A brutal account of the storming of the north gate in the fight for Hougoumont Farm, a fictional story based on historical events. The outcome of Waterloo may well of hinged on the struggle for Hougoumont Farm, death is indescriminate in the turmoil and carnage of battle!Please leave a review for this story as it is free for you to read and feedback will help me write better stories. ThanksReturn to Hougoumont is a graphic account of a defining moment in the Battle of Waterloo. Early on in this momentous battle French troops drove contingents of the Coldstream Guards from a pine wood and into the adjacent Hougoumont Farm where the main Guards contingent was dug in within the walls. For a brief moment there was a chance for the French to breach the North Gate, it was bloody and glorious. Death was indescriminate in this struggle and heroes decided the fate of many.Had Hougoumont fallen then Wellington's position would of been untennable and history would of had a different outcome.This is a gripping account told by Shaun Parker in his first short story. Views: 253
A meticulous account of the greatest drug scourge the country has ever seenBefore crack, there was cocaine. In 1972, New Yorkers bought more powdered cocaine than heroin, and they paid dearly for it. Pimps, rock stars, UN delegates, and high school students all turned on with snow. Some used casually, and some threw their lives away for its fleeting high. The drug's devotees showed their allegiance with a golden coke spoon necklace—a sign of the wealth required to maintain a habit when the drug sold for as much as seventy-five dollars a hit. They used it to party, to work, and to have sex. They snorted it, shot it, and rubbed it on their gums. And more and more, they killed and died for the sake of the priceless white powder.In this staggering exposé, Marc Olden gets to the heart of New York's cocaine underworld, painting an exhaustive picture of the drug's effects on society—from the highest highs to the lowest lows. Views: 253
[Siren Classic ManLove: Erotic Alternative Paranormal Romance, M/M, shape-shifters, blood play, spanking, HEA]Garrett Carrington’s been raised since birth to be a fierce and respected alpha, but all the traits adored by others do nothing to impress his warrior mate.Lachlan Campbell pushes Garrett’s control at every turn, and when he tries to bring his warrior mate to heel, Lachlan refuses. Now left alone, Garrett’s starting to wonder if what he thought he once wanted is worth losing his mate over.With a witch among them, Lachlan has been forced to move back in with Garrett to search for the evil plaguing the Carrington pack. Given a second chance, Garrett’s going to do whatever it takes to win back Lachlan’s affection.After receiving information from an unexpected source, Garrett and Lachlan must put aside their differences and work together to save the future of the pack and each other. In a blink of an eye, Garrett is forced to choose between what’s expected of him and what he truly desires. Views: 253
Set in the sub-suburbs, where trailer park and white-flight suburb rub elbows, this story rollicks across decades, from the 1980's to the present. An addled man tries to escape the shadow of his genius but despairing father only to find himself subjected to the same temptations to find the answers to life in a radio device designed to talk to angels or the dead. A fat, Faustian German opera.Set in the sub-suburbs, where trailer park and white-flight suburb rub elbows, this story rollicks across decades, from the 1980's to the present. An addled man tries to escape the shadow of his genius but despairing father only to find himself subjected to the same grandiose temptations to find the answers to life in a radio device designed to talk to angels or the dead. A fat, Faustian German opera, "Angels and Electrons" is a different sort of 'coming of age' novel -- if you can be said to come of age at 50, can conquer your despair, and can resist the recurring desire to take down the system that took down you. Views: 253
A Christmas gift to my readers and colleagues here at Smashwords. May the joy of His Nativity illuminate your Christmas season and be yours throughout the coming New Year.There stood atop a desolated hilltop a funeral parlor by the name of Sunny Hills Funeral Parlor with some terrifying tales from the dead. Jeramiah Hill the owner of Sunny Hills Funeral Parlor would invite some of his closest friends in town to come and hear how people that were brought to his funeral parlor died. Sunny Hills Funeral Parlor was built in 1816 by the Hills family. Soon after construction was complete on the funeral parlor bad things started happening. One of the Hill's brothers got into a fight with the other brother over a girl and in a jealous rage Jim Hill fell out of the two story window in the funeral parlor to his death. Since there were no witnesses, Jim's death was declared an accident. Just weeks after Jim's death, his brother Daryl was found dead in one of the coffins in the funeral parlor. Daryl's father Jeramiah told the lawmen that from the look on his son's face he was frightened to death. Just as if he saw something so terrible he thought hiding in the coffin would keep him safe. After Sunny Hills Funeral Parlor changed hands because of its haunted past the name was changed to Haunted Hills Funeral Parlor and that's when more bad things started to happen that would cause the town to be haunted forever even burning the place to the ground didn't stop the all the haunting. Views: 253
Nothing can shield him from the horrible dream. Nothing can protect her from a danger she can't see.One man’s attempt at dodging the war while on a treasure seeking mission for gold, leads him on a quest that he never imagined possible. As he crosses state borders from North to South, he is hell bent on determining his own path, until circumstances continue to fuel his situation beyond his control. With each tacking pace of the train, he will eventually venture into the bayous of Louisiana where he is beaten and left for dead, until he is discovered by someone that can alter the course of his destiny forever, but not before many battles are waged against him. Eventually, he is brought to a place where he must choose to live as a soldier of misfortune or discover the real reason why he began his journey in the first place. From the timber mills of Wisconsin, into the deep South and the rugged West, nothing will keep Daniel Stone from going after what he wants, neither the cruelty of strangers or the vengeful warriors of the plains, while the Civil War looms around him. He would rather die trying to get where he wants to go, than to live with the regrets of a life unlived… Views: 253
After narrowly surviving his last operation, Gabriel Allon, the wayward son of Israeli intelligence, has taken refuge behind the walls of the Vatican, where he is restoring one of Caravaggio's greatest masterpieces. But early one morning he is summoned to St. Peter's Basilica by Monsignor Luigi Donati, the all-powerful private secretary to His Holiness Pope Paul VII. The body of a beautiful woman lies broken beneath Michelangelo's magnificent dome. The Vatican police suspect suicide, though Gabriel believes otherwise. So, it seems, does Donati. But the monsignor is fearful that a public inquiry might inflict another scandal on the Church, and so he calls upon Gabriel to quietly pursue the truth—with one caveat."Rule number one at the Vatican," Donati said. "Don't ask too many questions."Gabriel learns that the dead woman had uncovered a dangerous secret—a secret that threatens a global criminal enterprise that is looting timeless treasures of antiquity and selling them to the highest bidder. But there is more to this network than just greed. A mysterious operative is plotting an act of sabotage that will plunge the world into a conflict of apocalyptic proportions. . . .An intoxicating blend of art, intrigue, and history, The Fallen Angel moves swiftly from the cloistered chambers of the Vatican to the glamorous ski slopes of St. Moritz to the graceful avenues of Berlin and Vienna—and, finally, to a shocking climax beneath the world's most sacred and contested parcel of land. Each setting in this extraordinary novel is rendered with the care of an Old Master, as are the spies, lovers, priests, and thieves who inhabit its pages. It is a story of faith and of the destructive power of secrets—and an all too timely reminder that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.Review“It’s become almost obligatory for lovers of high level thrillers to read each new Daniel Silva novel as soon as it appears. With his by now trademark character, Gabriel Allon...Silva just about guarantees a couple of days of terrific entertainment.” (NPR, All Things Considered )“Daniel Silva’s The Fallen Angel soars with authenticity….The Fallen Angel delivers the goods….Riveting espionage adventures that have timely, real-world relevance.” (Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram )“Meticulously researched....The Fallen Angel is a first-class spy mystery painted on a grand scale.” (Columbus Dispatch )“Another heart-pounding escapade of art restorer and Israeli intelligence legend Gabriel Allon gets masterful treatment.” (AudioFile Magazine )“His past 12 books, all featuring enigmatic spy/art restorer Gabriel Allon, have kept Silva’s name high in the ranks; the latest, the Vatican-set The Fallen Angel, seems unlikely to reverse the trend.” (Arizona Republic ) Review'Allon is the 21st century Bond - elegantly paced, subtle and well-informed., Daily Mail 'Sexily brooding Allon... must be the most famous superspy not played by Daniel Craig' Daily Telegraph 'In true Bauer fashion, shoot-outs, kidnappings and international terror plots follow Gabriel Allon wherever he goes' USA Today 'Silva builds tension with breathtaking double and triple turns of the plot, People Views: 253
Jamie Grimm is a middle schooler on a mission: he wants to become the world's greatest standup comedian--even if he doesn't have a lot to laugh about these days. He's new in town and stuck living with his aunt, uncle, and their evil son Stevie, a bully who doesn't let Jamie's wheelchair stop him from messing with Jamie as much as possible. But Jamie doesn't let his situation get him down. He practices the craft of stand-up every day on friends, family, and the willing customers at his Uncle Frankie's diner. When Uncle Frankie mentions a contest called The Planet's Funniest Kid Comic, Jamie knows he has to enter. But are the judges only rewarding him out of pity because of his wheelchair, like Stevie suggests? Will Jamie ever share the secret of his troubled past instead of hiding behind his comedy act?Following the bestselling success of the hilarious Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life, James Patterson continues to dish out the funnies in another... Views: 253
Despite all the beauty and virtues expected of faerie tale princesses, Alix labored under a terrible curse: she was too smart, too knowledgeable, too capable. To set herself free, she had to kill the monstrous firedrake; though afterword, they became great friends…(Newly proofed and reformatted) Despite all the beauty and virtues expected of faerie tale princesses, Alix labored under a terrible curse: she was too smart, too knowledgeable, too capable. To set herself free, she had to kill the monstrous firedrake; though afterword, they became great friends…Princess Alix's effortless intelligence so infuriates her father the king that he locks her up in a castle, utterly alone. To free herself, the ruthlessly logical princess must open her skeptical eyes to the magic all around her, beginning with the christening gifts that the faeries gave her as a baby. Only then, with their help and the help of Jack Brambel, an amiable duke-in-training, can Alix free herself, win her deadly battle with the monstrous firedrake, save her country, and revive the love of her father. Views: 253
Carol Walsh returns home late at night to find her daughter isn't there. When she is unable to contact her, Carol succumbs to her own fatalistic thoughts.A short story giving two different points of view of the events of a single night.First of a three part series.Carol Walsh, overprotective and pessimistic by nature, returns home late at night to find her daughter isn't there. When she is unable to contact her, Carol succumbs to her own fatalistic thoughts.A short story giving two different points of view of the events of a single night."I was captivated by the story right off" - Freetail Therapy review."The writing throws you smack dab in the middle of a mother's worry and drags you around with her until the very shocking end." - Ey Wade on Wade-in to Book Reviews. Views: 253
There comes a time when we must question where we find ourselves. Not every truth is known and not all decisions are just. We work with what we have when we have it. Walt is experiencing a grievous loss; John smells blood in the water. Each of them decide the time has come to embrace change. Find out what brought them to the point of no return.An ancient race and a prophecy foretells of four dark princes, the sons of the dark mother, who will rise up with a nation of old vamps to stop the rogue factions from ruling over mankind. Justice is the first in that prophecy, from the ancient Jaguar People. He is the Prince of Fire. Jess is one of the three sisters of the Jaguar witches who must help him to stop these factions of rogue vamps--or none of their lives will ever be the same. Views: 252
A single mom finds herself taking over a private investigation business in coastal Canada in this involving crime thriller. A young widowed mother, Wilhelmina Anne Brown is just beginning to find some stability in her new home in Prince Edward Island when she is forced to deal with the death of her beloved uncle, Bill Darby. Darby, an Ontario cop turned Charlottetown private investigator, has left Anne and her fourteen-year-old daughter a small savings account and his business, where Anne has worked as office manager for six years. Anne has faced hardships in her life before, but she's about to begin a whole new kind of struggle—to protect her family, find justice for her clients, and forge a new life for herself in this picturesque place that has become her new home. Views: 252
two young girls, in their unreliable time machine, rescue eight asteroid miners from certain death during the alien invasion of earth. they crash land in the year 4300, or thereabouts, and decide to take part in the war between the free thinking easterners and the tyrant western alliance. the girls know what is going to happen, as it is written in their prayer book. but is the book right?If you are looking for a serious tale with a redeeming moral, find another book. This is a silly (and hopefully entertaining) romp through the land of Faerie, poking fun at everything you love about fairy tales, geek culture, and very possibly things that have very little to do with either, but sadly no one will ever make a big name animated motion picture out of it. I guess that is what your imagination is for. Views: 252
"Hayley's Journal" is a fictional short story of the trials and tribulations of a young girl growing up in rural Nova Scotia during World War II. Hayley must learn to deal her family's catastrophes.Book 3 starts off with Jaden returning to Earth in his upgraded EIS, eighteen years later by earth time.His bio-engineered body is slowly evolving into superhuman levels. His mission is to help scientist locate the Nanomole in humans and then deactivate it, before the Darclonian mothership enters broadcast range. When a Nanomole is activated and is in the correct stage, it can control a human body. It would need to synchronize with a Bio-parasite for a permanent takeover of the human mind (Bio-parasites are Darclonians in microbe form). Love and romance follows the chapters as the silent attack on humans begins. Views: 252
