Jane Yellowrock is the last of her kind-a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who can turn into any creature she desires and hunts vampires for a living. But now she's been hired by Katherine Fontaneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katie's Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire who's killing other vamps. . . Views: 713
Clyde Simmons is one of Britain's most devoted, vocal, and well educated environmental activists. Just ask him and he'll be more than happy to tell you. Goaded into a position where it's time to put up or shut up, Clyde finds himself at an impasse. His friends have a scheme and they need one more pair of hands. Will Clyde prove his mettle, or prove he's a poseur?Time Coins Stolen! An Impossible Crime And The Thief Remains At Large!Greg Thompson is nothing more than an average 16-year-old boy living a carefree life in Grass Valley, California. But that all changes when he witnesses a hit and run accident. Before the homeless man dies, he hands Greg a handwritten notebook leading to a treasure cache.Greg plucks an all too familiar coin from the loot, and is thrust into an adventure he never saw coming.The Keepers of Time are on the hunt for the stolen time coins, and will wreak havoc to recover their loss devices, including unraveling the lives of any who stand in their way.Greg Thompson, aided by a mysterious ally, will jump across space and time to avoid the unimaginable grasp the Keepers hold over the ARROW OF TIME! Views: 712
Relieved from deadly toil in the mines, a slave is brought to his master's household to work and there encounters a new form of torture in a seductive young woman who he is forbidden to have. Original. Views: 712
Christianity has kept many secrets through the ages and none more powerful than the soulless exorcists: the GARGOYLES. Secretly carved from a cache of consecrated livingstone in the twelfth century, the gargoyle, Celestino, is brought to life by his Maker, a young woman called Iseo. Will he obey the required oath or betray everyone to follow his own desires?Christianity has kept many secrets through the ages and none more powerful than the soulless exorcists: the GARGOYLES. Secretly carved from a cache of consecrated livingstone in the twelfth century, the gargoyle, Celestino, is brought to life by his Maker, a young woman called Iseo. Once Celestino’s first breath is taken, his birth into the new world is complete and his training must begin. He is sequestered for his own safety in the hidden halls of the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela in España. There he learns about the world of man and their Heaven, existing for forty days as a man of flesh & blood, before resting for seven days as a stone chimera. Because he has been birthed by mortal hands, Celestino is a soulless creature with a powerful free will. He must choose to obey the Codex of Gargoyles, or become the very thing he was meant to destroy.Will he obey the required oath or betray everyone to follow his own desires? This book is for those who love:• gargoyles• historical fiction• the world of demons and angels• true love 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
Dreamweaving pits Diamondixi, a Dreamweaver, and Amehana, a storm ryuugami and priestess, together with Diamondixi's companion ice phoenix in an effort to save the halfbreed selkie Justin from the fate of ultimately becoming a Finman. But, is the effort real, or is it just a dream? Or is it both and perhaps something more all at once?Part of the Selkies' Skins universe.Dreamweaving pits Diamondixi, a Dreamweaver, and Amehana, a storm ryuugami and priestess, together with Diamondixi's companion ice phoenix in an effort to save the halfbreed selkie Justin from the fate of ultimately becoming a Finman. But, is the effort real, or is it just a dream? Or is it both and perhaps something more all at once?The story is a standalone short story that is part of the Selkies' Skins universe.This story is written at the request of Kristina Stumpf, who was a backer for the Selkies' Skins Kickstarter project.Starting in the area of Mt. Rhiana in the realm of Dragon Hearts, the three erstwhile heroes cross from one world to another and into the reality of Selkies' Skins. There, Diamondixi crosses into the dream of a young lad that had been kidnapped long ago. Views: 712
Death. A permanent end. Termination of life.Some embrace death as if reuniting with a long-missing old friend. Others fear it, try to outwit it, hide from it. And then there are those who are fascinated by it, mesmerized by it, chasing it down, taunting it, challenging it. In Ink Stains, Volume 1, eight authors explore death in all its facets in a collection of short stories.Ink Stains: A dark fiction literary anthology is a horror story collection that is sure to keep you up at night…Death. A permanent end. Termination of life. Some embrace death as if reuniting with a long-missing old friend. Others fear it, try to outwit it, hide from it. And then there are those who are fascinated by it, mesmerized by it, chasing it down, taunting it, challenging it. In Ink Stains, Volume 1, eight authors explore death in all its facets in a collection of short stories that range from fantastical to gritty to supernaturally creepy. Join them in a journey through the darker side of fiction. This dark fiction and horror anthology series is a quarterly publication featuring occult horror stories and dark and chilling fiction. Ink Stains, Volume 1 features stories by Michelle K. Bujnowski , Eddie Cantrell, John S. McFarland, Steph Minns, A. O’Neal Tamela J. Ritter, Aaron Vlek, and J. S. Watts. Views: 712
Dead Land is an expansive tale of a post-apocalyptic North America in 2250, seen through the lens of a ranging cast of characters, all striving to survive the violence of unleashed man and nature, without losing the last bit of their own humanity.This is the first six chapters of the post-apocalyptic anthology, Dead Land, currently being developed for an unprecedented multi-media book. If you're an illustrator, animator, a website or game developer, or otherwise interested in being a part of this project, please contact the email address in the front credits of the book.Authors:Richard CunninghamDavid SechrestKalju LeeCurran AltshulClancy Smith 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
In a windowless cell, a man hangs from a pair of handcuffs. He is an American. His torturer will stop at nothing to extract the information he requires. He, too, is an American.
A Day and a Night and a Day is a Grand Inquisition for the twenty-first century, in which love, loyalty, reason, and truth are on trial, and morality hangs in the balance. It is the story of Augustus Rose, an unlikely operative in a terrorist network, and his interrogator, Harper, a ruthless ambassador for the darkest forces at work in our times.
Beyond the law and without hope of escape or reprieve, Augustus endures an emotional and physical assault that brings his whole life under brutal scrutiny: his race, religion, politics, and past, the people he has loved, and the few he is still desperate to protect. Alone and certain of death, Augustus raises the only shield he has: memory.
He remembers his outcast Euro-American mother, Juliet, whose erratic love was refuge from the unforgiving streets of Harlem in the 1950s; he recalls the strange solace of Elise Merkete, the ravaged vigilante who recruited him into the ranks of her underground army; he relives the cool touch of the young Spanish prostitute, In�s, perhaps the last female tenderness he's ever likely to know.
Outshining them all is the memory of Selina, a stunning, troubled, and rebellious white New York aristocrat. Their epic, taboo love affair, begun in 1960s Manhattan, would yield a lifetime's worth of passion, heartbreak, and wanderlust, leading Augustus from Harlem to Greenwich Village, from El Salvador to Barcelona, from Morocco to a bleak British island where death seems his only companion.
Dramatic, far-reaching, and beautifully written, A Day and a Night and a Day is both a piercing love story and a timely, harrowing evaluation of the shape the Western world is taking. Views: 711
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
For fans of Nicholson Baker and David Mitchell, a multilayered, lively, and wholly original novel from bestselling author Keith Donohue.
Set in the bathroom of an old house just before dawn on a night in June, Centuries of June is a black comedy about a man who is attempting to tell the story of how he ended up on the floor with a hole in his head. But he keeps getting interrupted by a series of suspects--eight women lying in the bedroom just down
the hall. Drawing from 500 years of myths and legends in America, Centuries of June is a stunning tour de force. Views: 711
Time Code: The Best Collection of 52 Stories You Should Be Reading This YearThe stories in ‘Time Code: The Best Collection of 52 Stories You Should Be Reading This Year’ are:1- Big Bang Serenade2- Mercury Heaven3- Twilight's Last Gleaning4- Ginkey's Garden5- White Van6- Finding Footprints7- Timid Bunny8- Red Moon9- Some Pig10- When the Doorbell Rings11- Slush Pile12- To Whom It MayTime Code: The Best Collection of 52 Stories You Should Be Reading This YearThe stories in ‘Time Code: The Best Collection of 52 Stories You Should Be Reading This Year’ are:1- Big Bang Serenade2- Mercury Heaven3- Twilight's Last Gleaning4- Ginkey's Garden5- White Van6- Finding Footprints7- Timid Bunny8- Red Moon9- Some Pig10- When the Doorbell Rings11- Slush Pile12- To Whom It May Concern13- Blood Draw14- Are We Superman?15- Moon Tweets from the Sea of Tranquility, 196916- Time Code17- The Ink Beneath18- Christmas Poinsettias19- After the Last Showing20- September Remembered21- Grafting In the Dark22- Test of a Lifetime23- Coffee Lover, Muffin Lover24- Pink Unicorn Gunfight at the O.K. Corral25- All I Want For Christmas...Beets26- Sitting Next to the Bug27- Sir John Falstaff Pleads With HAL: A Sonnet Not Penned By the Bard nor an Odyssey Presented By Kubrik28- Mac Morris…Sick Day29- Maidens and Monsters; Tokyo Footfalls30- The Typist31- There goes a Tenner...Beans32- Excellent to Bad and Everything In-Between: A Quick Glance at Fredrick Culvert-Owen’s Credit Score33-Eating Acrylic Pancakes with the Dictators at IHOP on my Birthday34 -Fallen Hero35- Girl Wrestler36- Everything is Clear37- Five Voice Mail Messages38- Tourists of Apocalypse39- Yellow Hair Lures Them All40- Writer's Time41- After the Game42- Home Renovation TV43- Bard's Muse44- Fan Fic45- Conan the Barber46- Let's Make A Yggdrasil Tree Deal47- Z-Garten48- Stupid Fucking Story49- Free Range Human50- Sounds of Segregation51- Nemo Found52- Nona’s Christmas Cookies 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
Bethany travels to a new fictional world to rescue her father in this third book in the New York Times bestselling series, Story Thieves—which was called a “fast-paced, action-packed tale” by School Library Journal—from the author of the Half Upon a Time trilogy.
Owen and Bethany have sworn off jumping into books for good. But they didn’t make any promises about not jumping through strange portals that lead to a comic book world.
Jupiter City was once filled with brightly costumed superheroes and villains, but nowadays, there’s nothing left but the Dark. Even the villains are terrified of the Dark’s shadows, and most of the heroes have either disappeared or been lost to mind control. The one hero who might have stopped all of this, Doc Twilight, has been imprisoned by the Dark.
But who is Doc Twilight really? And how can Bethany and Owen defeat the Dark without superpowers of their own? They’ll definitely need the help of some old friends and new allies to bring the light back to Jupiter City, and find out the truth behind the Dark.
It all comes back to Bethany’s own secret origins. What really happened when her fictional father disappeared years ago? Who is Nobody, and why is he writing these Story Thieves books? And what kind of supervillain name is The Rotten Banana? Views: 710
