Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster

A brand-new novel by one of today's most powerful storytellers, Sweep is a heart-rending adventure about the everlasting gifts of friendship and hope. For nearly a century, Victorian London relied on "climbing boys"--orphans owned by chimney sweeps--to clean flues and protect homes from fire. The work was hard, thankless and brutally dangerous. Eleven-year-old Nan Sparrow is quite possibly the best climber who ever lived--and a girl. With her wits and will, she's managed to beat the deadly odds time and time again. But when Nan gets stuck in a deadly chimney fire, she fears her time has come. Instead, she wakes to find herself in an abandoned attic. And she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a mysterious creature--a golem--made from ash and coal. This is the creature that saved her from the fire. Sweep is the story of a girl and her monster. Together, these two outcasts carve out a life together--saving one another in the process.
Views: 763

Carpe Tempus

Clayton is a nerdy teen who is constantly bullied by his peers at Gladeway High and too unappealing to win the affections of his high school crush. But a wristwatch belonging to his grandfather might change all that forever...Clayton loathes going to school and being bullied every day by Blaine Jansen, the star athlete at Gladeway High. Most days Clayton wishes he could either be invisible or attractive enough to win the heart of his long-time crush, Maddie. One day while sorting through his deceased grandfather’s belongings, Clayton finds an old wristwatch that might make his wishes come true…PLEASE NOTE: Carpe Tempus is a short story aimed at young adults.
Views: 763

Chains of the Sea

Mass market paperback by Dell/Laurel Leaf, 1974. Edited by Robert Silverberg with introduction. Three sci-fi novellas: 'And Us, Too, I Guess' by George Effinger; 'Chains of the Sea' by Gardner R. Dozois; 'The Shrine of Sebastian' by Gordon Eklund.
Views: 762

Buck Naked

Sadie Becker is not herself. A 40-year-old, divorced mother of two, Sadie wakes up one morning and realizes that she looks and feels like she did in her twenties. Suddenly she’s unable to walk around in her new town of Cougarville without men falling at her feet. Confused and alone, Sadie isn’t sure who to turn to…except answers to her problems might reside with her broodingly handsome reclusive neighbor, Mathis. An alpha shifter, Mathis lost the love of his life, and he knows he’ll never find another mate. But his innocent new neighbor clearly doesn’t know the danger she’s in, and he's the only one who can save her. But when the attraction pulls too strong, will Mathis’ animal nature be unleashed and claim Sadie for his own? Buck Naked is a sexy, emotional thrill-ride that will hook readers on this fantastic new series.
Views: 762

One last dance

One love. One place. One time.Kara and Axel know that people like them are never supposed to end up together. The dealer and the son of a duke, the human and the fay, caught between reason and attraction.A masked ball seems the perfect chance to enjoy each other’s company, but dirty jobs know no business hours and the moonlight is no stranger to bloodshed.One love. One place. One time.Kara and Axel know that people like them are never supposed to end up together. The dealer and the son of a duke, the human and the fay, caught between reason and attraction.A masked ball seems the perfect chance to enjoy each other’s company, but dirty jobs know no business hours and the moonlight is no stranger to bloodshed.“One last dance” is a SHORT STORY featuring two key characters of the series “The Tidssons’ Archives.
Views: 762

Targeted

A warrior sworn to kill or die trying… A woman going through a deadly transformation… Can they reach safety together? Or have both of them been Targeted for death? Emily Brooks is just an unremarkable girl living a boring existence--she teaches kindergarten, has a small house on the north end of Tampa, and tries not to envy her sister's perfect life. But Emily holds a remarkable secret within--one that won't stay hidden much longer. She is about to become something and someone completely different--that is, if she lives long enough to undergo the transformation. Tragar is a Beast Kindred with tragedy in his past. Pain and loss have driven him from the Kindred way of life and into a new career--that of a deadly Verrak assassin. The Verrak take an oath to kill every target they contract for or die trying. Now Emily is in his crosshairs but the moment he gets close enough to her, his sharp Kindred senses tell him something is different about this particular target. Emily is a Khalla--a rare female who some say embody the essence of the Goddess herself. She is a treasure beyond compare. Tragar is well aware that his own choices have left him unfit to serve her but at least he can protect her until he can find someone worthy on his home planet of Rageron. But there are dark forces in their way. Tragar's oath to kill can not be broken lightly. And there is a shadowy figure rising from the darkness who wishes to claim Emily's life. Can the fallen warrior guide and protect Emily to the place she truly belongs? Or will he die trying? You'll have to read Targeted to find out.
Views: 761

Thank You for Ten: Short Fiction About a Little Theater

The Little Dionysus Playhouse, like all community theaters, is a different place every day, as different people with different goals come in and out doing their thing. The ten stories in this collection explore both the drama and the comedy that happen in a community playhouse, both on and off the stage.Experience the love, fear, frustration, silliness and insanity of a typical community theater in these ten short stories. Meet the directors, actors, board members, technicians, audience members and visitors whose perceptions and adventures make the Little Dionysus Playhouse a different place every day.
Views: 761

Spiritwalk

Tamson House, in modern, urban Ottawa, is a rambling, eccentric curiosity of a house - and a place of hidden Power. Built at a point where the leylines meet, upon land that was once a sacred site, it is the gateway to a spirit-world where Celtic and Native American magicks mingle and leak into our own. In the overgrown garden of Tamson House, a Coyote Man waits, green children walk, and music rises to greet the moon. From the garden, a vast and primal wood is just one spirit-step away...and in that wood is something that threatens the very existence of Tamson House, and all who dwell within.
Views: 761

Prayers to Broken Stones

A woman returns from the dead with disastrous results for the family who loves her.... An old-fashioned barbershop is the site of a medieval ritual of bloody terror.... During a post-apocalyptic Christmas celebration, a messenger from the South brings tidings of great horror.... From a ghostly Civil War battlefield to a combat theme park in Vietnam, from the omnipotent brain of an autistic boy to a shocking story of psychic vampires, journey into a world of fear and mystery, a chilling twilight zone of the mind.
Views: 761

The Intern

Steve the medical student finds himself in an unusual internship. His first ‘patient’ has been kidnapped against his will for involuntary blood tests to aid in creation of a vaccine to eliminate diseases plaguing the world. Finding the government responsible and discovering the truth, Steve decides to fight back, even if that means losing his life too.Professor Charlie Douglas is at it again, sleuthing when he should be working on his classes and papers. After his successes in Murder at the Break and Murder in the Dorm, he's now working with a new homicide detective and hoping to impress her. Kate, Charlie's wife, is also getting involved. The chef at the University Faculty Club has been killed. The problem is that Charlie can't figure out why. He has suspects, but no motive. Perhaps this time he won't be of any use to the police, and that would be hard to take.
Views: 761

The Night Eternal

The night belongs to them, and it will be a night eternal... After the blasts, it was all over. Nuclear Winter has settled upon the earth. Except for one hour of sunlight a day, the whole world is plunged into darkness. It is a near-perfect environment for vampires. They have won. It is their time. Almost every single man, woman and child has been enslaved in vast camps across the globe. Like animals, they are farmed, harvested for the sick pleasure of the Master Race. Almost, but not all. Somewhere out there, hiding for their lives, is a desperate network of free humans, continuing the seemingly hopeless resistance. Everyday people, with no other options - among them Dr Ephraim Goodweather, his son Zack, the veteran exterminator Vassily, and former gangbanger Gus. To be free, they need a miracle, they need divine intervention. But Salvation can be a twisted game - one in which they may be played like pawns in a battle of Good and Evil. And at what cost...?
Views: 761

Escape

A summer romance and a family Member’s dark secret will change Chelsea’s life forever.Sixteen year old Chelsea Philips wants to get over her ex-boyfriend Adam smith. She thinks this task is hopeless until she meets Peter Jacobs, the residentgood boy. Even so, her heart is being tugged into two different directions. When she is forced to spend the summer with her grouchy grandmother, Chelsea begins to unravel. Over the course of her stay she confronts past demons and is forced to choose between her obsession and her needs. When you are consumed by your past, you don’t see the danger that lies in the future. Will Chelsea survive?
Views: 761

Paradise Drift

R and R Between a Rock and a Hard Place Dylan Hunt and the Crew of the Andromeda Ascendant have been fighting the good fight to re-establish the Systems Commonwealth. They need some serious rest and relaxation. Fortunately, they arrive at Paradise Drift, an ideal spot for a quick vacation. In the drift, the crew can play at pirates, medieval knights, gladiators--almost anything imaginable--in the virtual gaming scenarios concocted for visitors' pleasure. Since the drift wishes to join the New Systems Commonwealth, the crew is given carte blanche to enjoy all of the drift's facilities for free. This is a welcome gift for the weary crew, but it doesn't take long for complications to arise. First, Trance Gemini vanishes without a trace. Then their tech-wizard Seamus Harper visits a harem, only to be confronted by a woman from his past who has a knife and a score to settle. Even worse, Pilot Beka Valentine is relentlessly pursued by a bounty hunter who desperately wants to claim the price on her head. And Captain Dylan Hunt hasn't been worrying about his losing streak at a glamorous gambling parlor, until he discovers that gambling debts on the drift are anything but virtual. Little does Dylan know, he could end up paying for his debts with his head! Meanwhile, back on the ship, warrior Tyr Anasazi and ship's AI Rommie are forced to defend the Andromeda Ascendant against aggression from an unlikely source. What follows is an exciting, suspenseful deep-space adventure that will surely satisfy viewers of the TV series and readers with a taste for space opera.
Views: 761

Lure

David was looking forward to doing some hiking on his family camping trip. That is, until he’s lured into another world. Now he has to hike through the fae world, where fairies, hellhounds, and all sorts of magical creatures are lying in wait. Everything here seems determined to kill him. He has to escape this realm, but the one fairy that can help him may be the one that keeps him here.Her lips just barely moved, and I heard faintly on a breeze, “I will come back for you.”David was looking forward to doing some hiking on his family camping trip. That is, until he’s lured into another world. Now he has to hike through the fae world, where fairies, hellhounds, and all sorts of magical creatures are lying in wait. These aren’t nice, fairytale creatures. No, everything here seems determined to kill David and his family. He has to escape this dangerous realm, but the one fairy that can help him may be the one that keeps him here.
Views: 760

The Serpent

In 17th Century Venice exists a mysterious establishment known only as the Gameshouse. There, fortunes are made and fortunes are broken over games of chess, backgammon and every other game under the sun. But those whom fortune favours may be invited to compete in the higher league... a league where the games played are of politics and empires, of economics and kings. It is a league where Capture the Castle involves real castles, where hide and seek takes place on a scale as big as the British Isles. Not everyone proves worthy of competing in the higher league. But one woman, who is about to play, may just exceed everyone's expectations. Though she must always remember: the higher the stakes, the more deadly the rules...
Views: 760