New nurse Hope Wyatt helps a friend in the intensive care unit fight for his life while she learns how to cope with the emotional highs and lows of caregiving.There's a tradition at Mercy Regional Hospital that the nurses take very seriously. The window blinds are always kept closed for a patient with a good prognosis. But for a patient who’s not expected to make it, the blinds are left open so the soul can be set free when the time comes. Hope Wyatt, single mother, aspiring poet and new-to-practice nurse makes the mistake of closing the blinds on a terminally ill patient her first day on the job. Her colleagues quickly let her know what a tremendous foul-up she has made, and aren’t in any rush to let her forget about it. When Hope’s friend Will ends up in the ICU in a coma, she isn’t sure if she should leave the blinds open or closed for him. Already struggling with the hard hand that life has dealt her, Hope tries her best to hold it all together and find some peace in the turmoil around her. Inspired by Saul, the husband of a cancer patient, and Marjorie, a fellow nurse on her unit, Hope adopts a new philosophy about coping with the emotional highs and lows of caregiving. One that gives her the strength to boldly defy the tradition of the blinds, and do what she knows in her heart is right.

Inner Lives of Cultures, The“These days, we do not lack information about other societies and countries” writes Eva Hoffman, in her introduction to this illuminating collection of essays. But why, we must ask, does this unprececedented level of knowledge not translate into greater understanding?Spurning the sound byte, glossy guide or shallow schematic, an international group of thinkers and writers set out on a much more vital journey leading us through the Innner Lives of Cultures. In these 10 revealing essays about Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Romania, Russia and Uzbekistan, we enter, through empathy and imagination ‘into the subjective life of another culture – its symbolic codes, its overt beliefs and implicit assumptions’. Often, they suggest, it is the experience of emmigration or displacment which is the key: it reveals most sharply to us not only how culture shapes our human enviroment but also the inner landscapes of the self which perceives it. In an opening essay, ‘Barbarism, Civilisation, Cultures’, Tzvetan Todorov, argues forcefully that without this much-prized knowledge of what ‘culture’ is, we may increasingly fail to become what he calls “a civilised person: one who is able, at all times and in all places, to recognise the humanity of others fully”. This is an urgent and indispensible book for our world now.

Author Sharon E. Cathcart ("In The Eye of The Beholder," "Les Pensees Dangereuses") presents a sampler of essays and short fiction. The collection features "Heart of Stone," a short story never previously published.Brick and Spiritwind were unaware of the wider goings on of the universe. Had they known alien’s were heading their way, intent on freezing time and stealing all the tea and coffee, chances are they would console themselves with a debate on the merits of hot beverages and wait to be placed in stasis. Fortunately the Earth’s owners are more practical and instruct Fate to activate the planets in-built heroes. Unfortunately Fate saves their next door neighbours, Brick and Spiritwind, by mistake. Realising his error, Fate gathers his closest friends, including girlfriend Karma and brother Coincidence, to offer the hapless pair assistance.Zarg, a teenage alien, has insisted a band of heroes will rise and thwart his people’s plan; when captured by Brick et al, the irony isn’t lost upon him. Forming a relationship with the humans, akin to sniping siblings, Zarg agrees to aid their quest: the reward of being proved right is enough to betray his species.With no weapons other than idle banter and slipshod philosophy, Brick and Spiritwind amble their way through the frozen Earth, piecing together clues and formulating a solution. Join the Earth’s only hope as they straddle the line between idiocy and genius.

A melancholy young gay man marries a widower, and becomes intrigued by the idea of his dead predecessor: the man he would love to be, and even love to love...When shy, reticent Elias gets married to a dynamic older man, he hopes to say goodbye to his melancholy former life and make the most of their modern civil partnership. But soon he finds himself haunted by the beguiling idea of his dead predecessor: the man Elias would love to be, and even love to love.Inspired by Chaucer's medieval dream romances, this modern day folktale uses gothic themes to explore the differences between civil partnerships and traditional notions of love and marriage.

**Shortlisted for the 2012 The Word Guild Awards, Novel-Futuristic Category** -- An entity from nothing space and time violently invades a young Toronto songwriter. He consumes her. He changes her into his image. She battles back to resist him, to expel him, to regain herself. And in doing so discovers where evil really resides.**Shortlisted for the 2012 The Word Guild Awards, Novel-Futuristic Category**An entity from nothing space and time, Akaesman lurks in his dominion, waiting, watching through his peephole into our world for the right prey. And when he spots a good one, he forces himself into our space and time, evading the Akaesman patrol, invading his chosen one. He spreads his evil to everyone, one by one, male and female, changing them forever into his image.But the young songwriter and her fiancé, enjoying the end of their road trip, have never heard of Akaesman. On the eve of the summer solstice, they fly home to Toronto down a local highway past slumbering fields, toward a thick starlight-sucking forest, oblivious of their destination: Akaesman. He comes out of a green neon wind. He smacks their car; he cracks the window; he's in her. Her songwriting career is dead. Her name is gone.When she learns of his presence, she resists him; she wrestles with him; she seeks help in her battle. Yet she loses ground. She's ready to quit. And that's when she discovers that there is more than one kind of evil..."Shireen’s pen has all the force of a great storyteller and the artistic skills of reviving a past scene in its most original form." Ernest Dempsey on Shireen Jeejeebhoy's award-winning biography Lifeliner: The Judy Taylor Story"If you want a book you can't put down, get Lifeliner into your hands..." Gloria Oren on Shireen Jeejeebhoy's award-winning biography Lifeliner: The Judy Taylor Story

Enjoy this free sampler of 8 character-driven flash stories by J. Timothy King.Character author J. Timothy King's character-flash sampler contains the following 8 stories:* "Disorder," about a woman with an unusual addiction;* "A Comedian's Motive," and the experience of the stage;* "Too Much Information," when information overloads;* "Abigail White," a woman who denies herself for too long;* "An Indelible Design," in defense of wallowing;* "Just a Bite of Coffee and Ice Cream," and a good listener;* "Perhaps to Dream," or to lose them while pursuing them;* "Baby Boy," on growing old and stupid.

A modern folk tale of love, deceit and murder... with a supernatural twist.In the middle of a quaint Cornish folk festival, Davey sees the beautiful Artemisia Parnell and immediately falls in love ...but her bullying husband stands between them. Davey defies his rival's violent threats to try to rescue his beloved, but soon discovers that rash oaths of love and revenge are more binding and dangerous than he expects.

Erin's life takes a turn for the western when she sees a man sitting on a horse in the middle of a quiet street one morning.Erin's life takes a turn for the western when she sees a man sitting on a horse in the middle of a quiet street one morning. Intrigued, she watches as he drives a small herd of horses through the neighborhood. Although she grew up in the area, Erin has never seen this guy before. Erin continues with her day, but she can’t get the image of that cowboy out of her mind. Spurred by curiosity and a desire to get back to riding horses, she sets out on a search. She discovers the Tipped Z Ranch, and the cowboy she meets there will change her life.

Comedy, mystery and the battle of the sexes… all set in a haunted castle! Armed with only cunning and charm, who will see it through the night when the ghostly Green Lady walks?In this tale of comedy, mystery and the battle of the sexes, cheating-heart Hamish has finally driven his wife Elizabeth out of her senses. She has fled into the crypt of her ancestral home, convinced that she's the ghost of the Green Lady, whose spectral footsteps stalk the dark passages of Brackley Castle. But Hamish's friend Max isn't so sure. He suspects Elizabeth has a trick or two up her sleeve, especially as she's being aided and abetted by her clever, bewitching cousin Mina. Armed with only cunning and charm, who will see it through the night when the ghostly Green Lady walks?

This three-act, three-setting play takes place in a rural area where natural gas companies are buying rights to drill in Marcellus shale deposits. The neighborhood leader is a greedy, self-centered lawyer named Duke Desantos. His surreptitious plans succeed until he tries to con the pig farmer, Billy Solomon, into joining his corporation."My life is worth more than a few minutes of anyone's pleasure."Alessandro Lupo (Alex) is a sixteen-year-old gay foster child who has been moved from "home" to "home" in New York City. Isolated by circumstances and by the protective shield he's surrounded himself with, he wanders the streets of the West Village and gravitates toward Stonewall Inn, where the 1969 riots planted the seeds of the gay civil rights movement. Having been raped at his previous foster home, he worries about HIV and about ever being able to enjoy sex. Alex, whose parents had both been Italian, feels his lack of family keenly. As he wanders the city streets, he scrutinizes people who might also be Italian. Alex is short for Alessandro, which means defender of men; Lupo means wolf. But Alex feels fearful most of the time—fear not just of Derek, the other foster teen in his current home, but also of life in general—and wishes for the courage of his 19th century countryman, Giuseppe Garibaldi, with whose statue in Washington Square Park Alex has imaginary conversations.Then Alex meets two people who represent polar opposites: one who validates the low opinion Alex already has of himself; and another who helps him see himself in an entirely new light and teaches him that his life is worth more than a few minutes of anyone's pleasure.

Natasha works as an investigative assistant for a private investigator. She knows that her employer is a werewolf. But during the course of a gruesome murder investigation she discovers something about her self that will change her life forever.Suitcase Tales is a collection a quirky poetic tales inspired by people watching and drinking coffee at an airport. It is amazing what people can really get up to inside an airport. A dark, disturbing but sensuous surrealistic read. A reality check. Split into two parts this collection will have you either laughing or crying. It is evocative to say the least. Part One contains five tales about five different people – all fictional and all quite strange in their own little ways. Part Two contains two surreal tales. They are all poetic and darkly humorous, at times touching on absurd, but they do have an underlying serious tone. They poke beneath the surface of humanity. We are all real people with real feelings and at times those feelings are strange and human behaviour can sometimes become irrational. Going to the airport to catch a flight for your holiday is great and it is good fun, but sometimes the inside of an airport can act as a refuge for some, and sometimes people around you can wonder off into their own madness. The Woman With The Bottle Of Wine tells a quirky sad story. What if a person from another country has nowhere to hide and the only option is to jump on a plane to England? Why has she come? What does she do when she gets here? How do the airport employees in this tale react to this when they find her intoxicated with alcohol inside Weatherspoons? Exemption - explores the theme of control and how authoritative members of society try to use their power at times. Is there a time when all humans should be treated as equal and why do some think they are better than others? This quirky tale relies heavily on characterisation of its main character and how he sees himself as opposed to others whilst going through airport security. How will he react when he is asked to be searched?Now Everybody Knows - is a quirky story that pokes well beneath the surface of humanity and explores the real life issue of paranoia. A man who lives alone hears knocking on his front door and realises when peeping through the spy hole that his neighbours have a letter for him. What does he do after the letter flies through his letter box and he hears his neighbours shuffling around next door? Too Late - is a quirky tale which explores madness and loneliness. When security manager, Edward takes a break from duty to go and find his friend in Burger King, his behaviour becomes irrational due to his friend not turning up. Touches on the absurd. Gifts - is a beautiful descriptive tale about a man who has taken up residence at the airport. People pass. People stop. Some stare at the bandages he is wearing. Others pass him pretty parcels wrapped in delicate ribbons. What are these gifts? What does he do with them? The City - will take you on a curious ride through Liverpool and the Amazon Jungle. This is a surreal tale written in a stream of consciousness style. It is vibrant with senses and colour and explores one of the downsides of life. Crossroads - is a heart wrenching story of a young woman who crosses the railway lines to find her lost lover. When she discovers his presence in a Doffidil beside her she takes desperate measure to join him. Full of poetry and wonderful images.

Author Sharon E. Cathcart presents ten short stories of various genres, each taking place in a different location. With subject matter ranging from paranormal to historical fiction, urban fantasy to literary fiction, there is something in this sampler for everyone.Internationally published author Sharon E. Cathcart presents an eBook exclusive: "Around the World in 80 Pages." These ten short stories represent genres ranging from Western to paranormal and provide the reader with a powerful literary experience.Contents:Heart of StoneNo Eyes But Mine Shall SeeOh, Joy; Oh, RaptureBetrayed by a KissCounting Blessings Along the Horseshoe CanyonA Cutting ObservationGhost of a ChanceGaul is DividedThe Scribe of RashidLonely Man in a New Town

No job, no money, and an ex-wife who's glad to be rid of him . . . Frank is looking for his next scam when he holes up in an abandoned farmhouse. But this town has a way of calling strays home.In this world some persons are unwanted, some are wanted and liked. Expectations from the wanted persons are different from the unwanted persons. If a person was informed by another person that he/ she is not a wanted person by him/her, what will be his/ her reaction? He/ she will think he/ she must have some deficiencies; which other person has noticed or other person has some prior negative feedback from other sources. If you are the person who is unwanted by someone, in such a situation you have two immediate alternatives, leave the place and never show your face to the person in your life or try to convince him that you are not that bad guy or inefficient guy or man of deficiency what the other fellow is thinking about you. But for the second alternative, the other fellow must give you a chance to explain your position. But seldom we get the required chance in our lives.

When Silas returns to visit his wife's grave, he finds she's still alive, pretending to be someone else. But has he re-found his old love… or discovered a new? A gentle romantic comedy about love, loss and hope.A year and a day after losing his wife, Silas still can't cope with her death - but he couldn't cope with her alive either. Was Bianca just too good for him - or was he just too bad for her? When he returns to visit her grave, the past comes back to haunt him: Bianca is still alive, pretending to be someone else! But is this beguiling, flirtatious woman really his saintly wife? Has he re-found his old love… or discovered a new? This gentle romantic comedy about love, loss and hope is based on the old English folktale 'Mossycoat'.

A young woman seeking Romance, Love and Comfort decided to try the internet when the local scene failed to produce her Prince Charming on a white horse. She knew the risks, or so she thought. This particular nightmare nobody could have warned her about or even thought of. She did find her prince and she had a fairy tale ending to her quest. But she traveled a very scary road in order to get there.Maureen had decided to explore the world of internet dating in order to find someone to love and to love her in return. It was not an unrealistic expectation and many people had used this route successfully. This time, this young and inexperienced woman would be subjected to a world class nightmare, one few could ever dream of or even imagine. She was drawn into this dark world by experts and Cupid's arrows in this case were far more sinister. The handsome prince that she had sought was now more elusive than Unicorns. One day however he did come - he had even crept through a forest full of wild animals and bears in order to rescue her. This was certainly no fairy-tale, but she did survive it. Once her nightmare had ended, Maureen would now use this horrendous experience to help others who were victimized in one form or another. She had been down a very scary road in trying to find happiness and someone to love - but she had found it. Her life would be forever changed now that she had found her Unicorn. They were quite rare, but she now knew they really existed - and hers was named Paul. Every woman should have one - but not all of them did unfortunately. Maureen now wanted to help other women find the happiness she had in one way or another. Having been through the pain that she had endured- she wanted to alleviate that agony in others. Soon she would be given such an opportunity to do just that – and with a man beside her who truly adored her too. She had found her pot of gold at the end of this rainbow - she had at last found the happiness she was so desperately looking for. Hopefully she could now help other women to find theirs also.

Cunning beauty Ravella means to have millionaire James Trevick, even if she must wreck her best friend's romance to get him. But her wiles stir up more trouble than even she expects...Scheming fortune hunter Ravella is determined to charm, beguile and con her way to wealth and love - even if it means wrecking her best friend's future marriage. But her mischief stirs up dark forces, and the night before the wedding, a great storm roars over the house at Hurlevor, and an implacable stranger comes stalking out of the boiling sea...

A foundling baby is washed ashore in a lonely Cornish cove, and as he grows up his fate is strangely linked to the sea. When he meets a young woman who is escaping her past, he longs to pledge his heart to her... without realising that his heart was lost beneath the jealous waves, long ago.Arabella tries to escape the entanglements of love, and flees to the countryside to find her sense of self. But she soon meets a handsome young Cornishman whose mysterious history draws her in against her will. He was a foundling baby, washed ashore in a lonely cove, and she comes to realise that his fate is strangely linked to the sea. But as she prepares to risk her heart one more time, she little realises that his heart was longsince lost beneath the jealous waves.

A twisted tale of what can happen when you turn to witchcraft to heal an aching heart.Besotted Steven is so desperate to make Bridget love him that he decides to try supernatural means to win her heart. But is he ready to face the consequences of dabbling in witchcraft? And dare he try to outwit the famous and fatal Witch of Cromer?

Like many girls in Newport Beach, California, Morgan spray tans, night surfs and parties. She even has a purse dog named Bambi. But Morgan also has a secret. She's endured black-outs ever since her mother's death. Following a black-out during an attack at the tanning club she manages, Morgan learns she killed her attacker. It may not be the first time.Set in and around Newport Beach, Vampires of Orange County takes place over one week in Morgan’s life as she looks for answers. Is the ex-boyfriend she never really left behind responsible for her blackouts, her sun-sickness and even her sudden craving for very rare steak? Or is it instead the friend with benefits who may have turned her Chihuahua into a vicious killer?Newport Beach, California-based author, John Bankston is the author of over eighty nonfiction books for young adults. Vampires of Orange County, is his first novel for an adult audience. Vampires of Orange County subverts this popular sub-genre by offering a protagonist who is a humorous and independent young woman who isn't seeking rescue.Volume One Morgan is attacked by an intruder at the Newport Beach tanning club she manages. After blacking out, she awakens in a hospital and learns she killed her attacker. Fifteen-year-old Stephanie has always been the good girl, but now she’s dating a man who’s not only older, but also her sister Morgan’s ex-boyfriend. Meanwhile, Morgan –– a vegetarian since she was eight –– orders a very rare steak. Fifteen-year-old Stephanie has always been the good girl, but now she’s dating a man who’s not only older, but also her sister Morgan’s ex-boyfriend. Meanwhile, Morgan –– a vegetarian since she was eight –– orders a very rare steak.

For ten years Sam neither saw nor heard of his beautiful Araminta, who vanished before their wedding day - but now, suddenly she steps into his life again, with a fantastic adventure to tell: her journey to unlock the secret of the mysterious glass key.All alone on a howling night, with the fire blazing in the hearth, you hear a key turn in the lock - and see the apparition of your long-lost love enter the room...For ten years Sam neither saw nor heard of his beautiful Araminta, who vanished before their wedding day - but now, suddenly she steps into his life again, with a fantastic adventure to tell: her journey to unlock the secret of the mysterious glass key.

A selection of short stories by Michael Bryson, showcasing the author's disparate reach and contemporary voice.After reading a newspaper article about his viciously murdered neighbor, Businessman Carter Lowe becomes inexplicably paranoid that something similar could happen to him or his wife, Tracy. After seeing a masked man armed with a knife frequently across town, he comes face to face with his worst nightmare, and it too, is in a mask.

Hired to kill a killer, a discreet murderer tracks down the beautiful but deadly Thamesis. But what is the secret of her fatal allure? And in the end, who will assassinate who?Who is the beautiful and mysterious Thamesis, born from the dirty waters of London's mighty river? Why does death persue those who love her? What is the secret of her fatal allure?When a discreet murderer is hired to kill her, the preternatural enigma of her life begins to unfold. But when two assassins are set against each other, who will assassinate who?

Frustrated musician Jamie finally gets some luck: a beautiful girl who understands him and an amazing record contract. But is the song that haunts his memory really his own creation, or did something whisper it to him long ago... the sinister something that haunts the windswept monument?A lonely, windswept monument stands overlooking the sea, where misunderstood songwriter Jamie escapes to be alone with his doubts. The monument proves lucky when he meets a beautiful girl there, who reminds him of a brilliant song he composed years before... but no sooner does he find love and success than a sinister figure begins to haunt him, demanding retribution.

Torn between loyalty to her sister and the man she loves, Damiah hopelessly pours out her heart to a golden canary - without realising that her little bird's song is full of the hope she lacks.Inspired by the twelfth century lais of Marie de France, this modern folktale tells of Damiah, a young woman torn between loyalty to her sister and the man she loves. One day she hopelessly pours out her heart to a golden canary - without realising that her little bird's song is full of the hope she lacks.

Brandon Stewart can't be happy without his beautiful new bride Lucille - but she can't be happy unless she's making him miserable. For a couple so enslaved by the cruel tyranny of their own love, is death itself strong enough to part them?A tumbledown Victorian house, a neglected, overgrown garden, a deep, stagnant pool full of choking weeds - a strange first home for a newly-wed young couple. But their morbid relationship is more gothic still. Addicted to suppressing and being suppressed, neither can be happy unless the other is miserable - but when death overshadows them, will they finally find release from their tyrannous love, or is that love-cruelty strong enough to endure beyond the grave?

What's better than staying up all night? Be careful what you wish for.From the anthology collection CONFESSIONS OF A VELOUR-SHIRTED MAN.A modern fairytale about a talking, giant-killing cat with ambitions. The farmyard animals are eager to imitate his example by learning to speak and throwing off the yolk of servitude. All except for silent Mr Simpkins, the grey cat who is as plump as an overstuffed cushion but not so dumb as he looks...

Seventeen year old Brianna Miller hears voices and suffers from a strange itch. That itch leads to the world changing color, and when the world changes color people around her show up dead. Now the question is whether Brianna is simply a danger to those around her or if she plays a role in a larger supernatural order.When war comes after a century of peace, it is sudden and brutal. Taken by surprise Earth's far-flung colonies are in danger. The only son of an admiral, Second Lieutenant Michael Sheridan finds himself thrust into a desperate conflict that he and the untried soldiers under his command are ready for. Focusing on the people struggling to survive the onslaught, First Strike is a novel that propels the reader to the furthest limits of space. Fighting a ruthless and determined enemy, Sheridan soon learns the brutal lessons of war and that his enemy may not be what it appears to be.

A young photographer gets a glimpse of an unfamiliar world.1900 wordsThe Incident at Kruger 60A miner on a journey to search for Ununpentium, also known as UUP takes on a young girl in space as a partner, and they discover something neither of them believe. It could be alien life, and looks that way. Or is it?Alex and Laura have to find the answer before a incident occurs in the history of space that could have severe consequences for mankind itself. Along the way they meet the worst kind of people, and some of the best as well. But the question is who can you really trust when everyone is trying to advance their own interests.Follow Alex and Laura from Kruger 60 to Kroatzys' Station, Tau Ceti, Morda Prima, and finally to Trajians 7 while they try to find out what is really going on in space...

Black Cat Tales: Where the Spiders Dwell and Other Short Stories is a collection of nine spooky (and sometimes mischievous) short stories and flash fiction from Black Cat Tales.Black Cat Tales: Where the Spiders Dwell and Other Short Stories is a collection of spooky (and sometimes mischievous) short stories and flash fiction from Black Cat Tales.This book contains nine stories including:Leaving Giles; where Stephanie is desperate to leave her abusive husband but she's running out of options.Santa's Head Elf; where the shopping centre has closed for the night but horrors lurk behind the colourful shop fronts.Apocalypse; follows Tom as he as he sets out to rescue his girlfriend as a mysterious plague sweeps the country. Where the Spiders Dwell; offers a glimpse of the secret world of the spider.

"Dawson’s poems are lyrical observations, shot through with imagery that is tactile and visceral." Sabotage Reviews. "A surreal & striking juxtaposition of ideas." A Style From a Despair. A short first collected set on various beaches, including Hastings and Barceloneta, AISOMA invokes memories of anemones, lug worms and sea sponges, and bestows them with a new set of connotations.Thirteen-year-old Silas fears the day when guards come and remove his memories leaving him an empty shell. He is trapped in the Cartiam, a human farm, and knows escape is not possible, but he can’t stop thinking about it. Especially when his older sister Malina is terrified her time will be coming soon. Ever since he was separated from his parents, Malina has taken care of him and now it’s Silas’ turn to protect her. He has to escape and take her with him.But when the owner comes to visit, things go from bad to worse. Jamar, the owner’s son singles Silas out and the extra attention brings Silas under the owner’s microscope. The other kids in the Cartiam are unhappy with the way they are treated and rising emotions threaten to ruin all of Silas’ plans. Yet worst of all, Malina herself isn’t sure she wants to hang on. It is up to Silas to figure out the escape and fast. If he fails he could lose everything he loves.

Here's a fun article on two obscure but hilarious movies that go into my personal list of Cult Classics.Apollyon, the Angel of the Bottomless Pit, is being hounded by demons. After returning to Earth, Jeremy and Maren take a trip to Leviathan Island where two love triangles collide in the Bermuda Triangle. Will they find romance--or the green-eyed monster?Follow the Haze-crossed lovers as they jump out of the frying pan and into the submarine, pay a heavy price for the company of a hermit, and discover whether the devil they know is better than the ones they don't. Prepare for the pending Apocalypse and watch prophesy unravel in this thrilling sequel to Jeremy Chikalto and The Hazy Souls.

In this second collection of stories, Black Cat Tales: Black Anne and Other Short Stories you'll find more of the most popular spooky (and sometimes mischievous) stories and flash fiction from Black Cat Tales.In this second collection of stories, Black Cat Tales: Black Anne and Other Short Stories you'll find more of the most popular spooky (and sometimes mischievous) stories and flash fiction from Black Cat Tales.Stories include:Black Anne;The River Rising;Squirrel Hunting;The Magic in the Stones; and more

Connor True had lost the ability to dream for nearly twenty years. Now his dreams have returned, turning his whole life into a living nightmare.When he was younger, Connor True stopped having dreams. His sleep was void of any kind of dream activity for nearly twenty years. Now all of that has changed. Connor has unlocked an incredible talent in his mind, but its come at a high price. Along with his new ability his dreams have returned and what he see's is absolutely terrifying.

Arty has a crush on his best friend. Then, on the night that Arty’s about to share his true feelings, a mutual friend attacks Larissa in the most shocking way.Arty and Larissa have the perfect relationship. She’s beautiful and afraid of her own popularity. He sits alone and draws comics. They're both social misfits—him obsessively, her secretly. They go to different schools, but they trade late-night phone calls and between-class meetings in Hebrew School. They never run out of things to say. Then one night, one of their common friends attacks Larissa in the darkest and most unforgivable of ways—the same night that Arty was planning to kiss her. Larissa’s world falls into a tailspin, and at the same time Arty's own life threatens to explode. He wonders if being a guy is just like being a time bomb. His own body—his own head—feels like a traitorous enemy.As Arty and Larissa find themselves betrayed by their own feelings and torn apart by circumstance. What will this mean to their group of friends? Who can he trust? Will Larissa ever be the same—and can Arty ever feel the same about her again?

It's time. In the dead of night something comes for Connor True.Connor is as ready as he'll ever be. He knows there is no escape from his future and each passing day brings him closer to the moment of Abiku's arrival. However his sister Alicia has a plan: If Connor and Laura are no longer together then the future will be different and the demon may not even come. But even as Alicia starts to sow the seeds of discontent Connor learns the real threat may come sooner than anyone expected...

Connor broke the seal and opened the psychic doorway in his mind. Now he needs to lock it again before something wanders through it looking for him.Connor True broke the seal on the psychic doorway in his mind. With this doorway Connor can see anywhere and any time he wishes. He can also see into the Afterlife, only it's not just the dead that walk the astral plane. There are other terrifying creatures lurking in the shadows, waiting for us and the last time Connor opened his doorway he found something looking back at him.

How does a virgin lady let her steady date know she has determined to marry him? That's all I'll tell you. Click the blue below to see why. Here it suffices to say that the story is short and free. Why read a summary when with little more effort you can read the whole thing? If you can't spare a moment more, you shouldn't be wasting time reading fiction anyway. Go back to work!"One can not judge a book by its cover." So we are told. But a cover is usually the only thing a reader has to base a judgment on. Smashwords tries to aid readers by providing summaries, one short, one long, for each book it distributes. For non-fiction this works well. But this, it seems to me, defeats the whole purpose of fiction. After all, one reads a story to find out what will happen. It’s the uncommon twists and turns that make a story interesting. But if a summary has told all this beforehand, what fun is to be had in the reading? Therefore, no summary of the present short story is given. It's short and it’s free! So read the whole thing and see if you like it.I ask you to do this because I think it is the best book judging method. To find fiction you like you must first read around enough to learn something of the style and stories of different authors. Then you can judge books, not by their cover, but by the your opinion of the writer. I'd like to help you do this. The present short story is one of several which I will make available free at Smashwords. Read a few (or all of them) and decide if you like them. It won't cost you a dime. If you like them, you can then purchase some of my not free (but still inexpensive) longer stories.All these stories are of one particular kind. To reflect this similarity all have the same cover picture, the Kitty & Rose shown above. So after you’ve read a few, you can, in fact, judge them by their cover.The common theme of the Kitty & Rose stories is human sexuality. This is not unusual. Most fiction concerns sex in one way or another; ranging from romances so sedate and demure an extraterrestrial could never know sex is at the root of everything described, to erotica so unrestricted even an extraterrestrial might blush. Kitty & Rose stories are in the middle of this range. All deal with human sexuality, but none do so explicitly. Rather, they are seemly.The dictionary gives three meanings for seemly: Attractive or agreeably fashioned; Decorous or conventionally proper; and Appropriate or suited to its purpose.With respect to appropriateness, seemly sex stories range from the humorous to the inspirational, but all concern human sexuality. So they are clearly appropriate.These stories are also seemly in the decorous and conventionally proper sense. For, while they treat sex candidly, they do not do so graphically. There is nothing pornographic nor erotic in any seemly sex story. Of course, different persons’ opinions about this may differ. A few consider frank pornography decorous. At the opposite extreme are those like the abbot of the monastery where the great biologist Gregor Mendel did his epochal research. This abbot thought Mendel’s studies were decidedly indecorous because they involved the sex of pea plants!Finally, there is the principal sense of seemly, attractive and agreeably fashioned. Like every author I exert my every effort and ability trying to make these stories seemly in this regard. But like every author, I must await your determination of the degree of my success. Since both of us will be pleased if you find them attractively seemly, I very much hope you do.Happy reading!BobbyB P.S. This story is being uploaded on 2-14-2017, Valentine's Day! Fourteen more short stories will be uploaded, one each weekday. Then four longer stories will be offered for sale.

Pure Gold is a Young Adult mystery/thriller novella about a high school freshman, Christine Gold, whose pursuit of perfection leads her to discover that her perfect family is actually far from it; and this knowledge may cost Christine her life.Christine Gold is a perfectionist, a high school freshman who excels both in academics and gymnastics. Her perfect world begins to unravel when her dad accidentally sends her a strange text message meant for someone else. Unable to resist investigating what her father is up to, Christine finds herself the target of those who intend to keep her in the dark... forever.

For those who read Standup Guys: A Generation of Laughs, I thank you and warn you that the prose of Date of the Dead is entirely different. If you enjoy absurdist humor and you're not a zombie traditionalist then you should enjoy Date of the Dead.For those who read Standup Guys: A Generation of Laughs, I thank you and warn you that the prose of Date of the Dead is entirely different. If you enjoy absurdist humor and you're not a zombie traditionalist then you should enjoy Date of the Dead.Its a "boy meets girl" tale but the girl hates boy. After meeting zombies and seeing people get eaten alive, she hates him even more. The story is housed in a twisted logic and is filled with severely bent characters who try to survive the deadly NYC streets by utilizing New York Times employees, a marching band andsacrificial Arabic ululation singers. This quirky writing style is not for everyone, especially the sane.

A Demon of Wrath fights to wrest control of his band from its new and seductive singer.This is a collection of very short stories. Each one is intended to be read in a single sitting, with the goal of being entertaining, with the occasional deep thought tossed in. Most of the time, humor reigns.The stories are so short and enticing, that they are great, fun, quick reads and page-turners.If this set of stories is successful, there are dozens more ready to be compiled, with an unlimited stash yet to be created.

When David Broussard leaves Iwo Jima, the decorated Marine thinks he'll never be in combat again. The Ku Klux Klan thinks otherwise in rural Louisiana in 1953. The white supremacists come after him when his son accepts an invitation to a black child's birthday party. A man disappears, and the Klan leaves David Broussard a note: 'You're next.' He needs help to protect his family. But whom to trust?In a segregated South with a sharp racial divide, values are about to clash...When David Broussard leaves Iwo Jima, the decorated Marine thinks he'll never be in combat again. He wants to be with his family, have an operation to remove wartime shrapnel, and get on with his life. But he can't, not in rural South Louisiana in 1953. The Ku Klux Klan is furious David Broussard's son, Remy, wants to go to a black friend's birthday party. The white supremacists come at the World War II veteran with unbridled fury. Since the Klan operates in secrecy, violence spreads during the night. Hit and run operations terrify those who live along the bayou road.But something must be done. Moses Dubois is dead, lynched by the Klan. The white-robed supremacists are on the prowl, eager to kill again. When Henri Doucet disappears, David Broussard's idealism collides with the urgent need to protect his family. The Klan's left a note: 'You're next.' David can't act alone. He needs help. But whom to trust?* * * * * * *"Rings of Trust" is the second novella in the "Remy's Bayou Road" series. Warning: "Rings of Trust" contains profanity and violence. Parental discretion advised.

A fairytale about the adventures of a little boy who stammers and how he helps a King.A fairytale about a kind King, a witch's spell, and a boy who stammers but never hesitates when it comes to courage. (No illustrations beyond the cover).

Based on a True StoryIn Brian's Last Ride the author brings the reader to the scene of an unintentional hit-and-run; then walks them through the aftermath.Winnipeg Free Press, Monday, September 24, 1984, Page 4 – A collision between two dirt bikes Friday night has resulted in the death of a 14year old youth from Landmark. RCMP said Brian Mark Kauenhofen was killed when he rear-ended a second bike driven by another youth and a female passenger. The other two riders escaped with minor injuries. In Brian's Last Ride the author brings the reader to the scene of an unintentional hit-and-run; then walks them through the aftermath.

"I mean, so what? Order, chaos, order, chaos. We have real problem here!" exclaims one character in Only a Lower Paradise, the comic, profound, and likely blasphemous story of heartache, emotional crisis, and the fickle quest for meaning in our post-post-modern world. The book begins with Martha, a guardian angel, being late for an assignment. What is going on in heaven?If you do not have the abilities to turn cliché gifts into unique gifts, you do not have achoice but to look for something unique. A unique gift is distinctive and can not bematched. Since it is uncommon, this type of gifts is not simple to forget. We cry when welose them or despise the ones who take them away from us. They enter into us and theirmemories are such that we desire to hold on to for life. We hate it when we see somethingthe same as them, due to the fact that we really do not desire them to be compared. Whenother deems them unimportant, we get harmed.

His grandmother, the only person who could seal his psychic doorway closed has died. Now Connor's only hope of preventing a terrifying future is to consciously peer into the afterlife to find his grandmother.Still numb from the sudden death of his grandmother the night before Connor drags himself out of bed. Work may help take his mind off things and on the way he planned to call into the police station to make a complaint against Dale Tanner. Unfortunately Connor didn't make it to either destination and his bad day gets far worse.

Vanished! That’s what Andrea Wilton and Brian Strait discover when they come to visit their best friends one evening. Where could they be and does God answer prayers, two questions they find the answers to as they journey to another world of voodoo, murder, and more missing people. Andrea and Brian also discover each other as they learn to scuba, and fight a common enemy.Frightened after finding blood on their carpet, Andrea Wilton agrees to join forces with  Trent Michner's best friend, Brian Strait, in order to discover what happened to Trent and his wife, her best friend. The bad guys are not far behind and do everything in their power to discourage the search.A neighbor is murdered on her doorstep leaving behind the first clue in the search. Andrea and Brian follow one clue after another, all the way to Haiti. More missing people lead them to voodoo ceremonies and throw away children.Andrea grows more confident and begins to look a little more closely at Brian as a true friend. Their confidence in their Lord and in each other grows as they discover the evil that lurks just around the corner.

As Christmas approaches, a bullied child withdraws from friends and questions the meaning of Christmas. A South Louisiana community comes together to stop the bullying and open Remy's heart to the meaning of Christmas.When a classmate physically and mentally bullies Remy, the third-grader withdraws from friends and imagines the worst about his parents. Staring at the Christmas tree in the classroom enables the sharecropper's son to escape his poverty-stricken life and dream about opening a present on Christmas morning and having turkey for Christmas dinner, neither of which has ever occurred.Friends blame the changes in Remy's behavior on Leonard's bullying and encourage Remy to talk to his parents, his teacher or his priest. Remy refuses, often with open hostility. As Christmas Day approaches, Remy's struggle to understand why he has so little and others have so much deepens. He concludes that Jesus is punishing him for hating Leonard and his bullying.A bayou-laced, South Louisiana community comes together in 1952 to stop Leonard's bullying in a compassionate manner and open Remy's heart to the meaning of Christmas through love and forgiveness.* * * * * * *"Remy Broussard's Christmas" is the first novella in the "Remy's Bayou Road" series.

Laura is injured and unconscious. Abiku has come to devour Connor's living soul. What's more, the demon hasn't come alone.Connor stepped back a pace as Abiku flowed down from the bed with a cat-like grace. Connor looked around his room desperately searching for something he could use as a weapon but there was nothing that would inflict any harm; just books on computer programming; DVD’s of Maximum Impact performances; programs from Sheffield United’s recent matches. Instead he turned inwards and opened his psychic doorway onto the future. If he could see what Abiku would do before she did it he would have at least some chance to getting out of this. But instead of opening onto the future his door was already ajar, exposing his vulnerable mind to the other world. In the eerie pale light from that terrible realm Connor could see shadows moving. Silhouettes dancing like Chinese theatre puppets. It wasn’t just one but several - dozens in fact.

Connor is trapped in the prison of his own mind and haunted by flashbacks of his grandmothers final moments and his own violet assault. Now no one can help him seal the doorway and prevent the demon from coming Connor must look at other options.Hunted by demons from the Afterlife and pursued by a vicious thug in the real world, Connor True was caught between both planes of existence, locked in a coma from which he could not awaken. His mind was active but his body had shut down. The walls of the tiny prison cell of in his head pressed in around him threatening to crush his sanity and there was nothing he could do about it.

In 1974 a gruesome and shocking murder stunned the small town of Bludenhale, Indiana. Three people were slaughtered in a small garage and the one accused of the atrocity, Angel Larson, was sentenced to life in a mental hospital three counties over. Susan Smith, the mother of the hideously slain Heather Smith, has been secretly visiting her daughter’s killer at the Indiana State Mental HospitalIn 1974 a gruesome and shocking murder stunned the small town of Bludenhale, Indiana. Three people were slaughtered in a small garage and the one accused of the atrocity, Angel Larson, was sentenced to life in a mental hospital three counties over. Susan Smith, the mother of the hideously slain Heather Smith, has been secretly visiting her daughter’s killer at the Indiana State Mental Hospital for over a decade. Unbeknownst to most of the people of Bludenhale, Heather and Angel were best friends and have known each other since they were five. Overcome with grief, Susan needed that connection with her daughter despite her raising Heather’s four year old daughter Amy. She knew Angel would be the one to provide that connection. Those secret visits came to an end in 1994 when Angel Larson was mysteriously murdered in her room twenty years after the Bludenhale Massacre of 1974. Since then, an endless string of tragedies have plagued Susan’s life. Her granddaughter Amy Smith was found dead behind the strip club where she worked and Susan’s husband Mark collapsed dead of a heart attack in their barn two years later. Now, twenty three years later, Susan is struggling just too even get out of bed every day. But on a warm, late September afternoon, Susan is visited by an elderly soul who claims he is responsible for her daughter’s death. From there she will have to fight not only the internal nightmare truth inside herself but also a supernatural entity of horrific proportions. Return to Bludenhale in the follow up to Joe Zito’s bloody novel ‘The Garage’.