***Shortlisted for the 2010 DEBUT DAGGER AWARD / Crime Writers' Association***What would you do to protect your family?Financial advisor Pat Tierney's world is shattered when a visitor to her office tells her that Pat's late husband is the father of a seven-year-old boy. Stunned by the revelation of her husband's affair, Pat is even more shocked when the woman bolts from the office, leaving young Tommy behind.When Tommy's mother is murdered, police tell Pat that the boy may be the killer's next target. In a desperate race to protect Tommy, Pat searches for the truth and uncovers a deadly scheme involving illegal immigrants, trafficking in human body parts and money laundering.And Pat discovers that she'll do just about anything to keep her family safe. Views: 634
Sci-Fi action, Novus Rising is a mix of suspenseful lulls that will have you scared to read on and adrenaline filled battles which force you to check who survived. Man has often wondered if he was alone in the universe, but by the middle of the thirty-fifth century most people no longer cared. With space being conquered at a vast rate, and the rate of technological progress being limited only by imagination or corporate greed, humanity is content to ignore the age old question. This uncaring dismissal is destroyed when the lunar colony is suddenly attacked. Trapped inside the once protective dome, ex-soldier Matthew Beckett is joined by his best friend and a team of highly trained men, with the sole purpose of escape. But what they uncover is far larger than they ever dared to consider, and escaping soon becomes irrelevant. Running low on ammo, constantly on edge, and facing death at every corner, the rag-tag group must bravely push onwards. To make matters worse, Matt is haunted by visions of his past, visions that begin to threaten his future as surpressed memories of war surface. Views: 634
The third story in the Lost Forest series sees life in the forest carrying on much the same as ever – or perhaps not...Honey Elephants are a rare and special thing and the subject of unwritten history...they also have knees... But this is not the beginning of our story. If a story must have a beginning then this one begins in a tree...The third story in the Lost Forest series sees life in the forest carrying on much the same as ever – or perhaps not...Honey Elephants are a rare and special thing and the subject of unwritten history...they also have knees... But this is not the beginning of our story. If a story must have a beginning then this one begins in a tree...Long before tomorrow when today had not quite become yesterday and somewhere in-between lunch and dinner...two monkeys were sat in a tree... And that would have been that except...except there is an awlful lot more.The stork, for reasons the tree monkeys explain, went on holiday but he flew South instead of North and bumped into some jazz-loving badgers; while he was away, the tree monkeys set off to discover the Honey Elephant's honey yard. Then there are the Sisters of the Sacred Brethren, a group of flightless condors, headed toward the Lost Forest on a pilgrimage....and, completely separately, the Rajastan Dodo is now extinct... But to be fair, no one probably noticed...Eventually they all come together in a chaotic tale of...well...you'll need to read the story to discover just what happens...or doesn't or should have... But as the stork says, “it's a metaphor, isn't it...a fossilised snake, a giant inner tube...no...erm...hominy grits?..oh, a pole..?”“It is the one and the many at the same time...” replied Sister Dor of the Sisters of the Sacred Brethren.The sun began to tire and slip down to the horizon, trying as best it could to cast butterfly shadows on the sand dunes until...in the cooling evening air, it sneezed, lost its balance and fell below the horizon plunging everything into darkness...Oh and don't forget, it is probably a bad idea to feed the badgers honey...And remember, the Honey Elephant is a rare and special thing and the subject of unwritten history...probably just a myth then... Views: 634
Evil water elementals threaten a college when they begin abducting women for use in a sacrificial offering to their overlord. They don't have long - a fire elemental is on their trail.Evil water elementals threaten a college when they begin abducting women for use in a sacrifical offering to their overlord. They don't have long - a fire elemental is on their trail.Evie Galloway feels life passing around her in the same boring, monotonous fashon every day. Nothing happens and she already sees her dull future. It changes once she witnesses a fight between two supernatural creatures in the school's library.She finds herself thrust into saving the world along with a fire elemental named Uriz. Together, they have to stop water elementals known as Reachers before they summon their master onto our plane. Views: 634
313AD. Under the rule of Emperor Constantine, Rome finally appears to be emerging from its turbulent past. In order to consolidate his control and under the guidance of his mother Helena, Constantine plans to harness the power of the increasingly influential Christian Church. But his loyalties are brought into question when three courtesans from the Guild of Aphrodite - a guild Constantine himself frequents - are found dead. All three bodies have crosses etched on their forehead and each cheek. Aiming at protecting her son's future, Helena calls upon the service of an 'agente in rebus politcus' - or spy. Claudia is the niece of a tavern-owner and is placed as a wine-server in Constantine's household. But Claudia has secret motives of her own...About the AuthorPaul Doherty was born in Middlesbrough. He studied History at Liverpool and Oxford Universities and obtained a doctorate for his thesis on Edward II and Queen Isabella. He is now headmaster of a school in north-east London and lives with his family in Essex. Views: 634
This free download features “Troll”, a short story of approximately 3,221 words, along with excerpts from Wodke Hawkinson novels.Description of “Troll”: The Macksburg County Sheriff’s Office receives a report of a “troll” under the William Frank Bridge. Officers arrest the culprit and bring him in. Then things get interesting.A earlier version of “Troll” was first included in the book, AloneThe Macksburg County Sheriff’s Office receives a report of a “troll” under the William Frank Bridge. Officers arrest the culprit and bring him in. Then things get interesting.A earlier version of “Troll” was first included in the book, Alone - Selected Short Stories, Volume 3, by Wodke Hawkinson. Approximately 3221 words. At the end of the story are excerpts from Wodke Hawkinson novels. Views: 634
Three women. They have nothing in common. They are different ages, come from different background, and lead drastically different lives. The only thing that binds them together is their red hair--and that each of them has been targeted for murder.
When each 'Red' receives a chilling letter in the mail from a killer known only as the Wolf, their lives are upended as they spend every waking moment in the fear that their lives could be snuffed out at any moment. The Wolf is stalking them, biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to complete his master plan. Yet the one thing this cunning and devious killer didn't plan for is the Reds discovering each other.
The three women, using clues left by the Wolf, manage to band together in the hopes of protecting one another from this deadly predator. With law enforcement turning their backs on the Reds, their only hope for survival is to turn the tables, for the prey to become the predators. In a riveting game of cat-and-mouse, the Reds must track down the Wolf himself--before he silences each of them forever. Views: 634
They are called conspiracy theories, but Nick Kalvane is about to discover the out of this world truths these theories are used to conceal.Nick Kalvane is being watched by a shadowy, black ops group, who have an interest in abilities that Nick is blissfully unaware he possesses. While on a solo trip to the governmentally denied Groom Lake facility in the Nevada desert, Nick is abducted, and comes to in a strange room. There he is visited by the man who abducted him, Bill McGraw, who indoctrinates Nick that an extraterrestrial race from a planet that comes into close orbit with Earth every thirty six hundred years combined their own DNA with primitive man to create a race of slaves known as human beings. A civil war on that planet halted the program but Nibiru is set for another near Earth encounter and they aim to pick up where they left off. Views: 633
Clara comes of age as a wildwitch, and faces her most terrifying challenge yet
As Clara turns thirteen she must complete a daunting challenge in order to become a fully-fledged wildwitch, but a series of frightening attacks on her family are distracting her from the crucial task ahead of her.
Clara searches for the source of the danger and finds herself drawn further and further into the mystery, towards a deadly battle with Bravita Bloodling that will leave her changed for ever. Views: 633
Ella is five years old. In the past seven days, her life’s changed beyond all recognition. She killed her first Chimera, she was adopted by the Deputy General, and she was enrolled in the Hunter Division Junior Academy.And as if her life weren’t already in enough turmoil, a Chimera breakout from the Victuals & Vivisection wing of the Omega Dual Division Headquarters threatens to destroy more than just the last, bitter dregs of her quickly depleting childhood innocence: it threatens her life.Book three in The SILVER Series. Views: 633
Two young lads are attracted to the idea of thieving cars. Unaware of the ramifications, off goes the handbrake and straight into first gear…With only survival on their minds, these lads find they may need to compromise their lives to breakthrough their entrapment. On a journey of tremendous courage and desire to survive they learn not everyone is who they seem.Two young lads are attracted to the idea of thieving cars. Unaware of the ramifications, off goes the handbrake and straight into first gear…The lads find themselves under the spotlight of a malicious group who show no remorse and with violence as their only answer. With only survival on their minds, these lads find they may need to compromise their lives to breakthrough their entrapment. On a journey of tremendous courage and desire to survive they learn not everyone is who they seem.A gripping short story that contains a hidden message within, this astonishing well-written eBook will keep you engrossed throughout. About the AuthorGareth Parker - educated at a military boarding school, always telling stories and with a proved vivid imagination finally decided to put pen to paper to create thrilling short stories for eBook readers. Parker - now enjoying the Welsh life in Cardiff works for a blue-chip company, even though he's always on the go spends his spare time enduring creativity for others to enjoy. Views: 633
Karl, aged seventeen, is hopelessly in love. But the object of his affections, Firella, demands proof, and poses him a series of questions regarding his attitude to the many sides of love. But Karl is dyslexic, and convinced that if Firella finds out, she will think he is stupid, and unworthy of her, and leave him.
So Karl asks a local writer to help him construct his replies - and an unlikely, but extremely touching, friendship develops between the two men. They both come to learn a great deal about about life from a very different perspective, and when an act of violence shatters their calm, they find their respective appraisal of life shifting in profound ways.
This is Aidan Chambers' Dying to Know You. Views: 633
It was just a camp...until the day nine mix-matched kids arrive at Camp Clearwater. Their dysfunctions take them into the woods in a twisted game of wilderness therapy, but the game quickly ends when even the counselor gets lost. Will it be too late before they learn to work together? Will...they...cope?It’s 2461 AD. Some 400 years ago a woman died of cancer. But technology revived life in her corpse. She finds herself waking up in a ship, on the Earth which is on the verge of extinction. Humanity has axed its own beautiful planet by exploiting it to an irreparable extent. Life has returned to her, but survival is a challenge. Darkness pervades, in the present world outside, in future, below the oceans as well as inside her own self. But she got her second chance because of a purpose which was forgotten with the past life, which is sealed in the time she lay dead for in the cryo. A fight among the instincts of survival, revival, betrayal, revenge and strength of soul. A battlefield set in the apocalyptic future. A war is waging between the atrocities outside and toxicities of the inside; the cruelty of the world outside and the suffering of the heart; a war between hatred outside and revenge inside; a story founding the basis of another world war. The future world turns out nothing as she expected but it is appalling. We'll but have to place the blame on ourselves. But we'll fight for life on our raging planet lost to the aftermath of global warming. The war begins right about now.....!!! This is the first book setting up the background for a battle ahead Views: 633
As an uberhuman replicator, Carlos is able to peel another copy of himself whenever he needs company or back-up. However, someone wants to test the extent of these abilities by systematically assassinating his 'tribe' while on holiday in Puerto Rico.As an uberhuman replicator, Carlos is able to peel another copy of himself whenever he needs company or back-up. However, someone wants to test the extent of these abilities by systematically assassinating his 'tribe' while on holiday in Puerto Rico.A short story exploring some of the complications (and opportunities) facing a man who can make copies of himself. Views: 633
