Paige Frey left her Montana homestead after graduation with the intention of never returning home; not for weekends, holidays, weddings...or funerals. When news of her mobster step-father’s death reaches all the way to the big apple, Paige's first reaction is a resounding good-riddance to both Giovanni Denmari and her sizable inheritance...Paige Frey left her Montana homestead after graduation with the intention of never returning home; not for weekends, holidays, weddings...or funerals. When news of her mobster step-father’s death reaches all the way to the big apple, Paige's first reaction is a resounding good-riddance to both Giovanni Denmari and her sizable inheritance. Only the sage advice of her roommate Erik convinces her to return home to claim what's hers.But if she thought returning to Montana would mean a simple weekend trip, she was dead wrong. Family dysfunction, ex-boyfriends, Erik's bizarre behavior and probate quickly turn her mountain retreat into a madhouse. Views: 503
I am a member of Pomona Writers Group which meet weekly. Our facilitator selects a topic for homework each week to write no more than 500 words. These topics are the stories I wrote during 2013. Hope you enjoy.Everybody has secret and everybody tells lie, but in case of Harry Wright these are both bigger than he had originally intended. What started out as a bit of fun, a distraction from his otherwise boring life that could come back and bite him on the ass if he isn’t careful. If being found isn’t enough there are other worries for Harry. First there's the disappearance of Emily Baxter a woman who seems to have no connection to Harry Wright, except that he's got the keys to her house. Then there's the mystery of why Harry is getting cheques from an insurance company that are intended for Emily Baxter. Has he done her in for the money or has he squirreled her away somewhere so that he can force more money out of her? Detective Inspector Peters certainly thinks that Harry Wright has killed Emily Baxter and is now fraudulently cashing her cheques. But if he has done so there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of a body, or even of a struggle at her house that seems to be as tidy and pristine as when she left. If she isn’t dead then where is she? And what has Harry Wright done with her?Revelations of Harry Wrights true identity could lead to the unlocking of this mystery, but will it lead to his downfall or to his imprisonment? Views: 503
**An explosion rocks a Qatari natural gas facility... a luxury cruise liner capsizes in the Mediterranean... and someone has stolen a submarine...
Are the events connected?**
'Be prepared for some extra time on your hands - you won't want to put this down' ~ San Francisco Book Review
'Rachel Amphlett has given us Dan Taylor and a series that is headed to the top of the class. It reminded me of Clive Cussler's books starring Dirk Pitt who is a hero to many' ~ Readers' Favorite
Dan Taylor doesn't believe in coincidences - all he has to do is convince his superiors they are next in the terrorists' line of fire.
As Britain enters its worst winter on record, Dan must elude capture to ensure the country's energy resources are protected. At all costs.
In an action-packed adventure, from the Middle East through the Mediterranean to London, Dan and his team are on a quest which will test every choice he makes. Assisted by the exotic Antonia Almasi, Dan realises he faces an adversary far greater than he ever imagined, and not everyone is going to survive.
'The attention to detail and research which has gone into this novel gives a great insight into this world. An excellent read and can't wait to see what Dan Taylor will be up to next'
'The plot is truly outstanding and very relevant to the current world's energy issues. The detail is amazing and clearly very well researched.'
** Views: 503
Fiction Vortex publishes science fiction and fantasy short stories for the discerning reader, if by "discerning" you mean someone who likes solid plots, great characters, and fascinating technologies and cultures. This issue includes all the short stories that appeared on FictionVortex.com during August 2013.the Last One offers the reader a hopeful and possible way forward to a better world. A world leader, a woman of extraordinary leadership skills, brings the nations of the world together. Moving them beyond fear and distrust she gains their cooperation, to commit to an act that changes everything. Views: 503
Nick Caine is a part-time archaeologist and full-time antiquities thief—a looter. And a very good one, too. Now stranded on a small, forgotten island in the southern Maldives, Nick Caine and his ever-faithful sidekick Ishi are thrown into a desperate fight for survival. Seemingly betrayed by Marie Da Vinci, Nick is forced to gamble his and Ishi’s very existence on an ancient map. The parchment document promises an incredible horde of hidden pirate treasure. The very words are music to a looter's ears—except the duo aren't the only ones interested in the hidden treasure. Modern day pirates are on the scene, and it's going to take all of Nick Caine’s unflappable charisma to bail them out this time. The stakes quickly escalate, leaving Nick and Ishi very little time to narrow down the map’s clues. Soon, their fate and that of an exotic Maldivian beauty named Norema hang in a precarious balance…proving once again that looting is a deadly business. Acclaim for the authors "Gripping, adventurous, and romantic—J.R. Rain’s The Lost Ark is a breakneck thriller that traces the thread of history from Biblical stories to current-day headlines. Be prepared to lose sleep!" —James Rollins, international bestselling author of Bloodline "Aiden James has written a deeply psychological, gripping tale that keeps the readers hooked from page one." —Bookfinds on The Forgotten Eden "J.R. Rain delivers a blend of action and wit that always entertains. Quick with the one-liners, but his characters are fully fleshed out (even the undead ones) and you’ll come back again and again." —Scott Nicholson, bestselling author of The Red Church "The intense writing style of Aiden James kept my eyes glued to the story and the pages seemed to fly by at warp speed. Twists, turns, and surprises pop up at random times to keep the reader off balance. It all blends together to create one of the best stories I have read all year." —Huntress Reviews for The Devil’s Paradise** Views: 503
IS IT LUST?
Ivak Sigurdsson is dead...well, sort of. Guilty of the sin of lust, he’s been given an unusual penance: spend eternity as a Viking Vampire Angel, or Vangel, fighting Lucipires, Satan’s vampire demons on earth. Now sequestered in Angola Prison as a “spiritual advisor,” Ivak is finding all these centuries of celibacy depressing, to say the least. But then, along comes southern belle Gabrielle Sonnier. Is she a reward for his good deeds, or a temptation sent to rattle his lustsome brain?
OR IS IT LOVE?
Gabrielle, a lawyer, begs Ivak to help get her brother out of prison. Aided by the Cajun LeDeux family and their chief looney bird, Tante Lulu, Ivak reluctantly agrees. And while he alternately tries to seduce and save Gabrielle before the Lucipires run rampant, they both begin to wonder if it’s really only lust, or something more. Views: 503
...breaking as it did on the stillness of the night, amid this dreary waste of ice and snow, where there was not an object to remind us of life, and not a sound seemed ever to have been heard.The log of a citizen of the dead; this is the chronicling of one man who is numbered among the walking dead after a city is plagued with an infection that eliminates the people's natural ability to create red blood cells. Their bodies rot away, but the mind is left harrowingly intact. Views: 503
One man’s spiritual quest leads him to a mysterious guru high up in the Himalayas, a man who is rumoured to be able to show the way to Enlightenment - but only to those who are ready to embrace it. A short story.Joshua Laden is tired of ashram life. Setting out with a group of friends, he goes in search of a mysterious Yogi living in isolation far up into the mountains. It is said that this man has achieved Enlightenment - the divine state of bliss - and not only that, he is willing to share his experience with anyone willing to make the effort to go and find him... A short story Views: 502
Kids are disappearing at Bixby Elementary, and no one knows why. But that’s only the second strangest thing happening inside the crumbling inner city school.Kids are disappearing at Bixby Elementary, and no one knows why. But that’s only the second strangest thing happening inside the crumbling inner city school.Who’s responsible? That’s just what Drew and the rest of the Zero Avenue brats want to know, but are they ready for what they’ll find? Because finding out means unraveling the threads of a conspiracy that blurs the line between myth and science, and between friends and enemies. Because finding out draws them into an adventure that tests their character, and their loyalties to each other. Seeing Harley selected for the Vice-Principal’s Special Studies program triggers Drew’s suspicions—and his jealousy. Digging deeper, he traces the program’s tangled roots to clandestine research carried out during WWII. Driven by their sense of loyalty, Drew and the rest of the brats follow the program’s long shadow from the war’s twilight, to the present day and the abandoned amusement park where they get one last chance to right a wrong decades in the making. Views: 502
Detective Bromham is a good cop in a bad city, sent alone to investigate a homicide. When he reaches an abandoned apartment block, he finds that this is no ordinary murder...This bone-chilling tale was shortlisted for Best YA Short Story at the 2013 Aurealis Awards.Brent Coffee hasn’t seen his former classmate, Molly Sinclair, in nearly a decade, but all that changes when he shows up to fix her Wi-fi connection on St. Patrick’s Day. After a quick fix, Brent asks Molly to join him at a local horror film marathon that night, but she quickly refuses. Or does she? Anything can happen on the luckiest night of the year, even a second chance at love… This 4,311-word short story is 22 pages long. Views: 502
The second book in the popular Scarlet Wilson Mystery Series....A pleasant night in Bay Head, New Jersey turns dangerous as Scarlet Wilson heads for home after a delightful weekend at the beach with Kenny "Captain Peacock" Tolliver. A terrified teenager, chased by a homicidal maniac, clings to her car, refusing to let go of the moon roof. What do you do when a determined killer comes at you?The second book in the popular Scarlet Wilson Mystery Series....A pleasant night in Bay Head, New Jersey turns dangerous as Scarlet Wilson heads for home after a delightful weekend at the beach with boyfriend Kenny "Captain Peacock" Tolliver. A terrified teenager, chased by a homicidal maniac, clings to her car, refusing to let go of the moon roof. What do you do when a determined killer comes at the girl attached to your windshield, knife in hand? If you're “Miz Scarlet”, you get creative and put the pedal to the metal, even as the cars pile up in your wake.That wild ride begins a journey of discovery for Jenny Mulroney, a cancer orphan. The wicked stepfather has chased the teenager out of the home she shared with her mother and onto the road. Traumatized, Jenny has no one to turn to and nowhere to go, until Miz Scarlet shows up and takes her home to the Four Acorns Inn, the family bed & breakfast she runs in the quaint village of Cheswick, CT.While security expert Kenny delves into Jenny's secret past, searching for clues and the New Jersey State Police investigate a series of related crimes, the teenager begins to find her way again. But Jenny's been dishonest about the events that triggered the brutal attack by a crazed killer. Now she's put everyone at the Four Acorns Inn in peril.When uncut diamonds stolen in a heist turn up encased in lavender glycerin soap, it's more intrigue than Miz Scarlet can resist. With the help of the elderly "Googins girls", her brother Bur (better known as Colonel Grey Poupon), and Larry, the foxy female homicide investigator, the intrepid amateur sleuth is hot on the trail, determined to solve the mystery. (Novella Views: 502
When all hope is gone and there’s nothing left to live for, suicide may be your only option. Tasia McAvoy knows this feeling all too well. Rich and beautiful, Tasia seems to have everything a person could ever want. But her deepest, darkest secrets are catching up with her, and she’s just too tired to run away from them anymore.Carlyle Kastenmeier is a successful businessman who routinely amuses himself by controlling the lives of his wife, his son, his brother, his mistress, and his many employees. He also has a nasty habit of belittling others, delighting in making them feel incompetent and insignificant. And he emphasizes this point by tying a piece of red thread around their fingers to humiliate them, and only he is allowed to take it off.Lois, Carl’s wife, stays with him because he gives her everything she wants except his love. Carl’s employees stay with him because he pays them three times what their services are worth. Everyone justifies tolerating his abuse by telling themselves that the pay is good.Witness the story’s events through the eyes of Elaine Kostas, a maid recently hired by the Kastenmeiers. She observes as Detective Rein Connery tries to figure out who beat Carl with his own walking stick, cut him with a straight razor, and then left him to bleed out on the bathroom floor.It seems as if everyone is a suspect. Tasia McAvoy, Carl’s mistress, tried to leave him just months before his murder, but he forced her to come back. Carl’s bitter wife had to sign a prenuptial agreement relinquishing any right to his estate before he would marry her. Silas, their son, is a seven-year-old genius who certainly has the wherewithal, the intelligence, and the motives to kill his father. Vic Kastenmeier, Carl’s brilliant, alcoholic brother, had discovered a formula for an ideal oil paint varnish twenty years ago, but Carl took it away from him and built his fortune on the varnish’s manufacture and sale. Meanwhile, Vic is a pauper who depends on his brother’s assistance to live.Nicolette Howard oversees the sale and distribution of Carl Kastenmeier’s varnish and related products. Of late, Carl has been threatening to take away many of her duties and give them to one of her colleagues, Marlon McGhee. Marlon is in no way as talented or as bright as Nicolette, but Carl loves to tease her by suggesting that Marlon could easily take her place. Marlon, on the other hand, believes that he is being promoted when really it’s just another one of Carl’s practical jokes. Cameron Dmytryk, Carl’s chauffeur, hates his boss for many reasons, but most especially because of his condescending attitude. Zachary Cutteridge is the Kastenmeier’s painter and landscaper who is fired after Carl discovers that Zach is having an affair with Tasia.So, who killed Carlyle Kastenmeier? Read on as Detective Rein Connery sorts through the anger and animosity to get at the truth. Views: 502
Alien artefacts were discovered on the Moon during a survey. The purpose of them was surprising, at the very least.Fate rips Kaie from the life he planned and thrust him into a world of slavery and casual brutality. Faced with the destruction of everything he knew and hiding from a society that turns those born with magic into mindless creatures called Hollows, he'll have to discover the difference between being a good man and surviving a bad situation.The gods themselves turned their true attention to teaching him the true meaning of sacrifice, in all it's horrible forms. He will be forged in fire and death, and everything he loves is up for grabs. For he is the Catalyst... Views: 502
Her fool brother had gone and lost his half of the family ranch in a game of cards, leaving her to live with her brother's mistakes, and handsome cowboy Mr. J. T. Flannery. Then trouble struck the ranch, and Chloe had no choice but to accept J.T.'s offer of marriage--no matter how inconvenient!The only thing the stubborn beauty wanted less than a business partner was a husband, but it looked as if she was about to be saddled with both! But as the battle of wills between the two began to heat up, so did their mutual passion.... Views: 502
