With the writing chops of Ian McEwan and the storytelling of Lisa Wingate, "a haunting debut" about two intertwined families and the secrets they've kept buried during the steel boom in Bethlehem, PA "A haunting debut." —Georgia Hunter, New York Times bestselling author of We Were the Lucky Ones"Karen Kelly is the real deal." —Mark Sullivan, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Beneath a Scarlet SkyA young woman arrives at her mother-in-law's intimidating but glorious gilded home in Bethlehem, PA, happy that her husband is to assume leadership of the family steel business. But what greets her is not the happy household she expects, run by the beautiful Susannah, but hallways where whispered secrets and allusions to tragedy haunt her and speak to a past she had no idea existed.Told in alternating time frames, 1962 and the 1920's, when the true titans of Bethlehem Steel got... Views: 699
Shortly after the first atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, World War II came to and, and the terrible reality of the atomic age began . . .Sixteen-year-old Sorry Rinamu has lived on the Bikini Atoll in the western Pacific all his life. Now the United States government wants to use his home as a site for atomic weapons tests. The islanders are told that they must leave the island in the interest of world peace but can return when the land is safe again. Sorry doesn't believe the story. He is sure that radioactive fallout will poison the warm blue waters and beautiful white sand beaches, and Bikini Atoll will be lost to its people forever. Sorry knows that he has no choice but stop this disaster before it starts -- even if it means standing alone against the U.S. military, and risking his own life to save his ancestral land. Views: 696
A father sells his soul to save his son but when the devil returns to collect his debt, the father refuses to give up his soul thus he is cursed until the devil gets what is rightfully his.At some point in the continuum of life comes the realization that one is indeed mortal. The phrase, “today is the first day of the rest of your life”, slowly becomes more poignant. Finally, the concept of one’s days being numbered becomes a constant companion. This story relates an experience of a man caught up in the end-game. Present day demographics would suggest that a number of readers would have more than a passing interest.William Gardner is proving himself to be a wordsmith of some note. THE QUESTIONER is an easy read with bountiful and beautifully manicured dialogue. He is also the author of the well-received fictional novella, A TALE OF TWO LEGACIES. It too is available on Smashwords. Views: 696
In this story, "Aliens Did NOT Destroy Chicago" is the title of a video discovered on the internet after claims that aliens nuked the city are broadcast on news networks. The story is told in that format, with a transcriber copying all of the spoken text into long form. The reader is challenged to examine perceptions and exercise discernment through the use of media."Aliens Did NOT Destroy Chicago" is the title of a video discovered on the internet after claims that aliens nuked the city are broadcast on new networks. The story is told in that format, with a transcriber copying all of the spoken text into long form. In this short fiction, the author formulates a scenario where a major US city is destroyed by a false flag operation, and what might occur if the scale were so monstrous it could barely be believed. The reader is challenged to examine perceptions and exercise discernment through the use of media. Views: 695
From 1946 for a dozen years The Pauline Group flourished, stimulating University and College life. Of great interest to poetry lovers and to families and friends of the many contributors. A landmark undertaking at the time demonstrating hidden excellences not apparent in the formal everyday courses of universities.This collection of poetry centred on Sydney University and St. Paul's College was created by Wilhelm Rechnitz, a P.O.W. and an inspiring educator, long forgotten. From 1946 for a dozen years The Pauline Group flourished, stimulating University and College life. Of great interest to poetry lovers and to families and friends of the many contributors. A landmark undertaking at the time demonstrating hidden excellences not apparent in the formal everyday courses of universities. Views: 694
Miami in the 1920's is a city with two faces. By day, it's a dazzling beacon of industry; when the sun goes down, neon signs flash and decadence reigns. As Prohibition takes hold, speakeasies and illicit distilleries spring up alongside lavish mansions. Nothing can slow the influx of tourists thirsty for strong liquor—or quell the greed of those eager to provide it. Caught between these two worlds, and two very different men, beautiful Lily Strickland throws herself into re-building her grandparents' Art Deco hotel while reveling in everything the city's nightlife has to offer a blonde-bombshell flapper. When her shy, unassuming sister is caught up in Miami's vicious mob underworld, Lily turns to the doctor she's loved for years. But it may be up to a young pilot and former rumrunner to save her sister and salvage the legacy her family has worked so hard to build. Views: 693
Chama is a little fat brown pony. But no one calls him Chama. Everyone calls him Lazy, Lazy pony! Read on as Chama, in his own words, tells you the thrilling story of his life.2036 was the year that nobody wants to remember. The world was split up into five zones, the authorities zone, the opulent zone, the upper class, the prevalent zone, the middle class, the corrupt, no mans' land, and the destitute zone, where people like me live. It was all a normal day in the Destitute zone, I took the subway to and fro the schoolhouse. On my way home, I came to find that my hut was locked. My guardian usually always came to the door when I knocked the first time. Then the crazy man came dashing towards me, pleading for me to follow him. I do, but bombs are exploding in the sky, so eventually, I lost him. In this time, in all times of sadness, all I have to comfort me in the most time of need, is a compass. A compass. The man's name is Henry. He sends me a letter at an unknown place. It says that my guardian was killed by a man that I must stay away from. I find something throughout a long journey. Not something on the ground or something that I took from someone. I find something, a massive force, within me. I shall kill the man who took everything, the only thing that I have, from me. Views: 692
Jacaranda Vines was once the greatest vineyard in Australia, but the death of its owner, Jock Witney, leaves the business in shambles. As the Witney family fight over the future of the winery, Jock's young granddaughter Sophie makes a voyage of historical discovery through the Australian outback, hoping to learn more about her family's past. Set between the 1830s and the modern day, Jacaranda Vines is an exploration of ancestral ties, bitter rivalries and the importance of sharing family history. Views: 690
London in the early months of WW2. When a pawnbroker’s assistant is wounded by a gunman wearing a gasmask it looks like a simple case of a bungled armed robbery, but the more Detective Inspector Hawker looks into it, the more confusing it becomes. A red-headed soldier, a missing gun, a dead cat, an empty violin case and a damaged violin are only a few of the threads that have to be unwound.London in the autumn of 1939: the early months of World War 2. Hitler has just conquered Poland, but life in London continues much as it did in peacetime, albeit a little more restricted since the introduction of petrol rationing. No bombs have been dropped on the city as yet, but the population go about their daily business under the constant threat of German air raids, and a blackout remains in force at night. For Scotland Yard and the criminal fraternity, however, it is business as usual. When a pawnbroker’s assistant is wounded by a gunman wearing a gasmask, it appears to be a straightforward case of a bungled armed robbery, but as Detective Inspector Hawker of the Flying Squad proceeds with his investigation, the more facts he uncovers the more confusing the affair becomes. A red-headed soldier, a missing gun, a dead cat, an empty violin case and a damaged violin are only a few of the threads that have to be unravelled before he can wrap up the case. Views: 686
In this steamy historical short, a debt-ridden Regency miss faces an indecent proposition from a wealthy nobleman.For debt-ridden Deana Herwood, losing a hand of cards to the wealthy Lord Rockwell was bad enough. To settler her loss, she must offer her body to him for one night of pleasure.When she expresses her reservations, he offers an even more outrageous proposition. Can she win the wager or will her body succumb to the wicked attentions of Lord Rockwell? Views: 685
