The gritty follow-up to Toby Ball's acclaimed noir thriller The Vaults takes us back to his dystopian City, fifteen years later . . .The second book in the City Trilogy, Scorch City is a dark and unsettling thriller of urban unease. Journalist Frank Frings rouses Lt. Piet Westermann in the middle of the night with an unusual request: move the body of a dead blonde from where she was found—on the bank of a river near the utopian Uhuru Community, a shantytown under threat from a deadly coalition of racists and anticommunists—and find out how the body actually got there. As the investigation deepens, the deaths and disappearances add up, and the detectives of the City must uncover the truth behind Uhuru and the murders, while keeping their own dark secrets hidden within the streets of the unforgiving City. Views: 432
The world's #1 (if not only) Big-Data Detective returns in yet another extremely unlikely (if not impossible) adventure. This time things that should never move are apparently moving, and hidden dangers are lurking just beneath the surface. Part Freakonomics, part Sherlock Holmes, part Doctor Who, part Metrosexual Doc Savage, but 100% completely absurd, another Dillon Sharif Tall Tale.The world's #1 (if not only) Big-Data Detective returns in yet another extremely unlikely (if not impossible) adventure. This time things that should never move are apparently moving, and hidden dangers are lurking just beneath the surface. Part Freakonomics, part Sherlock Holmes, part Doctor Who, part Errol Flynn, but 100% completely absurd, with a complicated reverse-polyamorous situation thrown into the mix, The Outlier series continues with "The Outlier #2, Migrants" another Dillon Sharif Tall Tale. Views: 432
Contains Megan Bryce's Some Like It Charming, Some Like It Ruthless, Some Like It Perfect, and Some Like It Hopeless Views: 432
The novel tells the story of Roman Emperor Julian who during his reign (331–363) was trying to restore the cult of Olympian gods in Rome, resisting the upcoming Christianity. Christianity "in its highest manifestations is presented in the novel as a cult of absolute virtue unattainable on Earth which is in denial of all things Earthly," according to scholar Z.G.Mints. Ascetic to the point of being inhuman, early Christians reject the reality as such. As the mother of a Christian youth Juventine curses "those servants of the Crucified" who "tear children off their mothers," hate the life itself and destroy "things that are great and saintly," the elder Didim replies: a worthy follower of Christ is to learn to "hate their mother and father, wife, children, brothers and sisters, and their very own life too." The author (who sees Christ as "life\'s sworn enemy") sympathizes with his doomed hero. The advent of Christianity in the novel is presented as "the victory for evil and blind mob," who treat "Julian as not just an Apostate, but Antichrist," according to modern critic and biographer Oleg Mikhaylov. Biographers saw Julian\'s spiritual quest as something parallel to the ideas Merezhkovsky started to develop in the 1880s–1890s. The Emperor in the novel, acknowledging the "beautiful loftiness of Christian sermon," refuses to accept it, seeing it as a denial of the human sensuality and humanity as such. One of the novel\'s main ideas is that man\'s suffering stems from the conflict between the spirit and the flesh. The author conceded later that his initial philosophical approach was too straightforward and explained the way it changed: As I was embarking upon the trilogy Christ and Antichrist, it seemed to me that there were two truths: Christianity, the truth about Heaven, and Paganism, the truth about Earth. I considered the merging of the two as a way of attaining the higher religious truth. As I was finishing it, I knew already that the union of Christ and Antichrist was blasphemous lie. I understood that both truths, those of heaven and Earth, have been already united in Jesus Christ. But now I am also sure that I had to walk this misguiding path to its very end to finally see the truth. Views: 432
The Scene behind a Veil is a collection of short stories, based on varied themes - from religion to terrorism, from true love to politics of marriage and from Mumbai rains to Alibag beaches.The infinite possibilities of a zero, seen through a lover's eyes; lipstick politics in a new household; holistic healing through the hands of a nervous young doctor...Many more stories...The Scene behind a Veil is a collection of short stories, based on varied themes - from religion to terrorism, from true love to politics of marriage and from Mumbai rains to Alibag beaches.The infinite possibilities of a zero, seen through a lover's eyes; lipstick politics in a new household; holistic healing through the hands of a nervous young doctor...The shadow of fanaticism on individual lives; fear is vanquished and lives changed through small acts of kindness...."Killers are just killers everywhere. They are neither Muslims nor Hindus, neither theists nor atheists, neither spiritual nor intellectual.... "A collection of stories about the small hopes, unheralded tales and the choices that crop up on the path of life and love. Views: 432
Why is someone murdering all passengers and crew of Flight 2251, an ordinary, uneventful commercial flight from two years ago?Why is someone murdering all passengers and crew of Flight 2251 from two years ago? In Book 1 of the Doc Minus Two Novels, a mild-mannered underachiever is picked up by the FBI and informed that he is the last survivor of that flight — everyone else who was on board had already been eliminated — and that they would guarantee his safety if he helped with the investigation. But before the day is out an attempt is made on his life and his newly appointed FBI bodyguard is shot. The last survivor of the flight now finds himself alone and on the run for the first time in his life, evading someone he does not know who wants him dead for reasons he does not understand.Fearful of going to the authorities lest his pursuers find him again, his only hope now lies with Doc Minus Two, a rough, gruff failed doctor turned P.I. who lives on the fringes of society and whom even his best friend describes as "the worst character you'll ever meet." Soon the two discover that the key to the bizarre murders can only be found in the Minotaur Labyrinth in Crete: a cave where old legends loom large and not everyone who goes in comes out alive. Views: 432
Professor Grim believes his Fowl-Fortifying Fluid can enrich a simple pheasant, giving the bird’s meat all of the nutritional value of beef, pork, fowl and venison. But Grim’s effort to spare an undernourished populous from hunger by providing it with higher quality meat comes with great cost, in the form of a dangerous beast that terrorizes London.Theophilus Grim and the Fowl of Ruin:Professor Grim believes his Fowl-Fortifying Fluid can enrich a simple pheasant, giving the bird’s meat all of the nutritional value of beef, pork, fowl and venison. But Grim’s effort to spare an undernourished populous from hunger by providing it with higher quality meat comes with great cost, in the form of a dangerous beast that terrorizes London. And what could account for all of the strange behaviors the professor now seems to be exhibiting? The Trying Tales of Chumbles & Grim:Professor Theophilus Grim is a clever scientist and inventor who dreams of making the world a better place through his many inventions and various concoctions. The trouble is, every invention he makes has a way of blowing him up, catching him on fire or causing him a great deal of pain. F. Walter Chumbles, Grim's best friend, is a disgraced former surgeon with a bone saw, a surgeon’s bag and a penchant for Scotch whiskey and declaring Grim dead. Together, the two engage in a series of delightful adventures sure to brighten your day.Set in late Victorian London, The Trying Tales of Chumbles & Grim is a series of surprising novelettes loaded with suspense, clever contraptions, a touch of mystery, a dose of mad science, and plenty of adventure. Dannal J. Newman offers up tasty tidbits of adventuresome fiction sure to delight the senses and satisfy the imagination. Great for ages nine through adult. Views: 431
The story of Lucas, a young man with powers he couldn't control, and the darkness that was always lurking, trying to make him do horrible things, and promising him power and greatness. Views: 431
This short book will enabled you to self publish your work in E-book format with Smashwords.com. It's valuable information that can get you started on a literary career. It's short, basic, and very easy to follow. It covers the so called tricks of the trade and mistakes that I learnt along the way. Explaining to the reader a rough idea of what will or won't be accepted with their publication.In this so called digital age, there are many people who have taken up writing as a hobby, and many more who would like to. The big stumbling block to the vast majority is how to get their work published. This is a personal account of writing my Autobiography, and of trying unsuccessfully to get it published. My persistence eventually enabled me to self publish in E-book format with Smashwords.com. It's valuable information that can get you started on a literary career. It's short, basic, and very easy to follow. It covers the so called tricks of the trade and mistakes that I learnt along the way. Explaining to the reader a rough idea of what will or won't be accepted with their publication. To prove a point I now have eleven books published by Smashwords. One of my gifts in life is to help other, for no financial reward. With this little book I think I have succeeded. I'm satisfied that it will help, if you wish publish in the E-book format. Views: 431
A collection of over 250 poems that reflect on man as the poet and the actor who handles the helm of his affairs, on a timed cruise. His abilities compose and steer his story, as his capabilities and fate enables him. It encapsulates the essence of poetry, using eloquent words to convey the poet’s thoughts and experience. The poet mans the helm, and the cruise is his composed poem.This is a collection of over 250 poems that altogether seeks to reflect man as both the poet and the actor who handles the helm of his own affairs, on a timed cruise, down his very own banked personal river. Using his abilities to compose and steer his poetic story, faring only as suitably as his capabilities and fate enables him.The essence of poetry is in its use of eloquent apt words to convey the poet’s exact thoughts, as they are felt or experienced by him. Like it is the actor’s ability to apply specific skills to portray a scripted character reveals a story, it is likewise the poet's grant to create the content and set the beauty of the words.If the soul is scripted, if the mind can think, if the heart does feel and the body is specific; then every individual distinctively roams on a course throughout their lives that can be manipulated to fit their own different experience, but not actually change it. For the poet mans the helm, and the cruise is his composed poem. Views: 431
Between the virtual world, immortality and reshaping matter reality takes a whole new meaning for the plucky descendants of the human race. The children of Terra Two are growing up in a world where dangers are non-existent and almost anything is possible. Follow their adventures and their travels across the universe. There be dragons...Here is a short excerpt of the book, the second one in the Terra Two series, published in June 2014. Sister Roberta didn't want to look too impressed because she had rightfully earned the reputation of a genius for whom nothing was impossible, but she had to admit that Purple's capabilities went so far beyond human limitations it would have been stupid to turn down the already processed knowledge for the dubious glory of reinventing the wheel.Sys stood next to her, smiling and acting as if it had offered the sister a stick of gum, completely unmoved by the complexity and advanced technical knowledge required to generate this science presentation. Roberta wondered how come the um didn't act superior, any human certainly would have. It was not that Sys didn't have internal processes that acted very similar to human emotions, it loved its mother, was very protective of its school friends and could get happy or sad on occasion, but it had a seemingly infinite patience, an avid thirst for knowledge and a complete lack of ego which Roberta suspected had more to do with its Purple kinship than its human upbringing."I see the energy field is definitely strong enough to push us to hyperspace, what else can it do?" she asked Sys.Sys didn't answer but picked up a tin beaker between its cupped palms and slowly turned it into a plastic flower, a broccoli spear and finally a bubble of milk. Sys and Roberta stared at the milk ball for a while, the liquid acted as if floating in imponderability with the surface tension as its only container, a gooey ellipsoid spinning slowly around its slanted axis."Holy mercy!" Seth exclaimed, staring open mouthed at the willful transformation of matter. The leader seemed to be everywhere at the same time and never missed the important breakthroughs of their community. Her comments startled um, who lost its focus and allowed the milk to splash on the floor, subject to gravity again."How come it didn't turn back into tin?" Seth asked. Um looked puzzled at the question, not understanding the logic."How are you doing this?" Sarah whispered from behind Seth."They're the same sub-atomic components, I'm just reorganizing them," um said simply, a bit bothered by the all the attention.Roberta had regained her confidence and recognized some of the equations from way back when she fused materials together and pulled Jimmy from the beach. The theoretical model made perfect sense to her, of course, but all the other sisters who had gathered in the lab in the meantime were more befuddled by the equations themselves than the miraculous transformation of matter."Well, I guess we can all stop cultivating the fields now," sister Joseph commented, for once not protesting but a little unsure of her footing. "We can make cat-brain's toy here turn dirt into potatoes and we won't ever have to worry for nothing.Sarah smiled at the fine irony; they have been praying twice a day for almost two hundred years to a God who told them nothing was impossible and now everyone was confused by the fact that this promise was in fact true."I like cultivating the fields, it's good exercise and something to look forward to every morning," Sarah answered, still smiling. "Why waste a perfectly good miracle on something you can do for yourself?" she continued."At least we know there will be no more emergencies," sister Mary-Francis commented."Unless something happens to the sugar toy," sister Joseph replied. "We should make more of them, you know, to be on the safe side," she said and the corner of her eye caught a glimpse of a very flushed Sarah who looked petrified with outrage."Yeah, yeah, it's your child, blah, blah, insensitive, I know. Get over it!" sister Joseph said unfazed. "Seriously, shouldn't we have more ums?" she turned to Seth. Views: 431
It's about a special town where a suburban boy named Johnny makes a name for himself after almost killing his girlfriend in a "friendly fire."Johnny and Jacob are best friends who view life differently. Jacob is more reserved and intelligent. In contrast, Johnny is a womanizer who only wants to die and he imagines a special place called Colorado in which they are able to travel through water tubes and buses. Crime does not exist and there unlimited amounts of water, food, and shelter. Views: 431
