On Christmas Eve, somewhere out in the Asteroid Belt, a lonely prospector happens across something he never expected to find.
Showing posts with label short story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label short story. Show all posts
Friday, August 17, 2018
Upon A Midnight Clear by Ian Thomas Healy @ianthealy
On Christmas Eve, somewhere out in the Asteroid Belt, a lonely prospector happens across something he never expected to find.
Monday, August 6, 2018
Available Now! Conspirators of the Lost Sock Army and the Loose Change Collection Agency by Dan O'Brien
Synopsis: Have you ever
wondered where your loose change went? The missing sock that
disappears without a trace: where could it be? Robert has seen it
all. He spends his days watching awful daytime television and taking
extended naps on his plush couch. One day, a strange little man
appears beneath his couch, a leprechaun named Colin. Together, they
hatch a plan to reclaim Colin's lost fortune and defeat an army of
lost socks and an evil gremlin. Carefully illustrated by the talented
Steve Ferchaud, it reminds us that you’re never too old to have one
more adventure. Loved by adults and children, this illustrated fairy
tale is meant to be read aloud.
Robert heard the voice again, the thick Irish accent clear as the
little man spoke. “That’d be like me calling ye human all the
time, not very polite that’d be.”
He opened his eyes slowly and saw the little man, the leprechaun,
perched on the couch. Reclined back against the armrest, a pipe snug
between his teeth, he snapped his fingers.
The light of the overturned lamp flickered on and floated back to the
now right-side-up table. Robert watched in disbelief, his mouth
hanging open and a bewildered look plastered across his face.
Robert pointed shakily. “Not a leprechaun?” he asked, the
confused expression deepening.
The leprechaun sighed and stepped off the edge of the couch and
landed upon the air as if it were another floor. The smoke from his
pipe followed the tiny sprite as he stopped close to the huddled man.
He tipped his tam-o’-shanter and pulled the pipe from his lips.
“We haven’t the time for this, laddie. I require your help,
Robert Pendleton, and I be afraid that I have little time for lengthy
introductions. You can call me Colin.”
Robert’s face twisted in befuddlement.
“Colin, the leprechaun,” he repeated––a long pause before he
breathed once more.
“Just Colin, less you want me to be calling ye Robert, the human,
all the time,” chided the sprite as he blew a colossal bundle of
smoke from his lips.
Robert opened his mouth and then snapped it shut. His mind spun.
“What can I do for you, Colin?” he finally managed to say.
The leprechaun eyed him for a moment and then as quick as Robert
could blink, the sprite rested comfortably on the couch once more.
“That’s better, laddie. Though I imagine you be thinking of
pinchin’ yerself to see if this be real. I can assure ye that this
be no dream.”
Robert nodded numbly.
“I be from another world just outside the one you know. A place of
magic and wonder,” began the leprechaun, ignoring the vacant look
on Robert’s face as he continued. “And in this place, we sprites
live quite happily. You’ve heard of a leprechaun’s pot-o-gold?”
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Available Now! The Hobbes Family by Dan O'Brien
Synopsis: The world had ended
abruptly and without warning. How will a family navigate a world that
seems bent on destroying them? Follow them in this exciting new
serial adventure.
As Michael looked out the broken window of the convenience store, he
grimaced. The tall blue oaks that surrounded the building on two
sides were dusted with frost; the ground was an amalgam of crystal
sheets broken only by brave stalks of undergrowth that dared the
frigid touch of the gales. The building wouldn’t serve as a
long-term solution. However, it would be useful until the weather
broke.
The trek out of the suburban areas began in the family Subaru.
Highway 99 was so overrun with smoldering and abandoned vehicles that
the Hobbes family was forced to make the remainder of the trek on
foot. The winter months proved disastrous. Often, the snow levels
came down into the valley for a day, sprinkling unsuspecting areas
with brief, beautiful moments of frozen precipitation.
This was different.
A storm settled in the valley, trapped and angry.
When the sun managed to peek through the clouds above, it almost felt
bearable. But the great star was soon obfuscated behind a gray wall
once more, bloated and teeming with fury as a fresh zephyr of snow
and blinding particulates dragged the valley.
Michael looked over at his wife. Susanna’s high cheekbones were
prominent and the sallowness of her cheeks from periodic starvation
saddened Michael as much as he was capable.
He hadn’t fared much better.
His beard grew in with dark clumps and gray patches; his bedraggled
hair was curly in places despite its length. Were it on purpose, he
imagined Susanna running her long fingers through it and calling it
cute.
The store weathered the apocalypse.
Shelves remained intact for the most part, though they were barren
fields. Coolers were popped open. Overturned cans, smashed and left
for dead, littered the floor.
This was someone else’s last stand.
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
Science Fiction Short Stories by Celesta Thiessen @CelestaThiessen
Science Fiction Short Stories is a collection of eight, inspirational science fiction stories: Home, The Sacrifice, The Same Stars, Siren Song, What’cha Makin in the Barn?, Dragons, Fate’s Gift and Truth.
Home:
Stella, an unplanned child, now fifteen years old, is left alone on the space station when the crew leaves to return home. Struggling to survive, she soon learns that an apocalyptic disaster has struck the earth. No replacement crew will be coming. The only comfort she finds is in her dreams. But could the vivid images be real?
Truth:
In the white-washed Truth society, under the dome, they don’t acknowledge dissenting rebels like her. But when her life is threatened, Mark, a devout follower of the Truth offers her refuge. She’s always had a thing for Mark and now she needs him like never before. Nameless and with no memory of her past, she’s afraid and in desperate need of companionship…but he won’t even look at her that way. Mark says he’ll help her get away. But even if she does escape the dome, what will she find outside…and how will she be able to face it alone?
Monday, July 2, 2018
Ghost Drums by Matt Cole
In this tale of gothic horror, the vampire, Lazarus Kalon, is intent upon stealing the power of a shape shifter, a shaman of the Kwakiutl people. Yet, as Lazarus moves in on the shaman and the Kwakiutl village, another supernatural being comes into play, a demon with his own agenda for the Kwakiutl and who is very aware of Lazarus' presence and intent.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
The Things We Leave Behind by TanyaAnneCrosby @TanyaAnneCrosby
Click Now on the Cover Photo.
Zoe Rutherford has come to the end of her rope. Her relationship with Chris has reached the breaking point and it is time to leave. But can she leave? And if she does, what is she willing to leave behind?
This stunning short story, the prequel to Tanya Anne Crosby’s remarkable new novel, THE GIRL WHO STAYED, is tense, poignant, and deeply satisfying – exactly what readers have come to expect from this New York Times bestselling author.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Boys by Scott Semegran @scottsemegran
4.5 Stars
These are the stories of three boys living in Texas: one growing up, one dreaming, and one fighting to stay alive in the face of destitution and adversity. There's second-grader William, a shy yet imaginative boy who schemes about how to get back at his school-yard bully, Randy. Then there's Sam, a 15-year-old boy who dreams of getting a 1980 Mazda RX-7 for his sixteenth birthday but has to work at a Greek restaurant to fund his dream. Finally, there's Seff, a 21-year-old on the brink of manhood, trying to survive along with his roommate, working as waiters and barely making ends meet. These three stories are told with heart, humor, and an uncompromising look at what it meant to grow up in Texas during the 1980s and 1990s.
Sunday, October 8, 2017
Once Upon A Coffee by Kait Nolan @kaitnolan
4.4 Stars
A blind date and a case of mistaken identity just might lead to love...
After a long series of stinkers, when a respectful match from an online dating site asks to meet Avery Cahill in real life, she agrees. Invoking her favorite romantic comedy, they arrange to meet in a local coffee shop with a flower and a book.
Under a serious deadline to finish a group project for his MBA--solo--the only thing Dillon Lange wants is peace and quiet. When a beautiful stranger sits down in his booth at the coffee shop, he knows he ought to say something about not being who she thinks he is, but he can't resist her smile or her engaging conversation.
How long can he keep up the charade? And what will happen when her real date shows up?
Saturday, December 15, 2012
The Dust in Sunlight by Christopher Rees
12/14/2012 to 12/15/2012
The Dust in Sunlight is a hybrid compilation - part memoir, part fiction - of travelers' tales by new writer Christopher Rees that run the gamut from contemporary social realism and globalism to mystical realism. These deeply reflective stories - mainly told through the eyes of the peripatetic Daniel Lookfar - span several countries and continents; Afghanistan, France, Guatemala, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and the United States. In this intriguing collection, Rees illuminates how politics, wealth, history, migration, and culture influence human interactions to create fate. From the leafy heart of a forest in the south of France, to cornfields in the Dominican Republic, to the dusty expanse of Afghanistan, The Dust in Sunlight reveals worlds at once foreign and familiar, with unforgettable characterizations and frank observations of human behavior.
The stories:
In 'Shoes,' Rees explores the symbiotic relationship between visitors to the small community of Olancho and its inhabitants. Along with the traveler's sense of dislocation, language, wealth, and the status of the outsider all play a part in what arises when the first world meets the developing world - each hoping the grass is greener on the other side. As one reviewer hints, Shoes should be required reading for all those who travel to the third world, and for all those in the third world who believe travelers from the first are a ticket to a better life.
In 'The Peanut Man' we find a gentle force of nature, a curious emanation of uncomplicated beauty and tranquility originating in the figure of a humble Guatemalan peanut seller, spending his days under the harsh Central American sun.
'Rock Steady' is
a singular story, an enigmatic tale set in France that conveys an
undercurrent of mysticism and a shamanic fascination with sacred spaces
and mysterious forces.
'The Caseta Pepsi' tells
of 'dreams come true' against the backdrop of a small snack bar at the
foot of the Rio Dulce bridge. The naïve hopes of its owners and the
ironies of their experience are seen through a convergence of
viewpoints, as the spiraling narrative leads the reader on a journey to
the heart of paradise in a Mayan village.
'Thank God It's Raining' tells
the story of an archetypally good, simple, subsistence farmer and his
warm, companionable, hardworking wife; their love for the land and their
faith persist in the face of adversity.
'The Rinse Bowl at the Mexican Dentista' recounts
an experience, at once painful and funny, that takes place at a
dentist's office in a dreamlike, late-20C, vaguely mythic Mexico.
These and other stories form the fascinating composite of travelers' tales that make up The Dust in Sunlight.
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Friday, December 14, 2012
Classic Short Stories by David Pickering
12/14/2012-12/16/2012
Containing twenty classic short stories written by masters of the form, this collection includes unforgettable tales from Maupassant, Chekhov, Hardy and many more great writers. Some, like Saki's 'The Open Window' or Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Diamond as Big as the Ritz', are delightfully mischievous explorations of human foibles; others, like Gogol's 'The Overcoat' or Poe's 'The Fall of the House of Usher' ruminate more darkly upon the enigma of mortal existence. No reader will want to be without these short masterpieces, which come complete with brief biographies of each author.
http://davidpickering.weebly.com
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Sunday, December 9, 2012
Return To Sender by Aseem Saxena @RedNightHawkCom
Warning: this book contains scenes of violence and swearing. Even worse, it also contains scenes of extreme childishness and caring!
Since
life doesn't follow one genre, my stories don't either. These are some
of the most loved, entertaining, uplifting, thought-provoking, or
impactful short stories I've written from 1987-2012. Most can be read
in 10 minutes or less.
Included in this fine collection (that makes a worthy addition to any library):
Return To Sender (Version B)
You can give your heart to someone you love, but should you ever give your soul?
The Pool Boy
Can a stranger, without a land to call home, help a woman, who's estranged from her own land, feel at home?
One Last Sunset
Why do starfish let themselves wash up on the beach? Should you really be tossing them back in just because it makes you feel good?
The General's Store
A small town is beset with signs of change. Some residents embrace it, others don't even want to tolerate it.
Well Of Despair
A man is taught a costly lesson, but was it really him that needed to learn it?
Underneath A Canopy
Reality rears its 'coyote ugly' head, deservingly so.
She
Unlovable? To whom?
Nightmare On Helms Street
Speaking
of small towns and change, nothing portends change to a way of life
like an influx of foreigners - it's a real nightmare!
China In A Bull Shop
Not everyone is dying to hear those three little words, some have heard them too often (without really hearing them once).
A Shore Thing
A man thinks he's facing a life or death situation, until he realizes he has to choose both.
(What's this then, you're still reading this instead of the book? Very well...)
Life Is Like Football...
What the heck does that even mean? A couple surprises along the way in this one.
Return To Sender (Version A)
Averse to verse? Too bad, this version of Return to Sender has both rhyme and reason.
Coffee Table?
Finding the right furniture to suit your lifestyle and taste is difficult, but it may be more important than you realize.
Damaged Collateral (a tad controversial, sadly)
How far would you go to right a past wrong? Would you know if you've gone too far? Haven't we already?
Shake It Off - Shiver
What's a person, er, pencil-sharpener, to do when it just can't take any more?
The Bullet
Bullets don't kill people, people kill bullets.
What Would Guru Do (WWGD)?
A man seeking truth is sent on a 'trip' by a Guru.
A Moment In Time
A man makes a mistake and just can't seem to escape the consequences of it.
Louella
The love of the right woman can set a man straight, but this woman has only wrath to bestow.
The Wrong Line (scenes of violence!)
He who lives by the sword...
(Oh, come on, surely you've decided you want this book by now!)
Villains Like Me
Some people think they'd never commit murder, even if they already have.
Location, Location, Location!
Just
like love, homes come and go. A man seeks a new dream home, but are
all the good ones taken, or can someone help him find the one that was
meant for him?
Return To Sender (Version D)
Return To Sender gets another take, but is it for better or verse?
Wishy The Washer
An unlikely Western 'showdown' gives an oilman a chance to come clean.
The Last Straw
A life is lost...and found?
Oblivious
Wisdom, unplugged.
Tired Eyes
You can see the light, but do you really want to?
The Starting Line
Feeling
bad that others seem to have gotten further in life than you? Maybe
they haven't really. There's much more to this story.
Return To Sender (Version C)
Return To Sender returns to return to sender, this time for sure!
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Thursday, November 29, 2012
Six Stories Short & Sweet by Jason Z. Christie @jasonzchristie
A collection of six short romantic stories, written from 1993 to 2011. Contains The Time Traveler's Girlfriend, Mars, Write, Third Testament, Forward to Termination, Big Top. Be warned, they're not all as sweet as the title implies...
This collection is practically guaranteed to make you laugh, smile, cry, sigh, creep you out and make you mad.
What's God so upset about? Time travel isn't always what you think it is. Sexy circus stories. What makes a man write? The robots of Eden may be more sensitive and compassionate than you are. Is thirty-six million miles a long distance relationship?
Warning: Contains mild adult language and themes.
http://jasonzchristie.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jason-Z-Christie/148167058621572
@jasonzchristie
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Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Reach For The Moon by Tuan Ho @Tuan_Ho444
Little Jerry is sad because he is about to say goodbye to his father for the very last time.
And he does not know why, until one day while walking home from school, he meets a mysterious man.
This strange man tells Jerry a thrilling tale about his father's daring quest to reach the moon by forming a human ladder.
As Jerry listens, he will learn about his father's amazing talent and also a shocking revelation about the world he lives in.
Reach For The Moon is an enchanting and amusing fable that will touch your heart and leave you in awe with its wonderful ending.
http://www.thenoifmatrix.blogspot.com.au
www.twitter.com/Tuan_Ho444
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Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Botanica Blues by Tristan J Tarwater @backthatelfup
Luis Quintana must uncover the horrible truth about his newest case as a consultant for the local police - a ritualistic mass murder. When his investigation involves a frightened santero and an old friend in an asylum, Quintana recognizes the lurking terror he escaped once before and subsequently fights to maintain his sanity.
http://www.backthatelfup.com
Twitter: @backthatelfup
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tristan-J-Tarwater/296536627064808
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Broken Bread by Taylor Andrews
Lisa has worked as a dancer for Jack at the Lion's Den for six weeks. She took the job to make some quick cash. She soon discovers the proprietor Jack's evil nature and finds herself forced to make a crucial decision concerning free will. Will Lisa choose the right path?
Across the street sits the Broken Bread Diner, where "All Are Welcome," and every first meal is free. Come in and warm your hearts with Betty, Miguel, Aggie, and the rest of the crew. See what old Charlie, the proprietor, has cooking for you. What you discover may surprise you and could change your life forever.
http://www.taylorandrewsbooks.com/
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Monday, November 12, 2012
Cities of the Dead by Jason Phillip Reeser
Ghosts, devils, grave-robbers, killers, lovers, pirates, and dead Rock-and-Rollers. These are only some of the inhabitants of Jason Phillip Reeser's short story collection Cities of the Dead. Each of these thirteen stories is set in one of the many above-ground cemeteries in New Orleans, where the dead refuse to be buried. Not every story has a ghost, but every story is haunted by the inevitable ghosts that shadow and terrorize our darkest corners: regret, guilt, fear, obsession, despair, failure, and loneliness.
http://www.saintjamesinfirmarybooks.com/page6.html http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cities-of-the-Dead/340707626021838?fref=ts
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Stage Five by Robert Brumm
Warning. May contain traces of the following:
Talking cats and dogs, a serial killer on dialysis, testicle dissecting robots, prostitutes getting shot in the back, a meth head burned alive, a decapitated head kicked across the room, a puggle tempted to eat fresh vomit, a woman with a hangover wearing a Reggie White t-shirt, a pink litter box, and the extinction of the human race.
A Blog Named Phil - Visit Phil’s blog to read his account of the day his dog and cat started talking to him. Yes, it happened to everybody but read it anyway. Phil’s a lonely guy.
Cooper - Having to kill a gum snapping prostitute, a knuckle cracking beefcake, and a twitchy meth head was just the start of Cooper’s bad day. When he gets teamed up with Vinnie Smalls, a razor wielding pain in the ass wise guy, to collect a debt, the night goes from bad to bizarre to deadly.
Stage Five - After a usual night of binge drinking and television watching, Amy finds herself locked in the basement cell of a serial killer the next morning. Her death seems certain until the killer realizes he may have picked the wrong woman to be his next victim.
We Called Them Sheen - They started out as personal assistants, butlers, nannies, and companions. They ended up being responsible for the extinction of the human race.
She Must be a Daisy - One cat and one man in an apartment. One dies. The other tries to survive.
www.robertbrumm.com
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Monday, November 5, 2012
Tales From A Tiny Thai Table by Matthew Turner
The night before the morning after. Can this small Thai restaurant be the setting to a monumental moment in four peoples lives?
Each person has their own story and an entire life ahead of them. But is something about to happen that will change their lives forever? These four young twenty-something’s aren’t aware, but their futures hang in the balance.
Tales From A Tiny Thai Table is a short prequel to Beyond Parallel, the debut novel from Matthew Turner. It’s here where Bella and Clark begin their adventure. The following 5,000-words redefines everything.
This coming-of-age tale is where it all begins. A single what if moment occurs, and with it, two worlds collide. Can a tiny Thai table be the key to two young futures? Will you spot the innocent what if moment?
www.turndogmillionaire.com
http://www.facebook.com/matthewturner.writer?ref=tn_tnmn
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Wednesday, October 31, 2012
The Curse by Steven Gomez
Bernard has lived his entire life under a curse that has haunted his beloved Boston. Born from compromise and short-sightedness, The Curse has spread darkness over the city for generations and robbed the people of joy.
Now at the twilight of his life, Bernard has the knowledge and skill to break The Curse, but will he have enough life left in his old bones to complete his task?
Combining America’s pastime with dark, urban fantasy, Steven Gomez brings a contemporary fable to life.
Accompanying The Curse is a tale from Taco Noir - Tales of Culinary Crime.
www.TheNoirFactory.com
facebook.com/TheNoirFactory
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Thursday, October 18, 2012
The Black Line by Matt McAvoy @Matt_McAvoy
One of Matt McAvoy's "Modern Tales of Horror", available as a complete works, and the author's first foray into supernatural horror.
Modern day London - a proud day for a very proud man, and why shouldn't he be? Boris has worked so very hard, and is now launching his new driver-less tube train on the pioneering Tower Line. But while some consider the line a triumph, not all are as pleased; in fact some, the more spiritually-attuned perhaps, are downright terrified.
For the line, along with its creators, hides a secret... a secret darker than the tunnels under the Thames, and darker than the stories around the bodies buried there. As dark as the blackest evil of which man is capable. Bear witness - in the tunnel there is no way out.
http://www.mattmcavoy.com
http://www.facebook.com/matt.mcavoy.94
https://twitter.com/@matt_mcavoy
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