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“I have never believed in going strictly by the book. It’s the main reason I’ve never been offered a higher position on a big-draft. But, when things really go to hell, I’m always the first one to get the call. They trust me with their lives, but not their jobs.”--Adrian Tarn, Chief Security Officer, Starship Electra“I have never believed in going strictly by the book. My six-foot-two frame has an assortment of scars and marks that readily attest to that. It’s the main reason I’ve never been offered a higher position on a big-draft. But, when things really go to hell, I’m always the first one to get the call. They trust me with their lives, but not their jobs.”--Adrian Tarn, Chief Security Officer, Starship Electra Views: 742
When New York Times Bestselling writer Tad Williams described Peter S. Beagle as a 'bandit prince out to steal reader's hearts' he touched on a truth that readers have known for fifty years. Beagle, whose work has touched generations of readers around the world, has spun rich, romantic and very funny tales that have beguiled and enchanted readers of all ages.
Undeniably, his most famous work is the much loved classic, The Last Unicorn, which tells of unicorn who sets off on quest to discover whether she is the last of her kind, and of the people she meets on her journey. Never prolific, The Last Unicorn is one of only five novels Beagle has published since A Fine and Private Place appeared in 1960, and was followed by The Folk of the Air, The Innkeeper's Song, and Tamsin.
During the first forty years of his career Beagle also wrote a small handful, scarcely a dozen, short stories. Classics like 'Come Lady Death,' 'Lila and the Werewolf,' 'Julie's Unicorn,' 'Professor Gottesman and the Indian Rhinoceros,' and the tales that make up Giant Bones. And then, starting just five years ago, he turned his attention to short fiction in earnest, and produced a stunning array of new stories including the Hugo and Nebula Award winning follow up to The Last Unicorn, 'Two Hearts,' WSFA Small Press Award winner 'El Regalo,' and wonderful stories like the surrealist 'The Last and Only,' the haunting 'The Rabbi s Hobby' and others.
Mirror Kingdoms: The Best of Peter S. Beagle collects the very best of these stories, over 200,000 words worth, ranging across 45 years of his career from early stories to freshly minted tales that will surprise and amaze readers. It's a book which shows, more than any other, just how successful this bandit prince from the streets of New York has been at stealing our hearts and underscores how much we hope he ll keep on doing so. Views: 742
Imperial Intelligence couldn't find them, the Imperial Fleet couldn't catch them, and local defenses couldn't stop them. It seemed the planet-wrecking pirates were invincible. But they made a big mistake when they raided ex-commando leader Alicia DeVries' quiet home work, tortured and murdered her family, and then left her for dead. Alicia decided to turn "pirate" herself, and stole a cutting-edge AI ship from the Empire to start her vendetta. Her fellow veterans think she's gone crazy, the Imperial Fleet has shoot-on-sight orders. And of course the pirates want her dead, too. But Alicia DeVries has two allies nobody knows about, allies as implacable as she is: a self-aware computer, and a creature from the mists of Old Earth's most ancient legends. And this trio of furies won't rest until vengeance is served.
In Fury Born is a greatly expanded new version of David Weber's popular novel Path of the Fury, which has gone through six large printings in its original mass market edition. David Weber has added considerable new material, revealing the earlier life of Alicia DeVries before she embarked on her mission of vengeance, and illuminating the universe of the original story. The result is a novel with almost twice the wordage of the original, and a must-buy for all David Weber fans. Views: 742
When Astri wins the final contest, becoming the Duke’s assistant, things take a turn for the worse. She realises that she might have made a dreadful, life-altering mistake.
Visitors from Samara join the duke inside the castle and suddenly tragedy strikes.
A young girl is found stabbed to death in Astir's old chamber–when only late the night before, Astri herself had slept in that very bed.
Could it be possible the killer murdered the wrong shifter?
In a series of dangerous situations and tumultuous magical trials, secrets about Astri’s past are revealed. With Astri's past now in the forefront, her life is in even more danger than before. Will the killer be identified before another murder takes place? Views: 742
When Alison first read the chain letter signed "Your Caretaker," she thought it was some terrible sick joke. Someone, somewhere knew about that awful night when she and six other friends committed an unthinkable crime in the desolate California desert. And now that person was determined to make them pay for it.
One by one, the chain letter was coming to each of them ... demanding dangerous, impossible deeds... threatening violence if the demands were not met. No one out of the seven wanted to believe that this nightmare was really happening to them. Until the accidents started happening -- and the dying... Views: 742
The world's most famous augur - the man responsible for a host of astounding predictions throughout history - embarks on his final epic quest: to witness the end of the world. But will Nostradamus ever live to see the final fate of man? Follow his amazing journey in Predict THIS - a short story.Jack Landry, a notable wire-form artist seems to not be feeling like himself. He woke up one morning and discovered he was a robot, or more correctly, an android! Talk about waking up on the wrong side of the bed!He enlists the help of his brother Bruce, who is an MD to help him get to the bottom of this problem. Jack has all his human memories and experiences. So what's going on???Part of my "Snack Reading" series that can be read in about an hour. Views: 741
Things are starting to look up for October "Toby" Daye. She's training her squire, doing her job, and has finally allowed herself to grow closer to the local King of Cats. It seems like her life may finally be settling down...at least until dead changelings start appearing in the alleys of San Francisco, killed by an overdose of goblin fruit.
Toby's efforts to take the problem to the Queen of the Mists are met with harsh reprisals, leaving her under sentence of exile from her home and everyone she loves. Now Toby must find a way to reverse the Queens decree, get the goblin fruit off the streets--and, oh, yes, save her own life, since more than a few of her problems have once again followed her home. And then there's the question of the Queen herself, who seems increasingly unlikely to have a valid claim to the throne....
To find the answers, October and her friends will have to travel from the legendary Library of Stars into the hidden depths of the Kingdom of the Mists--and they'll have to do it fast, because time is running out. In faerie, some fates are worse than death.
October Daye is about to find out what they are. Views: 741
A fantasy "Short Story" about a gambling Seawardsman named Loudin, and the Lion Lord of Westland. These events happened a handful of years before The Wardstone Trilogy begins. You will find both characters in the #1 bestselling fantasy epic The Wardstone Trilogy, which starts with book one, The Sword and the Dragon.A fantasy "Short Story" about a gambling Seawardsman named Loudin, and the Lion Lord of Westland. These events happened a handful of years before The Wardstone Trilogy begins. You will find both characters in the #1 bestselling fantasy epic The Wardstone Trilogy, which starts with book one, The Sword and the Dragon. A Wardstone, "Flash Fiction" story called, The Blood of Coldfrost, is also included in this download. Views: 741
What happens when a strange mushroom begins to appear, allowing people across the world to dream the same dream?An assassin bent on vengeance begins carrying out his own personal crusade against Islamic imams, leaving a gold crucifix as his calling card. The assassin begins his killing spree overseas in Egypt, demanding the attention of Inspector Malik Sharif of Interpol. It doesn't take long for the Christian assassin to kill on US soil, and FBI Agents John Knox and Beth White are assigned the case. Can a worldly Muslim inspector cooperate with a downhome southern Christian FBI agent to capture the assassin? Can investigators pursue the killer while competing with the media and the moniker they assign to the killer in question...the Jesus Assassin? Once the assassin begins posing more problems for investigators, he also draws the attention of the people for which he unofficially works. Despite numerous resources at his disposal, the clandestine group sends someone else after the assassin, and the story turns into a race to see who catches the assassin first, if anyone.Before it's all said and done, what lies in store for the assassin? The investigators? Others who want to stop the elusive killer? Find out in this action packed story that although doesn't condone the behavior of the main killer, it very well may have you pulling for him before the book ends. But there's a lot more to this story than just violence and vengeance. Despite the dark circumstances that seem to surround almost everyone in the book, there is hope to be found. What exactly is the source of that hope? Views: 741
A collection of short sketches and one-act plays. The subjects vary - a son leaving home, a sense of menace in a rural scene, the mystery of a cruise passenger's identity, consequences of accidents, matrimonial complications, unscrupulous journalistic malpractice, a fatal jealousy - but the tone is mostly light-hearted and conflict usually ends in reconciliation.CONTENTSBRIEF SKETCHES (written for specific occasions).Independence Day (mini-drama; 2m, 1f; 10 minutes)A teenage son is at the stage of leaving home, but his parents too find advantages in independence.Perils of Travel (conversation piece; 2f; 10 minutes). Two young professional women, awaiting a flight to a meeting, discuss a missing passenger, security issues, and why not to travel in a business suit.Crash (mini-drama; 2f; 8 minutes). A teenage girl, who may or may not be dreaming, is visited by a friend who may or may not have stolen the first's boy-friend, and has been involved in a horrendous road accident.Inn Memory (mini-drama; 2f; 8 minutes). Why is the visitor alarmed by a completely peaceful rural scene?ONE-ACT (mostly of competition length)Good Intentions (comedy; 3m, 3f; 50 minutes). George means well but lacks won't-power, and events conspire against his good intentions. Fortunately he is shunted off the road so paved before reaching its proverbial destination. Danube Moon (comedy; 2m, 2f; 30 minutes)A disagreeable divorcee unexpectedly encounters her ex-husband on a river cruise, and quite against her intentions helps him out of a desperate situation.Whitefly (drama; 2m, 3f, 1 either; 40 minutes) An unscrupulous journalist causes disaster to a small community in her determination not to let the truth get in the way of a good story about a local project.Nemesis (dark-grey comedy; 1m, 2f; 30 minutes)"Hell is other people" said Sartre, but Alan, his wife and mistress find otherwise; and who has murdered whom, or doesn't it matter?Coincidence (comedy; 3m, 3f; 30 minutes)A series of outrageous coincidences reunites several old acquaintances.Green Eyes (drama; 3m, 2f; 45 minutes)Sally and Kevin are keen environmentalists. Kevin becomes unreasonably jealous of Sally's contacts with a specialist she has interviewed for the local newspaper and accidentally causes his death, with subsequent agonies of remorse. This drives them apart until his subsequent conduct enables him to forgive himself.Fish out of Water (comedy mystery; 8m, 17f, 1 m or f; 60 minutes. Written for a large group of mixed ability.)Among a mixed bunch of passengers on a river cruise, one is the object of particular interest for several others on covert business, but insists that he is not who they think; or is he? Waiting (drama; 10m, 10f; 45 minutes. Again written for a specific group.)A busload of passengers is left stranded and wondering why; the reason proves more drastic than they could have imagined, but to resolve some old problems. Views: 741
Don't mess with a girl and her dragon, at least not these two. A young dragon loses his mother to lair raiders and is left to fend for himself. A lucky girl happens upon him and together they form a lasting bond. When more men come to raid the lair the two are forced to defend themselves, and each other, in a wicked battle. Magic, swordplay, and dragon riding await in this satisfying short story.Don't mess with a girl and her dragon, at least not these two. A young dragon loses his mother to lair raiders and is left to fend for himself. A lucky girl happens upon him and together they form a lasting bond. When more men come to raid the lair the two are forced to defend themselves, and each other, in a wicked battle. Magic, swordplay, and dragon riding await in this satisfying short story.Snippet:The cool night air rushed over them as they circled slowly upward on Crimzon's strong, steady thrusts. In the dragon's head his mother's soft voice whispered both instruction and encouragement, and the feeling of Clover on his back gave him the confidence and reassurance he needed to avoid falter. They climbed so high into the sky that Clover thought she just might be able to touch the stars twinkling above them. Her blood was electric with sensation. Her skin was chilled by the rushing air and her stomach was tingling as if full of wiggling snakes. She drew in a deep breath trying to calm herself but it was no use. Just as soon as she exhaled Crimzon rolled to the right and then dove sharply, leaving the wiggling snakes from Clover's belly lumped in the back of her throat. Her mind was spinning like a whirlpool. Far below, the majesty of the moonlit valleys and the hue of colors reflecting from the rocky snow-capped ridges unfolded before them. Clover marveled at the dozens of rivers and streams that glittered like strands and pools of molten gold. The force of the air pressed hard against her as Crimzon dove. She began to feel dizzy and distant, but before she slipped into unconsciousness, the dragon leveled out and sped them across the treetops at such speed that all Clover could see below was a shadowy blur. Soon their momentum died away and Crimzon began to circle and rise again, but now at a more relaxed pace. Clover was glad. She felt rubbery and nauseated. Sick or not she had to admit that it was the most exhilarating experience she had ever had. Don't miss Crimzon & Clover II - The Tricky Wizard Views: 741
Robert Moore Williams was a popular American author during the 20th century. His most famous works were science fiction. Views: 741
Volume 3 of the Rich Coleman Novel series. A timely novel about one greedy of mortgage lender who made himself millions but destroyed the lives of thousands of Americans and helped send the American economy in a tailspin.An ex-military contractor tries to leave the world behind, but it’s not as simple as he thinks...especially once the blood lust strikes.Horrific experiments took the two things that mattered most to William Strickland -- his family and his humanity. Now a twisted mutation of human and animal DNA, he is up against the most powerful corporation in the world... and all he has are his wits, his will, and the wolf.Grab this riveting thriller today and free the beast inside! Views: 741
Based on the Grimm short story series. The fairy tales you know with a wicked twist.Jane finds that the World of Grimm is more frightening and dangerous than she first believed. She meets the Beast from Beauty and the Beast and discovers the curse that is on him is nothing like anything she could imagine.Based on the Grimm short story series. The fairy tales you know with a wicked twist.Jane finds that the World of Grimm is more frightening and dangerous than she first believed. She meets the Beast from Beauty and the Beast and discovers the curse that is on him is nothing like anything she could imagine.AaBack's Grimm Dark Fantasy Fairy Tale Series:#1 Tale Of Two Worlds: The Wizard, The Battle Mage, And The Werewolf#2 Friends Reunited: The Janus Beast, The Rose Beauty, And The Cursed Duckling#3 Dragon Scorned: The Towering Mountain Citadel, The Sword Of Cross-Worlds, And The Maximus-curse Views: 741
