A short story. A hitman named Slade takes his latest victim out to the desert and makes him dig his own grave. But this victim isn't who he appears to be.First book in series of five: A novel about how Irish, a heir-servant angel, takes a learning journey with Grace, a very naive and sometimes goofy newly created angel, to teach her about human ways. Irish's journey takes her cross-country to Sewanee, Tn. there, with the help of Aaron, commander of the angel legions, Irish tries to stop Apollyon's assassin from ruining God's plan for the end times. This novel is filled with angelic warfare and action and peppered with appropriate romance and tongue-and-cheek humor. This is the first in a series of five books under the Maranatha Chronicles. Sometimes referred to as the angel series or Christian fantasy. Views: 289
A corporation sends a team to Gondwana, a jungle planet. It is perfect for pharmaceutical prospecting, exotic vegetation loaded with strange chemical compounds that could make the company rich. The newest member of the team, Lani Callis, wants to impress the team's veterans, but first must overcome her own limitations and a planet that is either trying to kill them or may be just curious.A corporation, Alchemistica, sends a team to Gondwana, a planet covered with a thick jungle. The planet is perfect for pharmaceutical prospecting, full of exotic vegetation loaded with even stranger chemical compounds that may make Alchemistica rich or kill the prospecting team or both, it is all the same to their corporate bosses. The newest member of the team, biochemist Lani Callis, wants to impress the team's veterans on her first prospecting trip, but she must overcome her own limitations to do so. Alchemistica hired Lani on the strength of how well she did on a holographic video game, not on how well she relates to others. She must learn to communicate to survive, for, as the human team studies Gondwana, it becomes apparent that the planet is also studying humans and the two do not speak the same language.Authors note: Message from Gondwana is a short novella set in the same universe as the Eichi Testaments, which although well in the future, still bears all too many similarities to the current humanverse, especially the pursuit of profit. Humanity has spread across a hundred worlds, united by the Second Galactic Empire, an authoritarian Church Universal, and the corporations or kartels. Message from Gondwana takes place some seventy years before the main story arc of the Eichi Testament series. Although categorized as hard science fiction, the science in Gondwana is less about physics and rayguns than it is biology and genetics—although a laser karbine does come in handy from time to time. The novella also shows the writing style of David Wiley, including a flawed, but strong female protagonist, plenty of sharp dialog, some romance (how can being stuck on a planet of lush jungles not be romantic—unless it is because that jungle wants to kill you?), and characters getting themselves out of sticky situations (usually) by their wits and not just with a bigger gun or through newly-discovered superpowers. Enjoy! Views: 288
After slipping overboard from her father’s expensive yacht, Elizabeth makes it to a small island. She wakes to a man storming up the beach. He’s not happy and orders her off the island. Elizabeth soon discovers his secret of why he wants to be alone.Short North - Book 1A simple story about moving past the terrible things that life throws at you and finding happiness on the other side.Months after his breakup with a long-term boyfriend, Jacob Pierce is still more than a little fragile, he has withdrawn from life, his friends are concerned and even he knows that something needs to change. With the encouragement of his friends and a nudge from the newest member of Jacob's small circle, he agrees to sign up for a film based photography class.Elijah Fall, a widowed photography teacher, is exactly the man to bring Jacob back to life. But, while Jacob may have found the man of his dreams, will Elijah, someone who has lost everything once, be willing to risk his heart again? Views: 284
A giant human brain has appeared above the atmosphere of the Earth and has begun broadcasting its unsettling thoughts to all the citizens of the Earth, bringing them to the brink of insanity and apocalypse. Marion, an unsettled sociopath, decides this is the best thing to ever happen to him, and he must meet the owner of the mysterious, hideous brain.Marion is in love with a giant human brain that has appeared floating just above the atmosphere of the Earth. Said brain is broadcasting its unsettling and violent thoughts to all the citizens of the Earth, driving them to the brink of insanity and apocalypse. But not Marion. For Marion, this is an exciting time to be alive. The brain has freed him from the doldrums of everyday life, and he must meet its lovely owner. Views: 283
Yael Navas wreaks bloody vengeance on one who would kill the widow and the orphan."So as near as I could tell the end of the world began roughly about the time that Billy Carver’s butt rang for Santa Claus about halfway through the War of 1812."Sixteen year old Briar Gamble is having a bad day.It started with the cell phones singing for Santa Claus. Then came the tanks and the storm troopers.The Black Masks, in their black fish bowl sunglasses.And then along came Captain Albino.The shooting started shortly after that.Like I said - Briar Gamble is having a REALLY bad day.And it's about to get worse. Views: 282
This is a short story about Kendall, a sailor stuck in Venezuela, who needs to figure out what to do now that the boat's captain has given up sailing and is flying back to the States. Does he find someone to help him sail the boat home or backpack around South America? And what's that third option he's too busy to notice?Halloween will never be the same...Stephanie can't figure it out! Who is 'The Phantom' and why is he leaving gifts in her locker? Should she meet him at the masquerade dance? Is that safe? Is he a stalker? Find out in in Green Crush Minis' first short story...A Dance with the Phantom! (3306 words)Love Short Stories?Green Crush Minis features wholesome Christian Romance Short Stories. Sometimes you're just looking for a quick read--something cute--something uplifting--something young. Green Crush Minis gives you just that: Young Adult Christian Love short stories that hit the spot! Views: 281
When the last of the Gravediggers, an elite imperial infiltration unit, are disbanded and hunted down by the emperor they once served, munitions expert Colonel Thomas Granger takes refuge in the unlikeliest of places. He becomes a jailer in Ethugra - a prison city of poison-flooded streets and gaols in which a million enemies of the empire are held captive. But when Granger takes possession of two new prisoners, he realises that he can't escape his past so readily. Ianthe is a young girl with an extraordinary psychic talent. A gift that makes her unique in a world held to ransom by the powerful Haurstaf - the sisterhood of telepaths who are all that stand between the Empire and the threat of the Unmer, the powerful civilization of entropic sorcerers and dragon-mounted warriors. In this war-torn land, she promises to make Granger an extremely wealthy man, if he can only keep her safe from harm. This is what Granger is best at. But when other factions learn about Ianthe's unique ability, even Granger's skills of warfare are tested to their limits. While, Ianthe struggles to control the powers that are growing in ways no-one thought were possible. Another threat is surfacing: out there, beyond the bitter seas, an old and familiar enemy is rising - one who, if not stopped, will drown the world and all of humanity with it... Views: 277
The author takes the reader along his journey as he grew from a young guy, to a man in his 40s. Background information is included for each poem, but the reader is encouraged to interpret freely. Read the first poem from 1990 until the latest in 2013, and one will see a young soul maturing and baring all.Bill Stein and his wife Mary had just recently moved back to Germany on Bill's parent's farm due to their passing. Little did Bill and his wife know that the lake on his parent's farm contained a small army of Nazi soldier's that met their fate during World War II on his parent's farm, and that their final resting place was at the bottom of the lake Bill's father never told his son about the dead Nazi soldiers in his lake because he didn't want him to have nightmares, but days after moving into his parent's farm Bill noticed a green foam on the surface of the lake, and decided to call the water department to see if it was something out of the ordinary. The water department said it was probably because of an overabundance of algae and not to be concerned. As the days wore on, and the green foam was covering most of the lake Bill decided to call one of his good friends that was a scientist to have him come out, and get to the bottom of this green substance because the water department wasn't too concerned about Bill's problem.The next day Bill's friend Steve Kliner the scientist brought his testing equipment to test the lake water. Bill said "Steve how long do you think it will take to find out what the cause of this green substance is?"Steve answered, "I should know something this evening when I run all the tests?""Sounds Great," replied Bill.Bill had no idea the chemicals that Steve was about to pour into the lake would unleash something evil that had been lying dormant for fifty years at the bottom of the lake. Steve would end up as a tasty meal for an army of Zombies hungry for flesh.Bill and Mary said goodbye to their friend and went on to work.Steve waived by to his friends, and proceeded to open his bag, and pull out his testing equipment. Views: 274
Actor and bestselling science writer Ben Miller takes readers to the cutting edge of one of the greatest questions of all: Is there life beyond Earth? For millennia, we have looked up at the stars and wondered whether we are alone in the universe, but in the last few years—as our probes begin to escape the solar system, and our telescopes reveal thousands of Earthlike planets—scientists have taken huge leaps toward an answer. "Forget science fiction," author Ben Miller writes. "We are living through one of the most extraordinary revolutions in the history of science: the emergent belief of a generation of physicists, biologists, and chemists that we are not alone." The Aliens Are Coming! is a refreshingly clear, hugely entertaining guide to the search for alien life. Miller looks everywhere for insight, from the Big Bang's sea of energy that somehow became living matter, to the equations that tell us Earth is not so rare, to... Views: 273
After living in care most of her life, 15 year-old Jennifer finds herself being easy prey for a local paedophile group. When the police start to investigate potential abuse against Jennifer she doesn’t want to co-operate. However, when she meets Jack, a new carer, she decides to speak out. Not for herself, but for the other girls who have been victims and are too afraid to come forward.Cheap White Meat is the intriguing and very topical story about a police investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against young girls who live in care. 15 year-old Jennifer lives in a specialist care home for teenagers with mental health issues and at the start of the novel she refuses to communicate with anyone in authority. However, when she is introduced to Jack, a new carer, she slowly opens up to reveal the abuse that she’s been subjected to and agrees to tell her story in order to help create awareness about the situation which has been happening to numerous girls undetected for years.Even though Jennifer opens up and starts co-operating with the police, she soon finds out that perhaps the police and social workers are trying to cover up the fact that Jennifer, and other girls, have been abused by a particular type of men in the interests of political correctness. This becomes more apparent when it is revealed that Jack is close friends with another girl, Lucy, who was abused by the same gang and has links to a notorious far-right protest group. Lucy first reported her allegations two years earlier, but her case was dropped. The official reason given by the police was that they felt a jury wouldn’t have seen Lucy as a credible witness, however, Jack, and others, feel that the case was dropped as part of a cover-up because the police didn’t want to risk breaking political correctness and exposing the activities of a particular community.Despite the obstacles in place, Jennifer insists that she wants to tell her story to create awareness about what a group of men have been allowed to get away with and to make sure that justice is brought against the men who abused her. When Jennifer is introduced to a new Key Worker, Sandra, she finally starts to turn her mental state around. Jennifer’s condition improves so much that she resumes contact with her mum shortly after her 16th birthday.Jennifer’s mum is the reason why she’s had to live care for the past seven years as she has been serving a prison sentence for the manslaughter of her ex-partner’s, a policeman, daughter. Without any other family available to care for her, Jennifer has found herself passed between various foster carers and children’s home, slowly getting lost in the system.Even though she should have been under 24 hour supervision, Jennifer was still able to leave her home for up to 12 hours at a time without her Key Worker knowing where she was and who she was spending her time with. It was during this time that Jennifer met Adam, a man who worked as a delivery driver for a takeaway that she spent a lot of her time at. Adam befriended Jennifer and over time their relationship became sexual. Once he had managed to gain her trust, Adam introduced Jennifer to some of his friends who she also had a sexual relationship with, this time for money.Like many victims of rape, initially Jennifer thinks that she is to blame for being abused. It is only when other people help her understand what has been going on that she changes her stance towards Adam and sees what he’s done to her. It is because of this understanding that Jennifer is able to rebuild her relationship with her mum who has just been released from prison. Therefore, as the trial starts, Jennifer is on the verge of enrolling in a college and moving in with her mum. Views: 271
Read of one of Ulysses' adventures as he struggles with the elements, his emotions and the gods to complete his king's commission.Read of one of Ulysses' great adventures as he struggles with the elements, his emotions and the gods to complete his king's commission. Views: 270
David Cory was a 20th century author best known for writing the classic kids story Puss N' Boots. Views: 269
YA fantasy about Faerie thrones, Faerie kingdoms and how one teen girls life is forever changed when she discovers her true parentage and all the baggage that comes along with it.Adeila Burton is having the perfect senior year. She has everything she's ever wanted, but abnormal things keep happening to her. She can make things happen that she cannot explain. When a strange, golden eyed boy joins her high school things get even more weird. When he tells her that she is adopted and her real parents are the rulers of a kingdom in another world, she is flabbergasted. But soon she can't help but believe the possibility. They speak of power, betrothal, magic and destiny. All Adeila wants is to be a normal teenage girl, get her diploma and be off to college, but will the pull of finding the truth ever allow for her to lead a normal life? She must find her true path, her true destiny, and come to terms with her bloodlines. Views: 264
Fair Play
A novel by Tove Jansson
Translated from the Swedish by Thomas Teal.
INTRODUCED BY ALI SMITH
"So what can happen when Tove Jansson turns her attention to her own favourite subjects, love and work, in this novel about two women, lifelong partners and friends? Expect something philosophically calm - and discreetly radical. Its publication is cause for huge celebration." Ali Smith, from her introduction to Fair Play.
The writer and artist TOVE JANSSON (1914-2001) is best known as the creator of the Moomin stories, which have been published in thirty-five languages. However, from 1968, she turned her attention to writing for adults. Fair Play was her last novel, written when she was seventy-five.
Sort of Books have also published Tove Jansson's classic The Summer Book (2003) and A Winter Book: Selected Stories (2006), which draws from five collections to present the best of her short fiction. A charming, quietly radical and inspiring book, introduced by Ali Smith.
First ever publication in English, in a translation by Thomas Teal. Views: 263
Eight short stories and an account of three unrelated deaths in a boarding house with a quirk Topics. Homelessness. Cycle touring in France. A politically motivated murder. Tracing the birth Father in a group of swingers. Mismanagement of lottery winnings. Obsessive behaviour sometimes in bed.. Sci Fi the museum in Caen, Normandy reminded of the Nazis theories of eugenicsRohort Went to France. Rohort's a fallen star. A successful crime writer. He attempts to solve a simple crime, he fails. It's obvious he knows nothing about criminals. Travel will become his theme, crime is abandoned. He goes to France in search of inspiration. A snowstorm in Featherston is the last readable whodunnit by the novelist Rohort.He pillories the police Two fans go to Featherston to unearth the truth. He's been swapped in love for a policeman. He's attempted to solve some simple crimes, he can't. He's been outwitted by a homeless man living in a drain. His confidence is shaken, his writing skills desert him. The night in the Cemetery is a tale of homelessness, there's too much liquor at a funeral, there's a wager, do ghosts exists? A night spent in the cemetery will confirm. Some homeless men are sheltering in the cemetery, the ghost spotteres meet them. Lottery Town. There's disenchantment with the behaviour of lottery winners. The evaporation of the winnings. There's widespread disillusionment. Lottery Town will be built, there the winners will live, their money will be managed . The search for the Father. There's a group of Swingers. A daughter is born, she's an infant star, there's money in abundance. But who is the Father? There's envy. "What did he do to deserve it? He had to get someone else to do it with his wife. "Was one sour comment. Teront. Is a tale of obsessive behaviour, the location bed. There's a description of an erotic act in a public toilet. The narrator recognises the hand writing.it's Teront's. Teront's a lady killer, many is the number. Then there's tragedy, a road accident, a much loved uncle suffers loss. It's traumatic and has reach, Teront's affected, the count becomes one lady. Hombo was inspired by a visit to the memorial in Caen Normandy. It reminded of the Nazis theories of eugenics. In the new world order the possibility of unsatisfactory children is eliminated until Hombo messes it up. MS found sculling in the rubbish is an account of three unrelated deaths in a boarding house. No homicide, two were natural causes, one probably suicide,. There was a quirk in all three. Justice. Extravagant promises in an election have won power. Clayton, the central character sees a future dimmed by debt. He shoots the leader. At his trial flaws in the democratic process are exposed.. Views: 262
