As British mosques are put on high-alert following a savage murder in Woolwich, Khalil, makeshift security guard for his local house of worship, is called in. Men Like Khalil is a short story about community and fear, about anxieties on British streets when they become a theatre for the world's troubles.As British mosques are put on high-alert following a savage murder in Woolwich, Khalil, makeshift security guard for his local house of worship, is called in.Without a second thought, Khalil stands ready while others stand wary. It’s just what men like him do…Men like Khalil is a short story about community and fear, about anxieties on British streets when they become a theatre for the world’s troubles. Views: 713
Ava has watched her parents, Caleb and Maggie, live the perfect fairy tale, the perfect love story, played out in front of her eyes her entire life. Her family is love, life, and happiness. The Jacobsons are everything a family should be and Ava is loved and well taken care of. But the one thing that’s missing from her life is the one thing she’s waited for every day, the one thing her kind knows will make them complete, the one thing they thought was gone and lost forever.
Her significant.
Seth has lived with the Watsons his entire life. They’re the only family he knows, but he knows that there are things they keep from him. He knows that they lie and they do unspeakable evil, things from when he was a child that he can barely remember that cling to the edges of his memory. He barely remembers his real mother and all he knows is what he’s told. He doesn’t know what to trust. He wants to believe that the Watsons love and care for him, have his best interest at heart, but isn’t so sure of that anymore when he finally—after a lifetime of waiting for her—meets his soulmate, and the Watson’s first act is to try to take her away from him.
The Virtuoso worlds collide, hearts are exposed, humans are endangered, and the lives of Seth and Ava are changed forever. They’ll have to love without judgment or reservation, they’ll have to be wise and accepting beyond their years, they’ll have to forgive for things before they’ve even happened, they’ll have to trust without seeing, have faith without knowing, and they’ll have to light their own way in the dark when everyone else is blind to show them the way. And more than anything else…
they’ll fight like hell to keep each other. Views: 713
Living in constant fear. Always looking over your shoulder. The source of your fear? The Institute.Allira Daniels will do anything to keep her Defective brother safe from the Institute. They claim to protect Defectives, but it’s human nature to fear the unknown. Defectives are dangerous, they possess abilities that no human should be able to. Are you Defective? The Institute is coming for you.Living in constant fear. Always looking over your shoulder. The source of your fear? The Institute.Allira Daniels will do anything to keep her Defective brother safe from the Institute. They claim to protect Defectives, but it’s human nature to fear the unknown. Defectives are dangerous, they possess abilities that no human should be able to. To Allira and the rest of her family, the Institute seems more like a prison than the safe-haven they promote themselves to be. Protecting Shilah from that fate is their number one priority.When Allira stumbles across a car crash involving two of her school classmates, she ignores all of her father’s warnings of laying low and not drawing attention to herself. By doing so, she may have just caught the eye of the Institute. She’s not Defective, but what seventeen-year-old girl has the ability to pull two teenage boys away from a fiery rubble and walk away without a scratch? It would definitely be seen as suspicious.Allira and her family need to make decisions. Do they stay, or do they flee again? Will they be coming for her? Will her whole family come under investigation? Will they discover Shilah and his ability to predict the future?Are you Defective? The Institute is coming for you. Views: 713
When Oliver Sacks was twelve years old, a perceptive schoolmaster wrote in his report: “Sacks will go far, if he does not go too far.” It is now abundantly clear that Sacks has never stopped going. From its opening pages on his youthful obsession with motorcycles and speed, On the Move is infused with his restless energy. As he recounts his experiences as a young neurologist in the early 1960s, first in California, where he struggled with drug addiction, and then in New York, where he discovered a long-forgotten illness in the back wards of a chronic hospital, we see how his engagement with patients comes to define his life.
With unbridled honesty and humor, Sacks shows us that the same energy that drives his physical passions—weight lifting and swimming—also drives his cerebral passions. He writes about his love affairs, both romantic and intellectual; his guilt over leaving his family to come to America; his bond with his schizophrenic brother; and the writers and scientists—Thom Gunn, A. R. Luria, W. H. Auden, Gerald M. Edelman, Francis Crick—who influenced him.
On the Move is the story of a brilliantly unconventional physician and writer—and of the man who has illuminated the many ways that the brain makes us human. Views: 713
A young Canadian couple heads out on a motorcycle to go across the country to pursue their destiny. The adventure will shape and change their lives forever. Meeting a slightly older American couple on the way adds to their enjoyment and excitement. They have left behind their ordinary families, and their extraordinary cat. Join them on this fun, interesting, and sometimes dangerous journey.When youthful wanderlust causes a naive couple from Ottawa Canada to get on a motorcycle, and head to British Columbia, they had no way of knowing just what a life changing adventure they were embarking on. Monica is only one week from her eighteenth birthday and leaving behind her family, and a cat that she adores. While Jeff is taking with him the only thing of any value that he feels he has, his one true love, Monica.Meeting a slightly older and wiser American couple along the way in an old Mustang, Pete and Issy, turns out to be the best thing that happens to them, but also the worst. Will Pete convince Jeff to smoke some of his weed with him, even if Monica is threatening to leave if he does? Or will their new found quest to save the world empower them all to stay together no matter what? And just what trouble does Monica cause when she convinces Jeff yet again to let her take a turn at the controls of the motorcycle? They all enjoy the simple pleasure of roasting marshmallows over a campfire, and are all enchanted by an unexpected encounter with some large wildlife in the Badlands. They even take time to contemplate over a famous battlefield. All of this occurs while on their way to the Rocky Mountains. And once in the Rockies they come face to face with their biggest and most unexpected foe. The outcome is uncertain, but the excitement and passion they all experience is definite. And while all this is happening to the two couples on the highways of North America, Monica’s cat Juniper is back in Ottawa trying to figure out the answers to the universe on her own. Views: 713
In September 1985, nineteen-year-old John Lindqvist moved into a dilapidated old building in Stockholm, planning to make his living as a magician. Something strange was going on in the locked shower room in the building’s basement—and the price of entry was just a little blood.
I Always Find You is a horror story—as bizarre and macabre as any of Lindqvist’s earlier novels—but it’s also a melancholy meditation on being young and lonely, on making friends and growing up. It’s about magic, and the intensity of human connection—and the evil we carry inside. Views: 713
Curiosity has gotten Thomas Kindercook in a world of trouble. Literally! When Thomas opens a book and unwittingly casts a spell that whisks him away to a land of fantasy, an adventure begins that will change Thomas' destiny forever.A mysterious spell is hard at work for a second time, and Thomas Kindercook is its latest victim. Hurled into a dangerous world by one spell, trapped by yet another, Thomas must find the one person who may know how he can return home. With obstacles such as a haughty dragon princess, and a gabby dragon prince he may never find his way. In the shadows, another evil lurks which has no intention of ever letting Thomas leave the land again. Views: 712
"This collection has a straightforward ambition: to redirect the interpretive perspective that readers bring to Lawrence Durrell's literary works by returning their attention to his short prose." - From the Introduction
Best known for his novels and travel writing, Lawrence Durrell defied easy classification within twentieth-century modernism. His anti-authoritarian tendencies put him at odds with many contemporaries-aesthetically and politically. However, thanks to a compelling recontextualization by editor James Gifford, these 38 previously unpublished or out-of-print essays and letters reveal that Durrell's maturation as an artist was rich, complex, and subtle. This edition promises to open up new approaches to interpreting his more famous works. Durrell fans will treasure this selection of rare nonfiction, while scholars of Durrell, Modernist literature, anti-authoritarian artists, and the Personalist movement will also appreciate Gifford's fine editorial work. Views: 712
Nothing is for free when it comes to demons…a fact that Gwendolyn LaRoux finds out the hard way when she summons Laish, a minor demon from the Shadow Lands to help her cook up a little black magic. Unfortunately black magic has a way of growing and soon Gwendolyn finds herself drowning in darkness. Still, she’s determined to clean up her own mess. But when a creature from the Abyss enters our world and threatens her beloved grandmother, Gwendolyn has to admit she needs help—which means summoning the infuriating Laish, even though she swore never to call on him again.
Answering Gwendolyn’s incantations in a moment of boredom was a mistake for a demon who keeps what little heart he has left under lock and key. Laish immediately fell for the Creole beauty with jade green eyes and creamy, café au lait skin and now he’s determined to have her—no matter what the cost. And thanks to Gwendolyn’s sticky dilemma, the price just went up.
When it turns out that the intrepid witch must travel through the Shadow Lands and close the door she left open to the Pit, she knows at once she can’t make the dangerous journey on her own. Of course Laish is more than willing to act as her escort and bodyguard…for a not-so-small fee. Gwendolyn doesn’t want to use her body as a bargaining chip but the lustful demon will accept no other form of currency. And since her grandmother’s life is at stake, she has no choice. Little by little she must give in to his demands.
As Gwendolyn and Laish travel further and further into the interior of Hell, will he be able to keep her safe? And will she be able to keep her innocence? Or with they lose themselves and each other among the… Ruby Shadows? Views: 712
In this much anticipated sequel to The True Meaning of Smekday, Tip and J.Lo are back for another hilarious intergalactic adventure. And this time (and last time, and maybe next time), they want to make things right with the Boov.
After Tip and J.Lo banished the Gorg from Earth in a scheme involving the cloning of many, many cats, the pair is notorious-but not for their heroics. Instead, human Dan Landry has taken credit for conquering the Gorg, and the Boov blame J.Lo for ruining their colonization of the planet. Determined to clear his name, J.Lo and Tip pack into Slushious, a Chevy that J.Lo has engineered into a fairly operational spaceship, and head to New Boovworld, the aliens' new home on one of Saturn's moons.
But their welcome isn't quite as warm as Tip and J.Lo would have liked. J.Lo is dubbed Public Enemy Number One, and Captain Smek knows that capturing the alien is the only way he'll stand a chance in the Boovs' first-ever presidential election.
With the help of a friendly flying billboard named Bill, a journey through various garbage chutes, a bit of time travel, and a slew of hilarious Boovish accents, Tip and J.Lo must fight to set the record straight-and return home in once piece. Views: 712
A failed assassination. A hidden connection of magic and sorcery. One lost werewolf amidst the growing strangeness of her new life.
Gwen Rogers finds herself in the midst of the paranormal as an assassin intrudes on the keep of the Indigo Towers. Fox and she travel to a high-profile party to learn the true identity of the cloaked killer, but things don’t go as planned. Gwen finds a new friend and some old ones as her loyalty to herself and to the enigmatic Fox are tested. The wrong path will lead to a fate worse than death. Views: 712
Karen has been a medium for a long time and she’s seen it all. Until now. A late night phone call summons her to a stranger’s house to help with what she thinks will be a routine haunting, but Karen is unprepared for what awaits. A young man’s life hangs in the balance as Karen faces the toughest—and possibly final—case of her career.The Legend of Brandice May. (43,500 words) A longer tale for kids around 10 -12 plus, telling of a young cat burglar with a difference. Fit, adventurous, 10 year old Lawrence has spent the last year faithfully searching for his lost kitten Lucy. When his admirable efforts pay off, he finds himself caught up in a mysterious plot involving ancient magic. For spoiling these crazy plans the evil Brandice May remains determined to wreak revenge on them both. Our two heroes fight a dangerous witch’s coven, rescue a sickly peasant girl, save the weird land of dream and visit strange, far off worlds. The kind, thoughtful pair make powerful friends on the way too, but how will Lawrence and the rather special Lucy stop the unnaturally old evil forever? Views: 711
'Neve Uncovers the Ultimate Truth of All Things' tells the tale of a little girl with some big concerns, left to ponder upon them in the familiar confines of her local library. Although her world is in an increasing state of turmoil, she finds comfort and meaning in the books around her.'Neve Uncovers the Ultimate Truth of All Things' was written as part of an anthology by our local writer's group, with proceeds going to the local library branch. As part of this anthology, it is written as a celebration of libraries, and books in general. 'Neve Uncovers the Ultimate Truth of All Things' tells the tale of a little girl with some big concerns, left to ponder upon them in the familiar confines of her local library. Although her world is in an increasing state of turmoil, she finds comfort and meaning in the books around her. Views: 711
Elliot Cross is the Butterfly Killer. He targets anyone with dreams and aspirations. In this short story we see his cunning ways. He stops at nothing to gain his victims confidence. If you have a dream, he's ready to make sure you don't live to achieve it.Elliot Cross is the Butterfly Killer. He targets anyone with dreams and aspirations. In this short story we are introduced to his cunning ways. He stops at nothing to gain his victim's confidence. If you have a dream, he's ready to make sure you don't live to achieve it. It doesn't matter how simple or elaborate. As you see in this introductory short subtitled The Driving Lesson, the dream can be as simple as a teen boy anticipating passing his driver's test. It can be as large and complex as a Mother about to give birth to a baby after many failed attempts. Whatever your hope or ambition, Elliot waits until you're at the threshold and snuffs the dream. He invokes God as the justification for his crime. In his mind, he says he is doing the work of the Lord. God is jealous because the victims care more about their aspirations than they care about him. God is using him enforce his first commandment: "Thou shall have no other Gods before me" to show his power and how little he cares about people's "foolish follies."Included is an excerpt from a scene deep into the novel. Relax and enjoy this short story. Don't let murderous Elliot stop you.ExcerptTimmy thought it was odd that Carrie’s Father didn’t want anyone to know about the Sunday driving lesson. He churned it over and over in his head, Mister. Cross’s reasoning for the secrecy. “Your friends will be as mad as wet hens if they fail to pass and they find out you passed because you had an extra lesson. I can just hear my Carrie, ‘But Dad, you gave Timmy private lessons, but not your own Daughter?’ Whoo! That gal can be jealous. But you know her. You and her are tight like a drum aren’t you?”That explanation sounded reasonable to Timmy. Kids at South High tended to act like crabs in a barrel. If half of Mister Smith’s Trig Class was failing, they all had to fail. Shining stars weren’t tolerated. And Mister Cross was right about his daughter Carrie. Most kids shied away from Carrie, partly because of him and his crazy love for chasing butterflies all over the neighborhood. But she also had a jealous streak that was about as green as her hair. Girls didn’t stay friends with her very long. Even other lesbian girls fell victim to her rants and arm twisting because she had caught them talking to boys or other girls. But Mr. Cross had put his hand on his shoulder in a most fatherly way. Or was that creepy, Timmy wondered? The hand lingered a moment longer than it should and squeezed harder than it should have, as if it was a massage. Views: 711
Set between the events of 'The Siege' and 'The Imperial Banner', this compelling short story follows Roman agent Cassius Corbulo as he investigates a mysterious series of fires.We have conclusive proof in this issue that the May issue was more than just a fluke because we have yet another month's worth of fantastic science fiction and fantasy stories to deliver. This issue has some great surprises, too. While some seem to fit into traditional genres, such as alien invasion, fairy grove visitation, and haunting ghosts, there are also a few that defy description. For instance, what genre covers a botanist who finds more than he bargains for while searching for Ghost Orchids? There's a story that seems to be a general dystopia until you realize it's dealing with the most dystopic medium of all: reality television. And of course, how do you classify a story where the language changes as the story progresses?Now perhaps you can see why we're so proud of these stories.Of course, being the narcissistic sociopaths (say that ten times while drunk) that we are, we couldn't just let the fiction writers have all the fun, so you'll also see a few writing tips from me and the Editor-in Chief, Mike Cluff, near the end of this issue. They involve vehicular manslaughter and malicious fairy hit squads, so at least they should be interesting.Fiction Vortex publishes science fiction and fantasy short stories from writers around the world. All stories in this issue appeared on the FictionVortex.com site during the month of June 2013. Views: 711
