has worked in radio, film, television and the theatre, and is a former chairman of the Crime Writers’ Association. Views: 338
Lily McClain is a confirmed SantaPhobic, which is why she's so ticked off that her regular Santa, Blake, has backed out for the night. But when she steps into Santa's red suit, she becomes an inspiration for hundreds of little girls, just in time for Christmas...This 4,650-word short story is 29 pages long.She lay abandoned, moored to the south end of Luna Farside, left for scrap. Captain Dak Smith saw in her something special, an opportunity to burn for the far horizon as an independent, free from the gloms that hold known space in thrall – but he had to get her running first. Armed with a standard-issue captain's eyebrow and an infectious grin, Captain Smith and his hand-picked crew embark on an adventure through deep space filled with scoundrels, pirates, and some incredibly unfortunate peace-loving rocks that happened to be at the wrong place, at the worst time. Views: 338
A spiderweb of dangerous relationships lies at the heart.
A woman with a murky past jumps off a bridge, or was she thrown? A spoiled kid awash in gambling debt thinks he can beat the system. A lovely woman whose marriage is about to splinter into a thousand fragments. A professional shoplifting ring working for the Mob, racks up millions from stolen goods. A wandering husband is rich and ruthless. A dirty cop is so entrenched on the force he is immune to exposure. A sinister gangster is conscienceless and brutal. A lonely widower mourns the death of his lover, desperate for answers, which may be worse than the pain of his loss. Private detective, Kinsey Millhone's thirty-eighth-birthday gift is a punch in the face that leaves her with two black eyes and a busted nose.
And an elegant and powerful businessman whose dealings are definitely outside the law: the magus at the center of the web.
V: Victim. Violence. Vengeance. Views: 338
The scandalous Lady Amelia Dasherwood must face her enemies to get aid for a forgotten orphanage. Newly returned from the war, Dr. Reed St. Ives plans to make a new life and forget Amelia. When fate reunites them, the last thing they want is to face the heartbreak that tore them apart. Amelia must choose between honoring her family’s wishes or declaring herself and risking Reed’s rejection.The scandalous Lady Amelia Dasherwood would rather thumb her nose at the society who shunned her for getting a divorce, but must now face those who rejected her in order to solicit aid for a forgotten orphanage dear to her.Newly returned from the horrors of war, Dr. Reed St. Ives plans to make a new life as a country doctor and forget Amelia ever existed--after all, she broke his heart when she married another man. Yet she keeps invading his thoughts and showing up when he least expects her. If only he could find a cure for his own heart.When fate reunites them, the last thing they want is to face the heartbreak that tore them apart years ago. Amelia must choose between honoring her family’s wishes to deny her love again, or declaring herself and risking Reed’s rejection. Placing her heart at his feet would take the most courage of all. Views: 338
Whilst cataloging the documents of the Frazier family, Gemma Ranford finds references to the Heartwishes Stone which is said to grant wishes to anyone named Frazier. As Gemma learns more about the family - and even begins falling in love with the eldest son, Colin - it becomes increasingly clear that their wishes are actually coming true. Views: 338
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. Views: 338
Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy. Views: 338
Cut to Melbourne, Australia–the most glamorous city in the world. It also happens to be the only one left standing, but nevermind that, we’re there now and I’d like you to meet your narrator, a certain Floyd Maquina, a likable chap with one hell of a story to share. See, the powers that be are knuckling down on the Deviant menace that plagues the city, and our boy Floyd’s unknowingly got himself in the thick of it. Cue guns, intrigue, kidnappings, conspiracy and all sorts of general mayhem that make for cracking good headlines.
Does Floyd stop the bad guys? Does he get the girl? Does he make Humphrey Bogart proud? Grab some popcorn and read on. Views: 338
Aiden Wainwright was the son of a wagon maker in a small country town where nothing interesting ever happened, until a chance encounter with a strange relic changed him forever. His resourcefulness and courage are put to the test when he travels to a nearby town and finds the place on the brink of disaster. Aiden must marshal his limited resources to aid the town and uncover the villains.Aiden Wainwright was the son of a wagon maker in a small country town where nothing interesting ever happened, until a chance encounter with a strange relic changed him forever. Obsessed with unravelling the mystery of his experience, Aiden turns from his friends and family and studies the arcane arts, discovering within himself a spark of intellect he never imagined. But his resourcefulness and courage are put to the test when he travels to a nearby town in pursuit of answers, and finds the place on the brink of disaster. An ordinary young man with an extraordinary talent, Aiden must marshal his limited resources and ally himself with the desperate locals to thwart a dire plot which threatens the lives of thousands. Views: 337
DON'T TRY TO FIGURE A FINAL ANSWER TO THIS ONE. PHILOSOPHERS HAVE TRIED FOR AGES ... AND HAVE FAILED! Views: 337
