Fifteen short stories about aliens, dogs, and smart-mouthed computers. Read about a bored celebrity that decides to steal an entire planet, a security guard’s first day at a time-travelling prison, two friends that try to ruin their lives playing cards, and a pair of students that investigate the answer to a tasteless question.Grand Theft Planetary is a collection of fifteen short stories released as a precursor to the forthcoming H L Jones novel, "Ragnar Blaise’s High Idea". Grand Theft Planetary – A bored celebrity decides to steal an entire planet.My Life is Saved – If at first you don't succeed... A man who can turn back time persuades a desperate beauty to go to bed with him.From Afar – The first man on Mars is forced to find another home while pursued by a horrific creature.Technology Fails Me – An IT Technician working for a tyrannical corporation helps a computer to live.Modern Glass – A shallow businessman visits his daughter between social appointments.Man Alone – Wandering across an apocalyptic England, one man struggles to survive against UFOs, strange mutated beasts, and a one hundred foot tall metal giant.Barriers – World War 3 erupts due to a desirable alien artifact. Murve’s Dog – A penniless heart-broken man adopts an equally-pitiful dog.Bud and Rufus Play Dare – Two housemates play a destructive game of poker where the loser is forced to do a dare.I Rule – The newly-elected President is given some shocking news about the human race - and the part he needs to play.A Theoretical Question – Two students misappropriate the university’s newest asset to answer an age-old question; how many babies can a man take on in a fight?Time and Punishment – A shy intellectual starts work at Time and Punishment, a time-travelling prison facility where the world’s most notorious mass-murderer is plotting his escape – and the ultimate act of homicide.Farming – The rulers of the world contemplate culling the world in order to save it from an outside entity.A Visual Masterpiece – A university scholar becomes obsessed with a woman who offers him a taste of the world’s pleasures.Ticket – On the anniversary of his friend’s departure, a shambling recluse remembers the events of that fateful day. Views: 577
An eerie narrative of lost love, Serendipity tells the story of Jake and Rebecca, two colleagues in the Peace Corps who fall in love but ultimately choose their careers over their relationship. After Rebecca's untimely death, Jake inherits her house in rural Kentucky and goes to live there to confront the ghosts of his past...and his present.An eerie narrative of lost love, Serendipity tells the story of Jake and Rebecca, two colleagues in the Peace Corps who fall in love but ultimately choose their careers over their relationship.After Rebecca's untimely death, Jake inherits her house in rural Kentucky and goes to live there to confront the ghosts of his past...and his present.Hair-raising and tantalizing, Serendipity was originally published in the Eureka Literary Magazine in 2004, but is now newly-revised and available in e-book format for the first time. Views: 577
Written by Jay Bonansinga, based on the series created by Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead: Descent follows the events of The Fall of the Governor, and Lily Caul’s struggles to rebuild Woodbury after the Governor’s shocking demise.
Out of the ashes of its dark past, Woodbury, Georgia, becomes an oasis of safety amidst the plague of the walking dead – a town reborn in the wake of its former tyrannical leader, Philip Blake, aka The Governor.
Blake’s legacy of madness haunts every nook and cranny of this little walled community, but Lilly Caul and a small ragtag band of survivors are determined to overcome their traumatic past… despite the fact that a super-herd is closing in on them.
This vast stampede of walkers, driven by inexorable hunger and aimed directly at Woodbury, becomes their first true test. But Lilly and company refuse to succumb, and in a stunning counteroffensive, the beleaguered townspeople save themselves by joining forces with a mysterious religious sect fresh from the wilderness.
Led by an enigmatic preacher named Jeremiah, this rogue church group seems tailor made for Woodbury and Lilly’s dream of a democratic, family-friendly future. The two factions meld into one, the town prospers, and everything seems hopeful for the first time since the plague broke out.
But things – especially in the world of the walking dead – are often not what they seem. Jeremiah and his followers harbor a dark secret, the evidence of which very gradually begins to unravel.
In a stunning and horrifying finale, the world for Lilly and her close friends is turned upside down, and it is solely up to Lilly Caul to cleanse the town once and for all of its poisonous fate. Views: 576
This Christmas, there’s a special gift for more than one paranormal entity. This special time of year embraces the mystical communities, showering them with love. The special gift of claiming their mates makes this Christmas extra special. These Christmas stories by The Mystical Box Set Babes is a Paranormal Romance Anthology. This group of amazing talented authors want to give their readers a Ch Views: 575
The explosive story of America's secret post-WWII science programs, from the author of the New York Times bestseller Area 51
In the chaos following World War II, the U.S. government faced many difficult decisions, including what to do with the Third Reich's scientific minds. These were the brains behind the Nazis' once-indomitable war machine. So began Operation Paperclip, a decades-long, covert project to bring Hitler's scientists and their families to the United States.
Many of these men were accused of war crimes, and others had stood trial at Nuremberg; one was convicted of mass murder and slavery. They were also directly responsible for major advances in rocketry, medical treatments, and the U.S. space program. Was Operation Paperclip a moral outrage, or did it help America win the Cold War?
Drawing on exclusive interviews with dozens of Paperclip family members, colleagues, and interrogators, and with access to German archival documents (including previously unseen papers made available by direct descendants of the Third Reich's ranking members), files obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, and dossiers discovered in government archives and at Harvard University, Annie Jacobsen follows more than a dozen German scientists through their postwar lives and into a startling, complex, nefarious, and jealously guarded government secret of the twentieth century.
In this definitive, controversial look at one of America's most strategic, and disturbing, government programs, Jacobsen shows just how dark government can get in the name of national security. ** Views: 575
The computer and the internet are among the most important innovations of our era, but few people know who created them. They were not conjured up in a garret or garage by solo inventors suitable to be singled out on magazine covers or put into a pantheon with Edison, Bell, and Morse. Instead, most of the innovations of the digital age were done collaboratively. There were a lot of fascinating people involved, some ingenious and a few even geniuses. This is the story of these pioneers, hackers, inventors, and entrepreneurs—who they were, how their minds worked, and what made them so creative. It’s also a narrative of how they collaborated and why their ability to work as teams made them even more creative.” Views: 572
A tale of time travel, true love, and Jane AustenNew York actress C.J. Welles, a die-hard Jane Austen fan, is on the verge of landing her dream role: portraying her idol in a Broadway play. But during her final audition, she is mysteriously transported to Bath, England, in the year 1801. And Georgian England, with its rigid and unforgiving social structure and limited hygienic facilities, is not quite the picturesque costume drama C.J. had always imagined.Just as she wishes she could click her heels together and return to Manhattan, C.J. meets the delightfully eccentric Lady Dalrymple, a widowed countess who takes C.J. into her home, introducing her as a poor relation to Georgian society—including the dashing Earl of Darlington and his cousin, Jane Austen!When a crisis develops, C.J.—in a race against time—becomes torn between two centuries. An attempt to return to her own era might mean forfeiting her blossoming romance with the irresistible... Views: 572
Welcome back to Deep Valley Emily Webster, an orphan living with her grandfather, is not like the other girls her age in Deep Valley, Minnesota. The gulf between Emily and her classmates widens even more when they graduate from Deep Valley High School in 1912. Emily longs to go off to college with everyone else, but she can't leave her grandfather. Emily resigns herself to facing a lost winter, but soon decides to stop feeling sorry for herself. And with a new program of study, a growing interest in the Syrian community, and a handsome new teacher at the high school to fill her days, Emily gains more than she ever dreamed. . . . In addition to her beloved Betsy-Tacy books, Maud Hart Lovelace wrote three more stories set in the fictional town of Deep Valley: Winona's Pony Cart, Carney's House Party, and Emily of Deep Valley, Longtime fans and new readers alike will be delighted to find the Deep Valley books available again for the first time in many years. Views: 572
Robert Hendry is the author of 26 published non-fiction titles and three novels. He asks some fundamental quastions about the way literature is going. With modern demands for "the Hook", POV and so on, would the classic authors of the past get published today?Read this FREE book and see what you think.At only eighteen-years-old, Amber Ashborne is sole heir to the throne of Ashborne, the most powerful kingdom in Everrathe. In an attempt to earn the love and approval her emotionally abusive father has never given, the future queen raised herself to be the son he could never have; forgoing the ease and luxury of a princess's life for that of the sword and steel of a knight's. However, the king's disdain would not be overcome, and under the weight of the Ashborne crown, the young princess resigned herself to a loveless life of battle, guilt and torment. Until fate crosses her path with a mysterious young man named Emoren. Amber is caught off guard as the young commoner effortlessly breaks through the walls surrounding her, bringing an unfamiliar light to her dark, battle-ridden world. And despite being preserved for royal engagement, the future queen can't deny the feelings that quickly seize her heart. Little does she know, these forbidden feelings will not only shape her future, but that of an entire kingdom. Views: 571
A young artist pursues a search for knowledge through the treatment of homosexuality and the collapse of morality in middle class France. Views: 570
What really happened on that remote Tennessee farmstead on a chilly fall night in 1828? Sixteen years later, Zacharias Neil, Andrew Jackson Thomkins, and Zack’s little brother, Aaron, are determined to find out. An eerie tale of paranormal terror. Warning for mild language and strong dialect.Kristen's life gets more complicated as she deals with losing the only man she's really ever loved....her father, only to find out that almost everything she has ever known was a lie. Her only ally as she's running to save her life from someone trying to kill her is her father's neighbor, an ex-police officer and writer, who knows just how to get under Kristen's skin. Circumstances push the two together and they learn that they are more compatible than they first thought. This book is a novella, or about 27,000 words, and is filled with love, passion, intrigue and mystery.Sample Preview: Although it was a beautiful autumn day, it felt more like spring as Kristen Casey walked down the sidewalk. The only real difference was that the trees had shed their normal shades of green for more bold and brilliant ambers, oranges and reds. Kristen passed an elderly couple who gave her a sympathetic smile, which she politely returned. It was odd that a place so beautifully landscaped couldn’t be more appreciated by its visitors. The lawn had all been freshly mowed and the scent of fresh-cut grass was in the air. Kristen found herself transported briefly back in time to when she was in elementary school. She would walk from her father’s house everyday to school. For a short-cut, she would cut through an apartment complex where at least twice a week, they were cutting their grass. The smell, to her, meant that spring had arrived. Towards the end of the school year, she would always be so restless because all she wanted to do was be outside, where she could enjoy all that nature offered her. She’d give anything to be that naïve, playfully restless girl once more. But, she wasn’t a little girl anymore. She was twenty-eight, and had learned the hard way that life wasn’t just full of sunshine and rainbows. And nothing demonstrated that better than where she was right now. Even though she was surrounded by sunshine, a bright blue sky, freshly mowed lawn and well manicured topiaries, she was also surrounded by pain and sorrow. Kristen looked around. She had a habit of reading the names and messages on the carved pieces of stone. She could only imagine how many lives were affected by all of the names before her. “I’m here, Dad,” she said as she placed the flowers she had been carrying next to her recently deceased father’s headstone. Be sure to sign up for the free newsletter at PorterlanceBook.com to find out about all the great releases we offer by Rory Chambers and our other best-selling authors, like M.D. James, Matt Zachary, James McCullough, and John Green. Books by Rory Chambers:Dangerous Reunion (Book 1: Class of ’92 Series)Surviving Las Vegas (Book 2: Class of ’92 Series)Secret Obsessions (Book 3: Class of ’92 Series)Class of ’92 Series (All 3 Books)Steel Glances (Book 1: Rocky Mountain Novella Series)Identity Crisis (Book 2: Rocky Mountain Novella Series)Legally Comatose (Book 3: Rocky Mountain Novella Series)Mountain Novella Series (All 3 Books) Views: 569
The Sherlock Holmes Megapack: 25 Modern Tales by MastersThis volume assembles a mammoth collection of modern Sherlock Holmes stories -- no less than 25 tales by modern masters, such as Carla Coupe, Gary Lovisi, Richard A. Lupoff, Robert J. Sawyer, Mike Resnick, and many more! (It's also an authorized edition, produced under license from Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd.)THE ADVENTURE OF THE ELUSIVE EMERALDS, by Carla CoupeTHE ADVENTURE OF THE SECOND ROUND, by Mark WardeckerTHE ADVENTURE OF THE MIDNIGHT SEANCE, by Michael MalloryTHE CASE OF THE TARLETON MURDERS, by Jack GrochotTHE TATTOOED ARM, by Marc BilgreyTHE INCIDENT OF THE IMPECUNIOUS CHEVALIER, by Richard A. LupoffSHERLOCK HOLMES—STYMIED! by Gary LovisiYEARS AGO AND IN A DIFFERENT PLACE, by Michael KurlandA STUDY IN EVIL, by Gary LovisiTHE ADVENTURE OF THE AMATEUR MENDICANT SOCIETY, by John Gregory BetancourtTHE ADVENTURE OF THE HAUNTED BAGPIPES, by Carla CoupeSUN CHING FOO'S LAST TRICK, by Adam Beau McFarlaneDr WATSON’S FAIRY TALE, by Thos. Kent MillerTHE CASE OF VAMBERRY THE WINE MERCHANT, by Jack GrochotA HOUSE GONE MAD, by Sherlock Holmes as edited by Bruce I. KilsteinBE GOOD OR BEGONE, by Stan TrybulskiCUTTING FOR SIGN, by Rhys BowenTHE STAGECOACH DETECTIVE, by Linda RobertsonTHE DEAD HOUSE, by Bruce KilsteinTHE ADVENTURE OF THE VOORISH SIGN, by Richard A. LupoffTHE CURIOUS CASE OF THE PEACOCK STREET PECULIARS, by Michael MallorySECOND FIDDLE, by Kristine Kathryn RuschTHE CASE OF THE NETHERLAND-SUMATRA COMPANY, by Jack GrochotYOU SEE BUT YOU DO NOT OBSERVE, by Robert J. SawyerTHE ADVENTURE OF THE PEARLY GATES, by Mike Resnick Views: 568
Close on the heels of the magnificent With Fire and Sword and The Deluge, comes this impassioned tale of love, war, heroism, treason and betrayal, with which the great classic Trilogy of Poland's most popular 19th century writer is brought to an end. Fire in the Steppe is the final book of Sienkiewicz's literary masterpiece which grips and enthralls just as powerfully today as it did when it was first published. It is an epic tale of love and adventure set in the savage wilderness of Poland's eastern borderlands in the 17th century, and it is also the most realistic of Sienkiewicz's novels. The Trilogy's most memorable heroes, Pan Zagloba and Pan Volodyovski, are joined here by the unforgettable Basia, whose own adventures ring with strength, courage and determination against the bloody background of raids, border battles, and invasion by the awesome armies of the Turkish Empire in 1672. Told by a master storyteller, Fire in the Steppe concludes the stories of the Trilogy's fabulous heroines and heroes who live, love and die in these pages of Poland's most enduring epic. Views: 566
The novel revolves around the forced sale of a painting in Nazi-occupied Vienna. Zoltan Nagy, the legitimate heir, is pressured by his daughter to go to court and recoup his parents' possessions. But Zoltan is in love with the present owner of the painting. What if winning the court case means losing her? And thereby hangs a tale with several twists and turns: secrets, assumptions and slippery identities are the ingredients the author has used to create a page-turner. Zoltan's daughter, Cereta, claims the painting was sold under duress. But is the work what it appears to be, or is it an expert forgery? And is Cereta the woman she claims to be? Or is her real name Laura? David, an art historian, who falls in love with her, cannot get at the truth. He is caught in a web of illusions and postmodernist doubts. Zoltan holds the key to the puzzle, but he is hard to read. The hardships he suffered in childhood have made him a man of a thousand disguises, a man hiding even from... Views: 565
