King Henry V - the great Lion of England - is long dead.
In 1437, after years of regency, the pious and gentle Henry VI, the Lamb, comes of age and accedes to the English throne. His poor health and frailty of mind render him a weakling king -Henry depends on his closest men, Spymaster Derry Brewer and William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, to run his kingdom.
Yet there are those, such as the Plantagenet Richard, Duke of York, who believe England must be led by a strong king if she is to survive. With England's territories in France under threat, and rumours of revolt at home, fears grow that Henry and his advisers will see the country slide into ruin. With a secret deal struck for Henry to marry a young French noblewoman, Margaret of Anjou, those fears become all too real.
As storm clouds gather over England, King Henry and his supporters find themselves besieged abroad and at home. Who, or what can save the kingdom before it is too late? Views: 481
An old man tells the story of young Julio who has reached the marrying age but cannot find a suitable maiden in his small town. As he reaches the deep well where the entire town gets their water, Julio spies an enchanting young woman. She does not, however, live in his town. Join Julio as he goes on a journey to find the woman that has captured his imagination—into the world of The Magaram.From the Publisher that brought you popular short story series Witching Call, Hostile Hearts, Earthbound Angels, The January Morrison Files Psychic Series, Ralph's Gift, Song of Teeth, Children of Time, Chains of Darkness, Tropical Storms and Friend Zone...WHEN INTO THE UNKNOWN IS WHERE YOU WILL FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FORFOLLOW YOUR HEART, AND DISCOVER THE MAGARAMOne sleepy summer afternoon, in an equally sleepy remote town, an old man sits under a tree. With him are children who have made a habit of visiting him on late afternoons to listen to his stories... stories of magical things, of adventure, and of great love.Every afternoon, he tells them the story of a young man who has reached the marrying age but cannot seem to find a suitable maiden to marry in his small town. As he reaches the deep well where the entire town gets their water on summers, Julio spies a curious sight – a young woman. Beautiful, enchanting, and someone he has never met. In those few precious seconds, time stopped for him. Like all villagers of Julio’s town, she is there to fetch water. She does not, however, live in Julio’s town, nor did she look like any villager.When you have just seen the most mesmerizing of the people in your world walk away, what do you do? But strange things begin to happen to Julio the moment he followed her.We all love to listen to the stories our elderly tell us, yet few of us questions the tales. Are they just stories made up to pass the time? Or are the stories rooted on true events?In this first book in a series of five, join Julio as he goes on a journey to find the woman that has captured his imagination. Follow the epic tale as our character journeys Into the Unknown.If you wish to read more, download now!BONUS PREVIEW IF YOU BUY THIS BOOK!EXCERPTLike an automaton with only one focus, he approached. Though no more than a few steps apart, he felt like he had been walking for a long time.His eyes settled on her face. Everything blotted out around them, and all that was left was color of the leaves and the light of the sun through the canopy above.“You are kind,” she spoke again, but this time with a shy, lovely smile on her face. “Gratitude.”What he had known about the town of which he had never set foot outside in all his 21 years heavily contradicted the woman. There was the peculiar way she phrased her words. Her unique physical features were an absolute mystery.He wracked his brain to discern where she might be living. But he knew of no place where people look or talk like her. He was so lost in his ruminations that he did not even notice the weight of the bucket that he was slowly lowering unto her shoulders.She rocked a little as she balanced the weight of the bucket. He half expected her shoulders to give. He knew how heavy that bucket was. He could not last ten minutes without taking it off and placing it on the other side.But she surprised him.Although the middle part of the bucket’s bottom was extending outside her right shoulder, her left hand stretched out and held the rim from that side.Her right hand was underneath for support. Very little water spilled out. Then, without saying a word, she started walking towards the narrow path opposite where he had come from, and disappeared among the tall grass.Download and discover why readers are raving about GJ Winters.Scroll up and get the book now! Views: 481
Cady and Sam don’t like excitement. So, they have good reason to love their lifestyle in the small town of Matthews, N.C. They've got a cute kid, good jobs, great neighbors, and their home beats the wheels off their last address. Unfortunately, interruption rears its head when it's least expected, leading to that unwanted unrest they've been avoiding. What's a couple of homebody werewolves to do?This is an introduction to the 'Darkest Night Collection'. It is a short story following the life of Delcaos, a twisted and cruel vampire who believes himself godlike and has little respect for anyone other than himself.Delcaos tells us himself about how he became a vampire, sired by a foul creature but one that gave him great strength. We learn about a devastating event that he caused himself andhow his ego drove him to create Lucretia, his 'dark child'.But how long can that ego last? How long can one even so powerful as he go on believing himself to be a God without there being consequences?Delcaos is forced to learn that no matter how strong you are, there is always something out there willing to stop you. Views: 481
Series Nocturnal, episode #2In Tejarak, in the world of Anthuar, detective Shim Stonehand must accept an unlikely alliance to enter the world of necromancers and stop a killer.Boelik has strived to avoid people all of his life. He shouldn’t even exist. But when he hears trouble and lets his conscience take over, his life begins to take on meaning that he never knew it could. And, one day, what he had built up suddenly comes crashing down.In anticipation of one more fateful day, Boelik sits out centuries. Travelling from one place to another, he takes up a new life, and, against his better judgement, new friends. Unfortunately, as he’s learned, nothing lasts forever. Views: 481
An office worker in Purgatory seeks consolation and hope by sending himself postcards and email messages from an imaginary holiday destination. When discovered, he is sent there.An office worker in Purgatory seeks consolation and hope by sending himself postcards and email messages from an imaginary holiday destination. When discovered, he is sent there.… When he got home that evening there was a beautiful sunlit holiday postcard in his letterbox, addressed to him and signed Williby. It was a breathless and ecstatic message describing unimaginable tropical delights and so looking forward to seeing him soon. It brought tears of longing to his eyes so sharp that they glittered like crystals on his cheek. They cracked and shattered when he wiped them away, but the promise shone within him like stars.Williby sighed and closed his eyes but when he opened them again he was still there…Sorrow is a free story from The World Is Round, available now.A great philosopher's masterwork is unravelled by a duck, an influential talk show host begins executing his guests, and a baby enchants a murderous African dictator in this collection of seventeen short stories. A work of poignant satire and extraordinary imagination, The World Is Round is always weird, sometimes bleak, and frequently hilarious. Views: 481
The Great Turtle and the White Bird is an uplifting short story for readers of all ages.A vast flood covers all the land, leaving behind no place for turtles or birds to lay their eggs or build a nest. An old turtle and one bird discover that of all the creatures who survived, they alone share a concern about the future of their offspring. As a selfless gift for the generations to come, the two unlikely heroes from different worlds work together to create a new land. This short creation fable was written while researching and drafting my historical novel Storykeeper. Views: 481
Anthology of original short stories and poetry by six high school students (grades 9-12) in Pickford, Michigan.This anthology of original fictional short stories and poetry is authored by six greatly talented students (grades 9-12) at Pickford High School in Michigan's upper peninsula. The genres include sci-fi, fantasy, romance, personal-based fiction, poetry, and action/adventure. All of the writers attended a series of workshops at Pickford Community Library to learn about writing from creation to publishing. Author Janet Beasley (Maycly the Trilogy Volume I from the "Hidden Earth Series") and her sister, Dar Bagby, editor and fantasy illustrator, taught the bi-weekly workshops, along with interactive sessions by author Jean E. Lane ("Lill and Mewe and the Secrets of Mars"). Included in the anthology is a special section of letters and poetry dedicated to the victims and survivors of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, CT in December 2012. The young writers include Amy Lehigh ("Sage" with illustrations by the author), Bailey West ("One Word"), Chelsea Ross (letter), Dar Bagby (poetry), Janet Beasley (poetry), Jessica Arman ("Terror Bond" and letter), Katie Arman ("Project Alpha" and poetry), and Taylor Green ("Damaged Goods" and letter). Views: 480
Lance Hudson and his wife, Melanie, are survivors of a devastating car accident that shattered their world six months ago. While Lance emerged relatively unscathed, Melanie was not so fortunate. Desperate and willing to do anything to aid in his wife’s recovery, Lance has made the difficult decision to transfer Melanie to Bright Horizons, a clinic renowned for its unorthodox treatments.Lance Hudson and his wife, Melanie, are survivors of a devastating car accident that shattered their world six months ago. While Lance emerged from the wreckage relatively unscathed, Melanie was not so fortunate. Desperate and willing to do anything to aid in his wife’s recovery, Lance has made the difficult decision to transfer Melanie to Bright Horizons, a clinic renowned for its unorthodox treatments. Today will be his first time seeing Melanie since she was admitted to the facility and Lance is not sure what to expect. Although he has done everything possible to prepare for this visit, he will soon find there is no way to truly brace himself for what he is about to experience.This is a short story of approximately 4700 words. Views: 480
I have a question for you ladies. What would you do to marry the man of your dreams? Would you be willing to risk everything for love? I did, the day I met my fiance I knew he was my soul mate. And I was willing to do whatever it took to get him no matter what the cost. My name is Pebbles and this is my story.It's been a difficult year for Abilene Collins. Since her father's death, her whirlwind life of adventure and travel has come to an end.Now, she's living with her mysterious uncle. He's a man with secrets, living almost alone in a ridiculously large mansion that he doesn't own. He doesn't like questions, and when Lena starts asking after the enigma of his job, it isn't hard to tell that he's hiding some family secrets.Family portraits have been removed from the walls, and areas of the house are off limits. Some rooms even seem to have been walled off completely. No one will talk to her.The young and ambitious groundskeeper has become her only friend, and one day he tells her that she was stolen from her mother years before. Lena's family are all telepathic, and that isn't all. They're a religious pillar of the Silenti society. Her grandfather has used his religious standing to gain political power, decimating his rivals along with anyone who gets in his way. Suddenly thrust into a life of political plots and religious fanatics, Lena finds herself struggling to navigate her own life. Some people aren't fond of the Darays, and the family has nearly died out through assassination.It appears Lena is the latest target. Views: 480
The old camera I bought one Sunday from the flea market was much more than I had hoped for. It came with a treasure, a record of disturbing events of the past that not even its former owner was aware of...On September 20, the zombie virus was released into the dense population of transients on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. It spread like unstoppable wildfire in all directions, decimating everything in its path for six full weeks before outside measures were taken to cleanse the scourge. This story takes place in that final time. Told through the eyes of a native Angelino, it offers a unique perspective to the events as they unfolded and to the aftermath of the virus. When it comes to safely navigating 747's Edgar Reynolds is a consummate professional. It's his personal life that's in shambles after a string of affairs he couldn't be bothered to hide. None of that matters to him the morning he wakes up to discover he's smack dead in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Now what's important is that he survives long enough to hijack a plane from LAX and flee the end of the world. Views: 480
It's been twelve years since the guardian star came down from the sky, hunting the elusive child destined to save the ailing sun. The end of the land is nigh as darkness slowly rolls over the looming horizon. But there is hope. And it comes in the form of a 12 yr. old boy with a wooden leg, chosen to save the sun from its untimely death. Unfortunately, young Luca has no idea that he's the one...It is the Dark Ages. A Dying Sun Sets in the West. Man Becomes Shadow.Out of this Sunless Land Will Rise a Legend...Of the Starborn Child,Of the Great Cosmic War,Of the Sword of Power...----------------It has been twelve years since the guardian star came down from the sky, hunting the elusive child destined to save the ailing sun. The end of the land is nigh, while darkness slowly rolls over the looming horizon. The creeping fog harvests an army of beastly children, and the sun will set one last time over the kingdom of Bune.But there is hope. And it comes in the form of a twelve-year-old boy with a wooden leg, chosen to save the sun from its untimely death. Unfortunately, young Luca has no idea that he's the one. And so the heart-pulsing adventure begins when Luca and his friends Vehru and Pabru are thrown into a frightening world of creatures both deadly and beautiful, caught in the middle of a cosmic war between gallant stars and darkly shadows. Follow Luca as he comes of age, struggling to advance in mastery at the prestigious Blade School of Daví while pining for the heart of his affectionate crush, Lereh of Heatheranla, all before being confronted by a mysterious woman, claiming Luca as her own and bringing with her an army of shadowed warriors bred solely for one purpose--to bring about the death of the setting sun.In Book I of his debut series, R. Janvier del Valle plummets the reader into a long lost history of myth and legend, forming a rich and complex cosmic tragedy sure to resonate with both the hardcore and casual reader of heroic fantasy literature. Discover an epic war between the earthly and heavenly, enjoying great feats of valor and courage with edge-of-your-seat duels and engrossing action as the author brings together the worlds of the natural and supernatural in this fast-paced, epic fantasy thriller!EDITORIAL REVIEW:"I forgot over and over again while reading this book that it was self-published. For the first half of the book, it rivaled some of my favorite fantasy series. The author is so comfortable in the fantasy world he created that the scenes he wrote are effortlessly visualized and the magic realistically portrayed. My first genre love was high fantasy and reading this book makes me want to pull out all my old favorites and re-read them. I will absolutely read another book by R. Janvier del Valle." - Lizzy Lessard, Lizzy's Dark Fiction. Views: 480