As a bizarre zombie pandemic sweeps across North America, residents of a large island on Lake Huron prepare to isolate themselves from the rest of the world.As a bizarre zombie pandemic sweeps across North America, residents of a large island on Lake Huron prepare to isolate themselves from the rest of the world.Each of the Zombie Crusade Snapshots are quick glimpses of critical locations around the world as the zombie pandemic detailed in the Zombie Crusade series begins to unfold. While the snapshots connect to the main story line of the novels (some in obvious ways, others in ways that will become more apparent as the series continues), they may also be read as stand-alone stories. Views: 806
What would happen if you had to face your sin? If it built up so high that it became a person? Would you face it? COULD you? Sophia has dug herself in deep and blinded herself to the truth. And once it hits her, will she turn away from it, or will she face it head on? THIS IS A TEASERTHIS IS A TEASERWhat would happen if you had to face your sin? If it built up so high that it became a person? Would you face it? COULD you? Sophia has dug herself in deep and blinded herself to the truth. And once it hits her, will she turn away from it, or will she face it head on? Views: 806
Iain M. Banks' Culture meets Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy in this funny romp through the cosmos.Iain M. Banks' Culture meets Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy in this funny romp through the cosmos. An immovable object stands in the way of the Galactic Emperor Jarrl. He has waged siege against his arch-nemesis for a thousand years, but the barrier still stands. Now, he has come up with a plan to put the immovable object's name to the test, and lay waste to his enemies. Will his plan work? Will he manage to obliterate his foes? Will he press the big red button to destroy a galaxy? Views: 805
On Solaris, a planet eons old, souls from the crust of a meteor give inhuman powers to their symbiotic pairs. Good battles evil to survive.Solaris. A planet like any other, rife with wars, science and love. But at the peak of its civilization, a great meteor fell, bringing long-dead souls to Solaris, souls that had been sustained by the life-force of one lone man, Ineal.At the moment of impact, these souls scattered across Solaris, giving inhuman abilities to mortals while scarring their bodies and corrupting their lives.Samuel was one such man, a man of faith who thought to use his powers to worship his God: he watched his followers, and his planet, die. Seas turned to lava and the skies darkened. And as Samuel’s heart grew weary and angry, he used his powers to manipulate the world to serve him alone.Samuel became god of a planet whose only life was the symbiotic life so like his own.Centuries later, he discovered others, threats that had not been on this planet before. A winged woman; a cyborg; a future-seer and a child. A great vengeance burned a comradery between them.They were souls that could overthrow him. Souls that he would need to destroy.An excerpt:Darkness consumed Ineal as the voices tore at his thoughts. The sole survivor of the planet Eon, he wanted to shut off his brain, to destroy his consciousness and be nothing. But the voices would not let him.The planets’ souls, he thought, encased in this meteor hurtling through space. The souls of dead planets destroyed us. I am the last. They take me for their own.He did not know when the essences of dead planets first came to Eon. Men and women bonded with them, inviting the haunting gaseous essences to their bodies and allowing the essences to become necessary symbiotes of the flesh. The symbiosis with the dead planetary souls gave his people powers and abilities beyond their dreams. But the price, the price of the flesh was great, and an ultimate death of sacrifice and pain was given in return. Ineal was the last, and the only being of Eon who had not accepted them into his flesh.But you took me, he thought as they spoke with their unintelligible voices, whispering in a constant echo through his mind. When my planet died you came to me. You took my body to keep yourselves alive. They kept him alive too, feeding him their energy as they fed off his living essence.Millennia of time passed as the meteor orbited the solar system.Ineal could take no more. Rock pressed against him, suffocating his thoughts.He closed his mind, pulling blackness from the void beyond and urging it to destroy him and the planetary souls, so that whatever planet they would go to next might be spared.His mind’s darkness came. He forgot speech. He forgot sight. He forgot love. But the essences would not release his life force and the greatness it became in their harnessing embrace. They would not allow him to forget primal sense.Then, in that rawness of life, where he was barely being at all, he sensed a planet. They had intended this new planet as their destination from the start.The essences’ telekinetic connection pulled away from him, severing the symbiosis and sending searing heat through his form.There was a moment of silence for Ineal, of freedom. Then came the violent crack of stone, as meteor met planet. A great boom consumed him. Ineal’s consciousness was lost… almost. But his essence lingered somehow in the planet’s form. The planetary essences fled their transport, consuming life and searching for prey. Views: 805
Mia and Andrew's connection allowed them to fight circumstances that should have forever ripped them apart. As the darkest evil threatens to destroy them and all they love, Mia and Andrew fight to uncover what they actually are. Will revelations of their true nature, what they have created, and their connection to heaven and hell save them, separate them, or destroy them and all those they love?Although Mia has returned to the safety of Sanctuary and the loving arms of her family, she struggles to merge the psychiatrist and mother she was with the surgeon and woman who was singularly focused on bringing the only thing that made sense in her existence to life, the children’s wing of the hospital she left behind. With her sudden disappearance, the wing is in jeopardy and Dr. Davis is fighting to ensure that all of her efforts instead go to his plastic surgery facility. To save what she held so dear and what brought her back to Andrew, Mia needs to return to the existence she forged without Andrew and her children to resume her role as Jonathan’s bride. Determined to assist Mia in this endeavor, Andrew assumes Jonathan’s identity and they return to New York with everyone required to play a role and assume an identity which is not their own. To assist Mia in ensuring that the wing goes forward, Jeff returns as a visiting physician while Andrew ensures that the real Jonathan’s wishes are carried forward for the son of his girlfriend. The children enroll along with Jeff’s children in a new school where Grant, Julian and Paul have assumed positions as instructors and soon realize this new school holds secrets and hidden dangers of its own. The children quickly learn that the surreal world extends far beyond that which they have encountered in Sanctuary and with each challenge, their powers, especially Jacob’s explode.Despite the battles fought and lessons learned, Andrew and Mia are about to face their most surprising discovery. As the family struggles in their new roles, Mia quickly learns that certain demons can truly rip the souls from their victims. Unfortunately, in Mia’s case it was not her essence that Marlena seized, it was the soul of Alexander’s developing twin. Together, Alexander and his twin would have had the power to end the condemnation of those who walk this earth for all eternity and revert vampires back to human form. Unfortunately in sending a returning David back to the depths of hell before securing the souls of those he held to channel forth, Reginald sealed the fate of Alexander’s twin and that of the soul of his brother who even now chooses to stay to protect the child from being used to release the most heinous evil.To save them, Mia, Andrew, their family and friends must open the gate to hell on earth and face the truth of who they are and what they are willing to sacrifice to make things right and save those they love. As they face their final encounter, lives are lost, demons are released to heaven’s gates and the final secrets of the ties that bind Mia and Andrew to heaven and hell are revealed. Views: 805
Elizabeth Moon returns to the fantasy world of the paladin Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter--Paks for short--in this second volume of a new series filled with all the bold imaginative flights, meticulous world-building, realistic military action, and deft characterization that readers have come to expect from this award-winning author. In "Kings of the North, " Moon is working at the very height of her storytelling powers.
Peace and order have been restored to the kingdoms of Tsaia and Lyonya, thanks to the crowning of two kings: Mikeli of Tsaia and, in Lyonya, Kieri Phelan, a mercenary captain whose royal blood and half-elven heritage are resented by elves and humans alike.
On the surface, all is hope and promise. But underneath, trouble is brewing. Mikeli cannot sit safely on his throne as long as remnants of the evil Verrakaien magelords are at large. Kieri is being hounded to marry and provide the kingdom with an heir--but that is the least of his concerns. A strange rift has developed between him and his grandmother and co-ruler, the immortal elven queen known as the Lady. More problematic is the ex-pirate Alured, who schemes to seize Kieri's throne for himself--and Mikeli's, too, while he's at it. Meanwhile, to the north, the aggressive kingdom of Pargun seems poised to invade.
Now, as war threatens to erupt from without and within, the two kings are dangerously divided. Old alliances and the bonds of friendship are about to be tested as never before. And a shocking discovery will change everything. Views: 805
Excerpt - There is a lot of entertainment and also a great deal of truth in this story. We recommend it highly. PROFESSOR CARBONIC was diligently at work in his spacious laboratory, analyzing, mixing and experimenting. He had been employed for more than fifteen years in the same pursuit of happiness, in the same house, same laboratory, and attended by the same servant woman, who in her long period of service had attained the plumpness and respectability of two hundred and ninety pounds. Views: 804
Lillian Ann Cross was ordinary. She lived a simple life and she lived it day by day. In the blink of an eye, however, Lillian's life changed forever. It was a twist of fate that changed Lillian, for she came to know bloodshed and fighting as a new way of life. In the blink of an eye, Lillian became The Switchblade Mamma.Lillian Ann Cross was ordinary. She lived a simple life and she lived it day by day. Lillian woke and slept by the command of a clock's arms. In the blink of an eye, however, Lillian's life changed forever. It was a twist of fate that changed Lillian, for she came to know bloodshed and fighting as a new way of life. She walked a thin line between good and evil and trying to remind herself that she was not a bad person became her daily. In the blink of an eye, Lillian became The Switchblade Mamma. This is book one of a three part series. Views: 803
Immortal clones enslave humanity!When scientists invent machines that extend life indefinitely, world leaders begin working together to control world populations and ensure their own power.One worker drone named Thirty-Seven must fight the system to keep himself from becoming a scapegoat. His inflitration of the world's most corrupt culture threatens to spark a thrilling revolution.IMMORTAL CLONES ENSLAVE HUMANITY!When scientists invent machines that extend life indefinitely, world leaders begin working together to control world populations and ensure their own power.One worker drone named Thirty-Seven must fight the system to keep himself from becoming a scapegoat in the world's most corrupt society. He fights against a the whims of a desert prison dictator named Satan and gets mixed up with Satan's wife, Suicide.Through harrowing tribulations and gripping battles, Thirty-Seven evolves from a naive servant to fearless leader of a massive pack of fierce disciples. He joins a secret society and learns the truth about how immortality was invented. Coming to terms with the realities of surviving on his own, Thirty-Seven grows and evolves into a wise and powerful revolutionary.This post -apocalyptic dystopian thriller will keep you guessing. Lots of surprises and twists. Views: 803
What you hold in front of you is a small sampling of short stories from the indie zombie series Zombie A.C.R.E.S. All three of these short stories are part of a larger collection entitled AiZ: Alice in Zombieland, which is due out spring 2012. These stories are not only here to whet your appetite for this upcoming anthology, but also to introduce you to a very interesting world.All three of these short stories are part of a larger collection entitled AiZ; Alice in Zombieland (Complete Saga), which is due out spring 2012. These stories are not only here to whet your appetite for this upcoming anthology, but also to introduce you to a very interesting world.This series takes place in a world that is very much like our own. The sky and water are blue just as the grass is still green. Every day, people are going about their business, most just trying to make ends meet. Politicians still get on the television and lie to cameras and the good people of the world.The world of Zombie A.C.R.E.S. has one stark difference from our own – the living dead. This is not an apocalyptic scene of destruction and despair (yet!), but hope for the living is dwindling with every waking moment. Zombie A.C.R.E.S. tells the tale of how this world came to be through short stories about the people of this new world – both good and bad.It all began with The Interview. This is the very first Zombie A.C.R.E.S. short story and it laid out the path for future stories. William Lohman, a recently deceased man, holds an interview that is seen by the entire world. In this interview, he tells of how the largest pharmaceutical company in the world, Roslun Global, has been conducting secret experiments meant to revive the dead, among other atrocities. Mr. Lohman is taken quite seriously seeing as how he is obviously one of these experiments, what with the decay and all.This interview knocked over the first domino in a long series for Roslun Global, and the company’s greedy CEO Richard Roslun. Richard was not known for being subtle or calm, but he was known for getting results…at any cost.Nine years has passed since that historic interview changed the world forever. People have learned to live with the idea of zombies, much the same way they learn to live with many modern diseases; it’s a terrible thing, but it doesn’t affect them. Until it does, that is.Georgia ‘Gee’ Marie is a typical college student in the state of Washington. She enjoys reading and hanging out with her friends, smoking a little weed and going to work. Her life is pretty mundane, until she returns to see her father one day. Tough Love is the story of what this average college student finds when she returns to her father’s home that fateful day. Gee and her younger half-sister Alice, are about to begin the greatest trials of their lives. Not only will their will to survive be tested, but the bonds that hold them together as family and loved ones will be stressed to the max.Gee and Alice are not the only ones to be greatly affected by the terrible actions of Richard Roslun. Sam Ashe and his fiancée, Heather Young, have just moved to a nice neighborhood in Seattle. Their new neighborhood is beautifully manicured, right down to the last tree lining the street. This area was chosen for its aesthetics, but also for its safety. According to several of Sam’s favorite zombie reporting sites, a very low number of incidents have been reported here.This would be why Sam is caught off guard one night in The Boy Who Cried Zombie. After an intense gaming session, Sam sees what he believes to be a zombie. Thinking of his love, he heads off to save her from the inevitable zombie outbreak about to occur. Their path is not an easy one, and again, human emotions will be stretched to the limit. If you have ever been in love, and I mean true love, then Sam and Heather’s tale will grab you by the heartstrings and never let go.If you enjoy these free zombie stories, please make sure to write a review and share it using the buttons on the side of the screen. Thank you. Views: 803
In the year 2054, Army Sergeant Logan Martel hunts for an insurgent plotting a horrific attack on the West. It is in this world of high-tech equipment and prolific robotics that Logan finds himself set adrift, searching for what's left of his own humanity. Will he find what he's looking for? Or will he become merely a replica of his former self?is thought provoking ebook delves into the subtley of elder abuse. It follows the life of Michelle, a senior who's favourite son has moved in with her after the death of her husband. Initially welcome, he becomes more controlling as time goes on. Views: 803
Around the World in Eighty Days (French: Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is a classic adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, published in 1873. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employed French valet Passepartout attempt to circumnavigate the world in 80 days on a £20,000 wager (roughly £1.6 million today) set by his friends at the Reform Club. It is one of Verne\'s most acclaimed works. The story starts in London on Tuesday, October 1, 1872. Fogg is a rich English gentleman living in solitude. Despite his wealth, Fogg lives a modest life with habits carried out with mathematical precision. Very little can be said about his social life other than that he is a member of the Reform Club. Having dismissed his former valet, James Foster, for bringing him shaving water at 84 °F (29 °C) instead of 86 °F (30 °C), Fogg hires a Frenchman by the name of Jean Passepartout as a replacement. At the Reform Club, Fogg gets involved in an argument over an article in The Daily Telegraph stating that with the opening of a new railway section in India, it is now possible to travel around the world in 80 days. He accepts a wager for £20,000 (equal to about £1.6 million today) from his fellow club members, which he will receive if he makes it around the world in 80 days. Accompanied by Passepartout, he leaves London by train at 8:45 P.M. on Wednesday, October 2, 1872, and is due back at the Reform Club at the same time 80 days later, Saturday, December 21, 1872. Views: 803
A group of SF's most imaginative writers, who share a love of the larger-than-life comic book superheroes, presented each other with a challenge to compose stories featuring these superheroes and villains as flesh-and-blood people, living through this century's turbulent history. Contributors include Roger Zelazny, Kevin Andrew Murphy, Michael Cassutt, and five others. Views: 802
