A collection of short stories about the digital afterlife.Have you ever wondered what was going to happen to your digital self when you pass away?Your 'likes', your connections with friends and family, your photos, your purchases, the web sites you visited, your tax return, your curriculum vitae and job applications, the films you watched, the music you listened to, the books you read and rated, the meals you ate, the events you attended and (almost) everything else you experienced. There are few aspects of our lives that aren't stored as binary digits on a server somewhere in the web.Whether or not you believe in life after death, the fate of your digital self is a mystery.Does it die like you do, or does it take on a life of its own? Has heaven kept up with technology to offer its inhabitants their own social network?Jason, Vince and Stephanie, the characters of the short stories in this collection are confronted with these questions, and the answers will change the way they use their connected devices forever.*** BONUS MATERIAL: First chapter of Pascal Inard's novel The Memory Snatcher *** Views: 566
(Chaos Walking #2) SUMMARY: Part two of the literary sci-fi thriller follows a boy and a girl who are caught in a warring town where thoughts can be heard — and secrets are never safe.Reaching the end of their flight in THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO, Todd and Viola did not find healing and hope in Haven. They found instead their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss, waiting to welcome them to New Prentisstown. There they are forced into separate lives: Todd to prison, and Viola to a house of healing where her wounds are treated. Soon Viola is swept into the ruthless activities of the Answer, while Todd faces impossible choices when forced to join the mayor’s oppressive new regime. In alternating narratives the two struggle to reconcile their own dubious actions with their deepest beliefs. Torn by confusion and compromise, suspicion and betrayal, can their trust in each other possibly survive? Views: 566
Christopher's illusion of having his life under control is shattered when the mysterious Amaryllis appears in his small town in Fife, bringing new ideas, confusion and ultimately chaos in her wake."I refuse to let them strip me of love, of hope---of humanity. That is what they want. And, we must--and we can--pray for them, Peter."Early on in life, Peter and Chad decided not to care about the world around them...albeit for very different reasons. Chad took great pride in being a self-absorbed, pretty-boy. Peter, a has-been hippie, worked hard to disappear into his own world. A flip of a coin drew them into an unlikely friendship their first year at university.A year later, they befriended a white South African exchange student. Concerned about their self-centered view of the world, he invited them to join him in South Africa.This year in Africa forces them to face the realities of oppression and cruelty, and of hope and love. However, both begin to see these realities from very different perspectives; perspectives that threatens their friendship and in the end, shapes their futures.'The Smoke That Thunders,' explores the quest for friendship and love in the midst of human frailty and human cruelty. It is a journey towards hope—hope that we can find faith in ourselves and in something much greater. Views: 565
A rebel keen to shed his past. A reluctant hero searching for her future. Will two opposing powers help or hinder their efforts? Dom and Anya return to the Sect as heroes, a place where the pair struggle to fit in. When the Corp controlling the Sects calls for cadets to join, both teens grasp the opportunity for a fresh start. Separated from Anya, a heavy training schedule awaits Dom. When a mysterious letter appears mentioning his dead father's shady past, it sends fresh grief the rebel's way. The demands of a clandestine group soon put his and Anya's life at risk, as well as his career at the Corp. On her first Corp training mission, Anya is sent to dangerous Exiled territory. After getting separated from her team, she stumbles upon terrifying new company. With no help coming and a new threat looming, the worried teen questions who she can trust. Can Anya escape and identify the true enemy? Can Dom play double agent to secure her... Views: 565
Not unnaturally, Crystine blames her mom for bringing her into this world. So who’s to blame when Crystine finds herself in a completely different world, one where she’s courageous, resourceful and, yes, bewitchingly beautiful too; even though she doesn’t think the latter is of any importance whatsoever! But that’s just her opinion – and every queen she meets thinks she’s a fool for thinking so.This is a romantic short story about two people who fall deeply for each other, without ever seeing one another. Separated by a lonely tree on the road, the two of them talk about the simple things in life without bothering with the limitations imposed by the time we live in. They debate about the important stuff - the stars, the flowers, each other - all the things that make life beautiful. There is nothing complicated - just one constant niceness. With just a speck of unbothered philosophy, heartwarming and filled with naive positivism, this dialogue-based tale is a nice little escape from reality for those wishing to get their daily dose of smiling. Views: 565
What happens when the zombie apocalypse turns out to be a zombie aberration?Three years have passed since the rising of the undead, and life has more or less returned to normal.Zombie encounters are now few and far between. The undead are more of a nuisance than a menace; they are less likely to sink their teeth into unsuspecting civilians than they are to be attacked by vigilantes and rabid lynch mobs.Laws have been passed for the zombies’ own protection, and they are safely and humanely quarantined from society.Dead Rite, an undead management and control firm, suddenly finds itself on the brink of bankruptcy. The zombie population is dwindling and the bills are piling up.So when a lucrative opportunity unexpectedly presents itself, it seems almost too good to be true.A tale of misfits, weirdos, outcasts, alcoholics, trust fund activists, dead-head hippies, sleazy politicians and psychotic hillbillies; all foot soldiers fighting in the war on horror. Views: 565
Being a magical runt in a notorious family of witches is a fate worse than death.Margo West hardly has enough magic to fill a dustpan. So, when her gran passes away, leaving her temperamental broomstick to her most incompetent granddaughter, Margo takes off. After landing in a strange little town of Shifters in West Virginia, she decides to try her hand at real estate. Mild hearth magic might not have impressed the wicked West fam, but it does wonders for open houses. Her "parlor tricks" include shining windows, mopping floors, and vanishing dust with a twitchy blink of her eyes. Hey, wiggling your nose is hard! Margo's new life seems to be going well, until broody hunk Dylan Hernández solicits her to sell his childhood home before the bank forecloses on it. The creepy manor is plagued by ghosts, bats, and a greedy developer. It's going to take a lot more than parlor tricks and mascara to get this job done, but with... Views: 565
A classic rock and roll gay romance that spans both time and distance. A story that follows love and betrayal from the grit and grunge of the Jersey Shore to the clean high desert sands of New Mexico and back.Liam knew he loved Milo, even when they were kids. But their fame and fortune can't buy him the happiness of taking Milo out of the closet and be able to freely express their love. Unfortunately, there is someone out there who will do anything to tear them apart. He conspires to break the lovers up in the most vicious way possible.Six years later, Liam is older, wiser, and has rebuilt his life after the devastating loss of his lover. Forced by his loyalty to a friend, Liam agrees to a working reunion with Milo. When they realize what was done to them, they band together to uncover the web of lies that pulled them apart. Views: 564
The Princess and the Giant…
Meet the Jor’gen Kindred. After leaving the main Mother Ship centuries ago to make a genetic trade with a massive race of people, they are thirty percent bigger than their ancestors. Which makes them 9 feet tall—giants to regular sized humanoids. Now, hundreds of years after the genetic trade which made them so huge, the Jor’gen Kindred have no more females and are seeking a new people to trade with. Bram, their captain, has been dream-sharing with a female from a small, cold, rocky planet at the far edge of the galaxy. The problem? She’s tiny compared to him.
Princess Alanah Kingsdaughter is the ruler of her people but not by choice. After a plague carried off all the men and boys, including her father the king, she and the female members of her pre-industrial society were left to fend for themselves. Alanah has always felt like an outsider. Not only is she a princess but she’s considered much too tall for a woman. The other ladies at court sneer at her behind her back, wondering where she will ever find a man big enough to take her on.
Enter Bram, a giant three feet taller than Alanah. Suddenly the formerly too-tall princess is feeling positively petite. But Alanah’s planet is stuck in the Dark Ages and Kindred technology looks like magic to them—black magic. Can Alanah convince her people the giant race is safe to join with? And can she and Bram overcome their differences—both physical and emotional—to form a lasting relationship?
You’ll have to read Taming the Giant to find out. Views: 564
