Science Fiction Novels

This is an exceedingly tricky review for me. There’s a lot I want to say, without taking up too much space. This novel is a great amalgamation of post apocalyptic science fiction and horror. It is the first book in the Vampire Earth series, which is thankfully a bit of a misnomer. The Kurians are an alien race that can extend their lives indefinitely by feeding off human auras. In order for them to harvest these auras, they have bred a genetically enhanced race of beings called Reapers who prey on humans, drinking their blood. Vampirisim by proxy, if you will. There’s more to the story than that, of course. The Kurians have gained control of Earth by setting off a number of disasters, both environmental and nuclear, so there is a lot of devastated real estate (which is probably a requirement in post apocalyptic fiction). However, the most notable of their strategies involve the use of a virus called the Raving Madness, which essentially turns people into zombies.The world building in Way of the Wolf is outstanding. By the time this story takes place Earth has been under occupation for forty odd years and a number of important developments have taken place. The occupation itself is reminiscent of nazi-occupied Europe. There are the collaborators, and, of course, the resistance. The Kurian overlords have also divided portions of the spoils and there are some internal politics that come into play. The Free Territories are areas where humans have been able to fight off the alien invaders and hold their own through the help of the Lifeweavers (more aliens) who imbue certain selected humans with skills that can aid them in fighting the Reapers. These ‘enhanced’ humans are referred to as Wolves, Cats or Bears, depending on their particular skills, hence the title of the novel.The Reapers are nasty enough, but the Kurians also employ a number of other critters who do their bidding. These are referred to as Grogs collectively and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Again, there is more to this than meets the eye, with some of the Grogs being more malicious than others. There are even a few who side with the humans, and in some places they co-exist side by side. And what would a post apocalyptic story be without bandits, marauders, trappers and profiteers? It’s all here of course. The world Knight weaves is a rich tapestry, but it is also very dark and foreboding. This is one grim and brutal novel, not to mention disturbing. With so many elements added to the smelting pot, the story does lend itself to some nastiness.Due to the regression of tech and the way the free human colonies are set up in the wilds, the story does have a very prominent old west / civil war flavour, which I found remarkably refreshing in the midst of all the mayhem. Something else I was immediately reminded of was The Huntsman by Douglas Hill. The novel's greatest strengths are arguably the world building and marvelously creepy / spooky atmosphere. Highly recommended. Northern Lo

Grimspace (Sirantha Jax 1) Read Free As the carrier of a rare gene, Sirantha Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace-a talent which makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. Then a crash landing kills everyone on board, leaving Jax in a jail cell with no memory of the crash. But her fun's not over. A group of rogue fighters frees her...for a price: her help in overthrowing the established order. *************** CHAPTER 1 Are you afraid of falling, baby? No, I’m afraid of landing. [He’s laughing, and I’m smiling.] Stupid idiot smile, don’t you know what comes next? Wake. Wake now. I don’t want to see this, not again. It’s not helping me deal. This thing is broken— Oh no. No. I sit up, shuddering, shoving the dark mop of hair out of my face, and my fingers come away wet with sweat. With trembling hands, I yank the patch away from my skull. It hurts. But then, what doesn’t? What the Unit Psych calls dream therapy, I call torture. Seems too cruel to do this to someone on purpose, and I know they’re going to find a way to blame me for the tech malfunction. They always do. But it’s not my fault they’re using gear that should’ve been decommed after the Axis Wars. That’s what I want to believe. But it’s getting harder. There comes a point when you want to accept culpability simply because you’re the only common denominator. So yeah, maybe it’s my fault. I push to my feet, off the sleep-mat, restless, haunted, although they proved a long time ago that it’s all just electromagnetic energy, nothing spiritual. Nothing left of the soul, nothing left of him. My AI asks, “Lights on, Sirantha Jax?” Such a polite Unit spy. The fragging thing reports everything I do, every time I roll over, probably every time I take a piss. “Yeah,” I tell it, and the soft yellow glow, simulated sunrise on the most hospitable of the tier worlds, fills my cell. Oh, they wouldn’t call it a cell. These are my quarters, provided gratis, while my Unit assesses the damage to my psyche, decides whether I’m whole enough to run. But I’m incarcerated, even if I’m being watched by an AI instead of a hulking brute. There are prisons without bars and worlds without sunlight. I didn’t know about either one until I joined the Corp. I pace ten by ten, and when I reach the door, the AI inquires, “Shall I summon an escort for you, Sirantha Jax?” “No.” Wheeling away, I head back to the sleep-mat and sit down, legs furled. To the AI, I’m sure it looks as though I’m meditating. In fact, I’m envisioning ways to execute something that is not, technically, alive. Perhaps the introduction of a virus into its system…I’ll have to think about it some more. An escort. Clearly, I can’t be trusted. If I were allowed to roam the station, I’d jump the first freighter I found bound for the Outskirts. Desert. Frag my contract. And they can’t let that happen, not until they determine whether the accident was, in fact, my fault. And they won’t let me go until they know whether my mind is fried and

Doubleblind (Sirantha Jax 3) Read Free It’s not easy to tread lightly wearing steel-toed boots.Sirantha Jax isn’t known for diplomatic finesse. As a “Jumper” who navigates ships through grimspace, she’s used to kicking ass first and taking names later—much later. Not exactly the obvious choice to sell the Conglomerate to the Ithtorians, a people whose opinions of humans are as hard as their exoskeletons.And Ithiss-Tor council meetings aren’t the only place where Ambassador Jax needs to maneuver carefully. Her lover, March, is frozen in permanent “kill” mode, and his hair-trigger threatens to sabotage the talks—not to mention their relationship.But Jax won’t give up on the man or the mission. With the Outskirts beleaguered by raiders, pirates, and the flesh-eating Morgut, an alliance with Ithiss-Tor may be humanity’s only hope.Which has Jax wondering why a notorious troublemaker like her was given the job. *************** CHAPTER 1 The ship cuts through the atmosphere, taking us down. Below, the spaceport waits, white as bone beneath the pallid sun. From its quiet appearance and weathered exterior, I can tell this is a relic of ancient times. Though the Ithtorians once explored the stars, they do so no longer. They retreated many turns ago and cut off all trade. It’s my job to change all that. The structure is shaped like a dome, which opens to admit us. I find that disconcerting, as if we’re being ingested. Our pilot has steady hands, but he’s not an artist like March. Nonetheless, we put down sooner than I’d like. I’m not ready. That doesn’t stop me from heading to the exit ramp. My personal crew will meet me there. The rest line up and salute as we pass. They’re mostly clansmen, with a few ex-freighter crew who got stuck on Lachion before the war. I don’t know all their names and faces yet; I didn’t spend long enough on board. We won’t be taking everyone from the Triumph on world. The Bugs would doubtless panic and think they were being invaded. It’s significant that they let us dock here at all. Baby steps before we take a giant leap for mankind. I find Jael, Hit, Dina, March, and Vel waiting when I arrive. Jael is my bodyguard, and he frankly looks too pretty for the job unless you stare him in the eyes. That’s when you realize there’s more to this merc than the surface suggests. We all have our secrets, but Jael’s may be the most dangerous. I can think of a dozen different consortiums that would love to get their hands on him and see if they can replicate him. You see, he’s Bred, a surviving specimen of the Ideal Genome Project. Most of them went mad or died in utero. Damn few survived to adulthood, but Jael has managed to surmount unspeakable odds. And because Tarn—the Conglomerate official who calls the shots on this mission—pays him, he’s committed to my safety. So is Constance. Long ago, she was just a little silver sphere, owned by Mair Dahlgren. Now she’s so much more than an artificially intelligent Personal Assistant, and though I wo

Too much sci-fi information and terminology, turned this short story into mind buzz for me. I didn't enjoyed it as much as other shorts from the author, but still, it was entertaining... In the green glow of Nemurian midnight, the food stain on the geosurvey graph blazed electric orange. Sean Kozlov dragged his hand across his face in a vain hope some of his fatigue would stick to it and groped the surface of the desk for a pen. The pen felt moist and cold. Suspiciously like a nose. He looked up just in time to avoid a long pink tongue aimed to lick him right between the eyes. The trogomet scooted onto the graph, sniffed the food stain, and flopped on top of it, a two-foot wide ball of rust fur, equipped with four hands-feet and a shrew muzzle studded with tiny black eyes. Sean yawned. Gods, he was tired. He reached to scratch the furry trogomet stomach. Two surveys left. Half an hour of work, then he would enter the last of the data into Snow White, and then he would finally sleep. His hand froze. He was petting a trogomet. Twenty meters from Snow White. Sweet Olympus. How did it even get inside past shutters and double doors? Never mind that, how was he going to get it out? The trogomet let out a disappointed "Mook!" It rocked upright and sat on its haunches, its forehands held limp on its chest. Cookie. As long as it had a cookie, it might not venture down the hallway, break through the vault door, and devour the only computer on the entire planet. Sean rummaged through the pockets of his pants, coming up with a half-crumbled disk of oatmeal. "Cookie!" "Mook!"

London’s most scandalous lady assassin versus one very hot Highlander. Lady Preshea Villentia, the Mourning Star, has four dead husbands and a nasty reputation. Fortunately, she looks fabulous in black.What society doesn’t know is that all her husbands were marked for death by Preshea’s employer. And Preshea has one final assignment.It was supposed to be easy, a house party with minimal bloodshed. Preshea hadn’t anticipated Captain Gavin Ruthven – massive, Scottish, quietly irresistible, and… working for the enemy.In a battle of wits, Preshea may risk her own heart – a terrifying prospect, as she never knew she had one.New York Times bestselling author Gail Carriger presents a charming love story set in her popular steampunk Parasolverse. May contain plaid, appearances from favorite characters, and the strategic application of leather gloves.The Delightfully Deadly novellas stand alone and may be read in any order.Delicate Sensibilities?Contains men pleasing women, and ladies who know what they want and ask for it, sometimes in detail. CHAPTER ONE The Game Begins March 1867, on a train platform Gavin knew who she was the moment he saw her. He also knew there was a good chance he would have to kill her. Assuming, of course, she didn't kill him first. Lady Preshea Villentia. The Mourning Star. Widowed too many times under suspicious circumstances, too smart to be caught, and too beautiful to be ostracized. She was like opiates – expensive, intoxicating, and deadly in large doses. He wasn't sure exactly how he knew it was Lady Villentia. They'd never been introduced. They didn't attend the same social functions (her circles being more rarefied than those of a mere army captain). Also, she was standing with her back to him. Yet he did know her. He'd read the papers and dismissed their breathless descriptions as romanticized nonsense. He'd seen the sketches and assumed a great deal of artistic license. To his chagrin, he realized now that neither had done her justice. She moved into profile.

Mercy Lynch is working at a war hospital in Richmond, Virginia, when she learns that her husband has died in a POW camp and her estranged father is gravely injured and wishes to see her. With no good reason to stay in Virginia, Mercy sets out to see her father in Seattle.But crossing the country is no small task; it's a harrowing adventure through war-torn border states by dirigible, rail, and the Mississippi River. And once Mercy finally arrives in St. Louis, the only Tacoma-bound train is pulled by a terrifying Union-operated steam engine called the Dreadnought. Lacking options and running out of money, Mercy buys a ticket and climbs aboard.What ought to be a quiet trip turns deadly when the train is beset by bushwackers, then vigorously attacked by a band of Rebel soldiers. The train is moving away from battle lines into the vast, unincorporated west, so Mercy can't imagine why it's meeting such resisitance. Perhaps it has something to do with the mysterious cargo in the second and last train cars?Mercy is just a frustrated nurse who wants to see her father before he dies. But she'll have to survive both Union intrigue and Confederate opposition if she wants to make it off the Dreadnought alive. One Down in the laundry room with the bloody-​wet floors and the ceiling-​high stacks of sheets, wraps, and blankets, Vinita Lynch was elbows-​deep in a vat full of dirty pillowcases because she'd promised - she'd sworn on her mother's life - that she'd find a certain windup pocket watch belonging to Private Hugh Morton before the device was plunged into a tub of simmering soapy water and surely destroyed for good. Why the private had stashed it in a pillowcase wasn't much of a mystery: even in an upstanding place like the Robertson Hospital, small and shiny valuables went missing from personal stashes with unsettling regularity. And him forgetting about it was no great leap either: the shot he took in the forehead had been a lucky one because he'd survived it, but it left him addled at times - and this morning at breakfast had been one of those times. At the first bell announcing morning food, against the strict orders of Captain Sally he'd sat up and bolted into the mess hall, which existed only in that bullet-​buffeted brain of his. In the time it took for him to be captured and redirected to his cot, where the meal would come to him, thank you very kindly, if only he'd be patient enough to receive it, the junior nursing staff had come through and stripped the bedding of all and sundry. None of them had noticed the watch, but it would've been easy to miss. So Nurse Lynch was down in the blistering hot hospital basement, dutifully fishing through laundry soiled by injured and greasy heads, running noses, and rheumy eyes in hopes that Private Hugh Morton would either be reunited with the absent treasure, or would be separated from it long enough to forget all about it. Upstairs, someone cried out, "Mercy!" And downstairs, in the hospital basement, Vi

The Highlander's Touch (Highlander 3) Read Free A Warrior Of Immortal PowersHe was a mighty Scottish warrior who lived in a world bound by ancient laws and timeless magic. But no immortal powers could prepare the laird of Castle Brodie for the lovely accursed lass who stood before him. A terrible trick of fate had sent her 700 years back in time and into his private chamber to tempt him with her beauty—and seduce him with a desire he could never fulfill. For this woman he burned to possess was alsothe woman he had foresworn to destroy. A Woman Caught In The Mists Of TimeWhen Lisa felt the earth move under her feet, the fiercely independent 21st-century woman never dreamed she was falling...into another century. But the powerful, naked warrior who stood glaring down at her was only too real...and too dangerously arousing. Irresistibly handsome he might be, but Lisa had no intention of remaining in this savage land torn by treachery and war. How could she know that her seductive captor had other plans for her...plans that would save her from a tragic fate? Or that this man who had long ago forsaken love would defy time itself to claim her for his own.... *************** HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND CASTLE BRODIE—1308 ADAM BLACK MATERIALIZED IN THE GREATHALL. Silently, he observed the towering warrior who paced before the fire. Circenn Brodie, laird and thane of Brodie, exuded the magnetism of a man born not merely to exist in his world, but to conquer it. Power has never been so seductive, Adam thought, except, perhaps, in me. The object of his study turned from the fire, unruffled by Adam’s silent presence. “What do you want?” Circenn said. Adam was not surprised by his tone. He’d learned long ago not to expect civility from this particular Highland laird. Adam Black, the deadly jester in the Fairy Queen’s court, was an irritant Circenn suffered unwillingly. Kicking a chair close to the fire, Adam lounged in it backward, resting his arms over the slatted back. “Is that any way to greet me after months of absence?” “You know I despise it when you appear without warning. And as to your absence, I had been savoring my good fortune.” Circenn turned back toward the fire. “You would miss me if I were gone for long,” Adam assured him, studying his profile. Sinful that he looks such a powerful beast, yet comports himself with such decorum, Adam thought. If Circenn Brodie was going to look like a savage Pict warrior, then by Dagda he should act like one. “The same way I might miss a hole in my shield, a warthog in my bed, or a fire in my stables,” Circenn said. “Turn around in your chair and sit like a proper person.” “Ah, but I am neither proper nor a person, so you needn’t expect me to conform to your requirements. I shudder to think what you would do without all your rules for a ‘normal’ existence, Circenn.” When Circenn stiffened, Adam grinned and extended a graceful hand to a maid who’d been lingering in the shadows at the perimeter of the Greathall. He toss

Foundation and Empire tells the incredible story of a new breed of man who create a new force for galactic government. Thus, the Foundation hurtles into conflict with the decadent, decrepit First Empire. In this struggle for power amid the chaos of the stars, man stands at the threshold of a new, enlightened life which could easily be put aside for the old forces of barbarism. The Foundation novels of Isaac Asimov constitute what is very likely the most famed epic in all of science-fiction The date was August 1, 1941. World War II had been raging for two years. France had fallen, the Battle of Britain had been fought, and the Soviet Union had just been invaded by Nazi Germany. The bombing of Pearl Harbor was four months in the future. But on that day, with Europe in flames, and the evil shadow of Adolf Hitler apparently falling over all the world, what was chiefly on my mind was a meeting toward which I was hastening. I was 21 years old, a graduate student in chemistry at Columbia University, and I had been writing science fiction professionally for three years. In that time, I had sold five stories to John Campbell, editor of Astounding, and the fifth story, "Nightfall," was about to appear in the September 1941 issue of the magazine. I had an appointment to see Mr. Campbell to tell him the plot of a new story I was planning to write, and the catch was that I had no plot in mind, not the trace of one. I therefore tried a device I sometimes use. I opened a book at random and set up free association, beginning with whatever I first saw. The book I had with me was a collection of the Gilbert and Sullivan plays. I happened to open it to the picture of the Fairy Queen of lolanthe throwing herself at the feet of Private Willis. I thought of soldiers, of military empires, of the Roman Empire - of a Galactic Empire - aha! Why shouldn't I write of the fall of the Galactic Empire and of the return of feudalism, written from the viewpoint of someone in the secure days of the Second Galactic Empire? After all, I had read Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire not once, but twice. I was bubbling over by the time I got to Campbell's, and my enthusiasm must have been catching for Campbell blazed up as I had never seen him do. In the course of an hour we built up the notion of a vast series of connected stories that were to deal in intricate detail with the thousand-year period between the First and Second Galactic Empires. This was to be illuminated by the science of psychohistory, which Campbell and I thrashed out between us. On August 11, 1941, therefore, I began the story of that interregnum and called it "Foundation." In it, I described how the psychohistorian, Hari Seldon, established a pair of Foundations at opposite ends of the Universe under such circumstances as to make sure that the forces of history would bring about the second Empire after one thousand years instead of the thirty thousand that would be required otherwise. The story was sub

Healing Her Patient Read Free A woman who struggles with infertility has given up on finding loveA warrior who thinks he will never be able to bond a brideThrown together on a mission where they must pretend to be Joined MatesWill their lie become a reality? Dr. Danielle Adams isn't looking for love. Health issues have rendered her unable to have kids and she has given up on finding a relationship. Instead, she's focusing her energy on her career as a Medical Anthropologist. She's excited for her next assignment--going to study a new group of humanoids with their own special brand of medicine. But when she receives an ancient love artifact that supposedly grants wishes about love, passion, and fertility, she can't help making a few wishes of her own. Not that they'll ever come true...Commander Bravik is a Hybrid Kindred--half Blood, half Beast and all business. He's also the Diplomat in charge of the first cultural visit to Soluu Four, home of the H'raken people. Rumors that they have incredible healing techniques that don't rely on medical technology have piqued the High Council's interest, so they are sending Bravik and a human woman he barely knows--Dr. Danielle Adams--to investigate.Everything is going well until they arrive on Soluu Four and find out they are expected to bring a mate. In order to avoid offending their hosts and ruining the mission, Danni pretends to be Bravick's bride. But to her surprise, the healing techniques she has come to study turn out to be sexual in nature. When her "husband," Bravik, is injured on the strange little planet, she is called upon to put her new skills to the test. Things are getting hot and heavy--can it be that Danni's wishes will come true after all?You'll have to read Healing her Patient to find out. *************** One “That is possibly the weirdest thing I have ever seen in my life.” Liv stared with interest at the strange alien artifact sitting on Dr. Danielle Adam’s desk. It was a kind of thin, narrow bowl made of black volcanic glass with delicate, curling edges and a deep pink ball at the very top of its slitted opening. “Weird but beautiful,” Danni agreed. She touched the shiny, curling edges of the bowl gently. “Don’t get me wrong—it’s lovely,” Liv said. “But…well…doesn’t it look kind of like a vulva? Unless I’m looking at it wrong.” She walked around the desk to look at it from another point of view. “Nope. Still a vulva.” Danni laughed. “That’s not surprising. It’s a fertility artifact from Soluu Four. Legend has it that if you rub the pink pearl at the top and make a wish having to do with fertility, family, love, or babies—that kind of thing—it will come true.” “So you rub the, uh, pearl to make all your baby-making dreams come true?” Liv lifted an eyebrow. “I wonder if the artist was a man who knew what he was doing or a woman who was trying to give him a hint?” Danni burst into peals of laughter. “Stop it, Liv! You’re so bad!” “I’m just saying what we’re both thinking,” Liv pointed

When She's Bold - Risdaverse Read Free *************** 1 REKTAR It's always a good day when the pretty little human stops by the office. Risda's port of authority—called simply “Port” by the locals—is the only civilization on the pastoral planet on the edges of the galaxy. Other than hundreds of mostly self-sustaining farms, Risda boasts one mesakkah lordship, one spaceport, a tiny, backwater town, and lots of human refugees. Most people wouldn't find it charming, but I don't mind it. After years of service in the military and being shipped from war outpost to war outpost, Risda is serene. Quiet. Peaceful. And it's full of females. That last part makes things difficult for a male like me. I've always been the type to keep to myself, but it's worse around females. As a poor bastard son to a noble house, I was sent off to a military academy before my horns had even grown to their full length, and all my life I've been around males. The few run-ins I've had with females were awkward and brief. Prior to Risda, of course. Now, I can't seem to go a day without running into females in Port. They loiter in the cantina, they gather and talk in front of the general store, and they have meetings—a “book club” once a month in the town hall, and they show up to the market on trade days to exchange goods or to simply take a day off from farming. The male in this position before me—a surly szzt type—recently got himself killed by outlaws. The mesakkah military sent me and my partner, a male named Khex i'Yani, to head in and take over. We've been here a standard month now, and things are mostly quiet. I see a lot of under-the-table dealings, but it'll take a while to root those out. For now, it's just important for us to work hard and show the people here that we're in charge. Most of the locals haven't been all that friendly, though. While it irks Khex that we're so poorly received, I get it. These people are used to living on the fringes. They know mesakkah law can be cruel and unforgiving. How can I blame them for not appreciating when soldiers step in to take over? Doesn't mean I won't do my job. Just means we won't be making many friends. So yeah, most of the people here are unfriendly…except one. "Your female is back," Khex says in a dry voice, his boots kicked up on his desk as he scrolls through the day's news on his data pad. His seat is nearer to the window, so he's got a good view of Port's paved street. I look up just in time to see an air-sled pass by and nearly run over the female heading in our direction. The colonists here are particularly bad drivers, I've noticed. Maybe it's because there's not a lot of traffic and so they usually have their run of the skies? Whatever it is, they're dreadful, and I make a note in my data pad to see about safety training. I wonder if these drivers are even licensed? Probably not. From my official reports, most of the female population is comprised of freed slaves of human descent, and the male population are th

Bonded by Accident Read Free A hybrid warrior, born of both worlds, belonging to none Seeking to end his sexual torment without breaking a vow A girl from Earth with an itch to scratch Looking for no-strings-attached sex But when you make love with a Kindred, things get complicated What are Brandi and Slade going to do now that they are... Bonded by Accident? Slade is an ex-slave, an ex-con, and a widower who has made a vow never to love another woman since his mate died tragically. But after his escape from BleakHall Prison, he finds he has a desperate need for female companionship. How to scratch his itch without breaking his vow? Easy--visit the Pairing Puppets aboard the Mother Ship--female-looking androids without emotions that help unmated Kindred males relieve their urges until they can find mates. Brandi Dixon is a single mom with a difficult life. She and her daughter live in a double-wide trailer in small-town rural Florida. Brandi longs for a man but she's picky and doesn't want to bring home a string of "temporary daddies" for her daughter like her mom did to her when she was growing up. Then her cousin wins tickets to tour the Kindred Mother Ship and tells Brandi there's a place where she can have hot, no-strings-attached sex with a Kindred warrior. Brandi wouldn't normally do such a thing but she's desperate--it's been a three year dry spell and she needs a man--even if it's only for a single night. Posing as a Pairing Puppet, she gets picked by Slade for a night of passion. But imagine her surprise when, after the best sex of her life, she hears the big Kindred's growling voice inside her head! Now Brandi is freaking out and Slade is pissed off that he broke his vow. Yet neither of them can deny the animal attraction that keeps drawing them together. When Brandi's daughter, Emmie, gets herself into terrible danger, Slade is the only one who can help. Will Brandi let the huge Kindred warrior into her life? You'll have to read Bonded by Accident to find out! *************** Chapter One Slade was horny as hell, but it wasn’t his fault. Being locked in solitary in a super-max prison with no female contact for five years will do that to a male. And of course, the eroto-lust stimulant his old mistress had given him, in an effort to make him fuck her brains out, didn’t help either. Slade shifted uncomfortably on the exam table, hearing it groan beneath his considerable muscular bulk. Even for a Kindred warrior, he was on the big side. At seven and a half feet, he was taller than most of his kind and a look at his eyes revealed the reason why. The right eye was like melted gold and the left was a brilliant green. Slade was a hybrid and hybrids always grew big. He was half Blood Kindred and half Beast Kindred and he had both the fangs and the mating fist to prove it. Not that anyone had looked at his mating fist in a good long time… Just thinking that…imagining sinking balls-deep in some willing female and letting the fist swell withi

Killbox (Sirantha Jax 4) Read Free Talk is cheap when lives are in jeopardySirantha Jax is a “Jumper,” a woman who possesses the unique genetic makeup needed to navigate faster than light ships through grimspace. With no tolerance for political diplomacy, she quits her ambassador post so she can get back to saving the universe the way she does best—by mouthing off and kicking butt.And her tactics are needed more than ever. Flesh-eating aliens are attacking stations on the outskirts of space, and for many people, the Conglomerate’s forces are arriving too late to serve and protect them.Now, Jax must take matters into her own hands by recruiting a militia to defend the frontiers—out of the worst criminals, mercenaries, and raiders that ever traveled through grimspace… *************** CHAPTER 1 Grimspace blazes through me like a star gone nova. I’m the happiest junkie who ever burned chem because this is where I belong. Kaleidoscopic fire burns against the hull, seeming as though it should consume us, but we are the only solid thing in this realm of ghosts and echoes. Sometimes I think this place holds all the potential for everything that ever was, everything that ever shall be. It’s a possibility vortex, and thus it lacks any shape of its own. I glory in the endorphins pounding through me. Cations sparkle in my blood, marking me as unique, even among thrill-seekers. You see, my life started here. Unfortunately, the rush is fleeting, and I need to carry us safely through. I focus on the beacons; they pulse as if in answer to my command. Here, I feel powerful, damn near invincible, however much a lie that proves to be. Jumpers almost never die old and gray. March swells inside me, filling my head with warmth. My pilot, who is also my lover, feels natural there. Anybody else would wonder at that, but if you’re a jumper, you get used to sharing mind-space. In fact, I’m lonely without him there. He manipulates the ship so we can jump. The phase drum hums, all juiced up, and we swing out of grimspace. Home-sickness floods me at once, but I battle it back. No point in dwelling on what can never be—staying in grimspace would kill me. But at least I’m jumping again. Not too long ago, I thought I’d have to choose between my addiction and my life. The decision isn’t as obvious as you might think. I unplug, still savoring the boost, and check the star charts. Oh, nice, a clean jump. “Good work.” March grins at me and steals a kiss. I’m so happy that he wants to. He’s not as pretty as the men I’ve been with before. I used to have an eye for the lovely, androgynous ones, but I guess deep down, I don’t mind a bit of the brute. March has strong, angular features and a nose that’s obviously been broken. But his eyes, his eyes shine like sun through amber. I could spend hours looking at him. Business before pleasure, however—I have an important message to send. With a jaunty wave, I leave the cockpit and head for my quarters. I share the space with March. Despite c

While on holiday, Scott Carey is exposed to a cloud of radioactive spray shortly after he accidentally ingests insecticide. The radioactivity acts as a catalyst for the bug spray, causing his body to shrink at a rate of approximately 1/7 of an inch per day. A few weeks later, Carey can no longer deny the truth: not only is he losing weight, he is also shorter than he was and deduces, to his dismay, that his body will continue to shrink. "He stared at the window. Why'd it have to rain? he thought. Oh, why'd it? Why couldn't it be sunny so the pretty girl could lie outside in her bathing suit and he could stare at her and lust in secret, sick vicariousness." Chapter One It was the beginning. First he thought it was a tidal wave. Then he saw that the sky and ocean were visible through it and it was a curtain of spray rushing at the boat. He'd been sunbathing on top of the cabin. It was just coincidence that he pushed up on his elbow and saw it coming. "Marty!" he yelled. There was no answer. He scuttled across the hot wood and slid down the deck. "Hey, Marty!" The spray didn't look menacing, but for some reason he wanted to avoid it. He ran around the cabin, wincing at the hot planks underfoot. It would be a race. Which he lost. One moment he was in sunlight. The next he was being soaked by the warm, glittering spray. Then it was past. He stood there watching it sweep across the water, sun-glowing drops of it covering him. Suddenly he twitched and looked down. There was a curious tingling on his skin. He grabbed for a towel and dried himself. It wasn't so much pain as a pleasant stinging, like that of lotion on newly shaven cheeks. Then he was dry and the feeling was almost gone. He went below and woke up his brother and told him about the curtain of spray that had run across the boat.

The End Genesis (The End 1) Read Free Something Sinister is brewing in the United States…The United States is hit by an EMP from an unknown source and its citizens are asked to move to New York. Without basic survival skills and being in the middle of winter, it’s more of a journey to the death for most. And then there is the increasing number of kidnap cases everywhere.4 Unlikely Heroes…Xander, Aaliyah, Stephen and Suzanne are individuals from worlds apart and with different conflict. However, with suspicions of foul play in the country spreading, fate must bring them together to clear the air and set things right.Or at least die trying…Alexander Michael’s life is thrown into tumult in the wake of the EMP. He had been warned but he never listened to rumors. He sister, Grayson is now nowhere to be found and he is separated from the rest of his family. He sets out on a quest to find his sister despite the negative odds and, soon, he finds out that something dark is at work in the United States- something bigger than he could imagine.Will they survive?? Let's find out together in this awesome Survival Thriller!!! *************** “I know not with what weapons world war III will be fought, but world war IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” Albert Einstein Prologue 12th September, 2001 Fourteen of them sat around a round table. The room was mostly dark save for the light that hung directly above them. Only two women sat in their midst as they argued. The man at the head of the table got tired of thebantering and shouted in Russian: “Would you all shut up!” Everyone obeyed. No one wanted to make him angry. “We have been planning this for over five years. The ones who went before us have laid down the foundation. Now, all we have to do is to finish it. We have limited time. We were close but this occurrence- it has ruined everything. If we don’t recuperate quickly, it wouldn’t matter how far we’ve come. The whole plan would be ruined. All I asked was if anyone had a plan of action. Nobody has anything good to say. Of what use are any of you here then?” There was silence for a while then a man raised his hand. The man at the head of the table nodded for the other to speak. “As I said before, we should just strike immediately anyway. We are in position“ POW! The sound of the gun shot reverberated over the walls of the room and everyone watched in shock as the man fell dead to the floor. “Since he refuses to see the folly and short-sightedness of his plan, I think I should just help him out. Now, anyone else with something more brilliant?” the leader said. Silence reigned for what seemed like hours, then a lady; the blonde, dark-skinned one, raised a hand. The man at the head smiled. Whenever she had an idea it was good. He nodded for her to speak. “Well, if we want full damage, we must learn to bid our time. I have an idea but it’ll require us to get them to trust us long enough and let us in. What better way to do that than to…” She spoke for a lon

Passion Play (Abducted 3) Read Free *************** Chapter One “I wonder if those two come as a pair.” Crystal smiled at the two gorgeous men sitting at the next table, glancing her way. “I’d definitely be up for that.” Kate, the young woman next to Crystal at the round table, giggled. Next to Kate sat Jenna, who also laughed, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. Across from Crystal, Eva, the fourth woman, smiled. These woman she was sitting with, all of them strangers to one another, were all quite different. Jenna’s lovely wide eyes watched everything with avid curiosity, and she seemed fascinated by Crystal. Crystal was used to that from other women, but most had a disapproving air toward her relaxed attitude about sex. She sensed none of that from Jenna. Nor from Kate, for that matter. Kate, a few years younger than the rest of them, seemed to have an adventurous spirit but still lacked experience and confidence. Eva seemed more reserved. Just her classic little black dress and pearls said volumes about her. Yet Crystal felt a connection to this woman. If they lived in the same city, rather than having met at a holiday resort, Crystal wondered if they might be friends. Most people would think one couldn’t tell that much about someone after knowing them for only an hour or so in such a casual setting, but Crystal had a good instinct about people. She could tell that Eva might come off as tight-assed to most people, but Crystal was sure it was because she had learned to be cautious. Probably because she’d been hurt, by some man no doubt. In fact, she was probably recently divorced, judging by how she often ran her thumb over her ring finger, where a wedding band would sit. That sure wouldn’t happen to Crystal. One reason being that she didn’t intend to get married. And she sure as hell wouldn’t be hurt by a guy. She’d never get emotionally involved enough for that to happen. Not that she had anything against marriage. It would just tie her down too damn much. She loved sex way too much for that. And variety. One man would just never do. She glanced around the large ballroom at the plethora of exquisitely gorgeous, fuckable men. This was some sensational welcome party. And this resort was five-star all the way. She worked in the marketing department of a chain of luxury hotels, and this place rivaled her chain in every way. She had to admit, it was nice to be a guest for a change. This next week, she intended to relax on the beach, swim and read some steamy books…and meet men. She was in dire need of sexual distraction. For the past couple of weeks, her libido had been in overdrive. She was always ready for a good fuck with a willing and able man, but lately, her yearning had intensified a hundredfold. And when she tried to satisfy that longing with a good long fuck session, it barely took the edge off. God damn it, but she was starting to think she’d go insane if she didn’t find something to meet the intense need gnawing at her insides. Her ga

The Commander's Woman (Abducted 2) Read Free Attraction is easy. Trust is like reaching for the stars. Celestial Soul-Mates, Book 2 Eva’s anticipation of a free Bona Vista Resort getaway is as sweet as the welcome mixer cocktail in her hand. When she steps aboard a VIP elevator, though, she ends up a whole lot farther away than expected. An alien spaceship, loaded with twosomes, threesomes—and more—having lusty sex at the drop of a zipper. Worse, they’re trying to sell her on the idea that the mouthwateringly hot first officer is her soul-mate. While Commander Larson Raa-ling makes her knees weak, she’s not buying. In her experience, men want only one thing from women, and it’s not everlasting love. Larson easily senses his soul-mate’s desire for him, but it’s trapped inside her lovely body like a caged bird. Only patience will win her trust. Every time his touch draws her one step forward, though, she withdraws two steps back. Eva tries desperately to remember her vow to never again surrender control. But as Larson chips away at her defenses one sensual pebble at a time, her resistance is crumbling by the second…Warning: The author is not responsible for heart palpitations brought on by anticipation, suspense and smoking-hot sex. These aliens have talents that fit every woman’s needs—literally. ’Nuff said. *************** Chapter One Eva glanced around at the three other women, virtual strangers, who sat at the table with her. Ever since she’d received word she’d won this all-inclusive vacation at the Bonavista Resort, she’d been looking forward to getting away—from her hectic job as office manager at Keye Electronics, from the frigid January weather in Toronto, and definitely from her aggravating ex-husband. Her fists clenched under the table as she remembered how he’d done everything he could to delay the sale of their house just to hold up the funds she needed for a down payment on a great new condominium on the west side. With the deadline on the offer looming and no sign of the money becoming available, she’d been stressing out. Finally, she’d decided to hell with it, and she’d let the condo go. It was all about control with Roger, so she simply decided not to play along. Crystal, across the table, said something Eva couldn’t hear. Jenna, the woman to her left laughed, and Kate, next to her, giggled. Eva smiled, feeling the tension of the past few months slipping away. She glanced around the large ballroom where the welcoming party to the luxury resort was in full swing. This next week, she intended to relax on the beach, swim and make some new friends. But no men. That jerk of an ex-husband had shown her what men were really all about, and she had decided she could do without a man in her life. Period. Now, if only she could convince her libido of that. Allowing her gaze to wander over the women in glittering evening gowns and men in well-tailored tuxes swirling around the dance floor, she felt her insides quiver when she imagined bein

King and I (Abducted 1) Read Free *************** Chapter One Aria stepped into the large ballroom where the welcoming party to the luxury resort was in full swing. As she glanced around at the women in glittering evening gowns and the men in well-tailored tuxes, she felt vastly out of place. She’d worn her favorite power suit, tailored and smart, but not glamorous. She tugged at the hem of her trim jacket, then adjusted the waist. Why had she even bothered to come? A tall, tuxedo-clad man brushed past her, and she almost gasped at the thrill of anticipation that rushed through her. Oh, yeah. That’s why. Ever since the phone call informing her she’d won this all-inclusive vacation at the Bonavista Resort, all her thoughts had been on the gorgeous, available men she would meet, which was unlike her. With her project deadline looming at the end of next month, she should have turned down the trip. A black-haired giant of a man, whose broad smile revealed glistening white teeth, nodded as he passed her, a glint in his eye. Her insides quivered and her breasts felt strangled inside the confines of her black linen jacket. Good heavens, she’d never felt so…needy. She’d been waking up every morning from steamy, passion-filled dreams, her body slick with sweat, wanting…needing a real, live man. A young woman carrying a clipboard approached Aria, a welcoming smile on her face. “Hello. Are you Aria Jenkins?” “Yes, I am.” The woman consulted her list. She returned her gaze to Aria and smiled. “Follow me, please.” A passing waitress stopped to offer Aria a red drink in a tall-stemmed, crystal glass from the dozen she carried on a round tray. Aria accepted it, nodding her thanks, then followed the hostess across the room to a table with four women and one empty chair. “This is where you’ll be sitting this evening. Please help yourself to drinks and appetizers, and someone will come and get you for the orientation in about twenty minutes.” Aria nodded her thanks and sank into the empty chair. “Hi. My name’s Eva.” The brunette on her left offered her hand. Aria shook it, aware that her own hand was cold in comparison. Eva wore the typical little black dress, the wrap-around style accentuating her full breasts and trim waist. A simple string of pearls adorned her neck. “Hi. I’m Aria.” “This is Jenna, Kate and Crystal.” Eva introduced the women clockwise around the table. They all smiled and nodded. Each wore an evening gown. “I feel a little out of place.” Aria fiddled with the clip holding her dark blonde hair in a twist at the back of her head. “I should have worn something else.” “Don’t worry about it,” Eva said. “You look great.” “Thanks.” “This is so exciting!” Kate, the young woman across the table from Aria, pushed her long, auburn hair behind her ear, her green eyes glittering with enthusiasm. “I wonder what they have planned for us?” Aria sipped the drink she still held in her hand. Sweet and fruity. She sipped again. “I don’t know, but I hope there are

In the early days of the Civil War, rumors of gold in the frozen Klondike brought hordes of newcomers to the Pacific Northwest. Anxious to compete, Russian prospectors commissioned inventor Leviticus Blue to create a great machine that could mine through Alaska’s ice. Thus was Dr. Blue’s Incredible Bone-Shaking Drill Engine born.But on its first test run the Boneshaker went terribly awry, destroying several blocks of downtown Seattle and unearthing a subterranean vein of blight gas that turned anyone who breathed it into the living dead.Now it is sixteen years later, and a wall has been built to enclose the devastated and toxic city. Just beyond it lives Blue’s widow, Briar Wilkes. Life is hard with a ruined reputation and a teenaged boy to support, but she and Ezekiel are managing. Until Ezekiel undertakes a secret crusade to rewrite history.His quest will take him under the wall and into a city teeming with ravenous undead, air pirates, criminal overlords, and heavily armed refugees. And only Briar can bring him out alive. One She saw him, and she stopped a few feet from the stairs. "I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't mean to startle you." The woman in the dull black overcoat didn't blink and didn't move. "What do you want?" He'd prepared a speech, but he couldn't remember it. "To talk. To you. I want to talk to you." Briar Wilkes closed her eyes hard. When she opened them again, she asked, "Is it about Zeke? What's he done now?" "No, no, it's not about him," he insisted. "Ma'am, I was hoping we could talk about your father." Her shoulders lost their stiff, defensive right angles, and she shook her head. "That figures. I swear to God, all the men in my life, they" She stopped herself. And then she said, "My father was a tyrant, and everyone he loved was afraid of him. Is that what you want to hear?" He held his position while she climbed the eleven crooked stairs that led the way to her home, and to him. When she reached the narrow porch he asked, "Is it true?" "More true than not." She stood before him with her fingers wrapped around a ring of keys. The top of her head was level with his chin. Her keys were aimed at his waist, he thought, until he realized he was standing in front of the door. He shuffled out of her way. "How long have you been waiting for me?" she asked. He strongly considered lying, but she pinned him to the wall with her stare. "Several hours. I wanted to be here when you got home." The door clacked, clicked, and scooted inward. "I took an extra shift at the 'works. You could've come back later." "Please, ma'am. May I come inside?" She shrugged, but she didn't say no, and she didn't close him out in the cold, so he followed behind her, shutting the door and standing beside it while Briar found a lamp and lit it. She carried the lamp to the fireplace, where the logs had burned down cold. Beside the mantle there was a poker and a set of bellows, and a flat iron basket with a cache of split logs. She jabbed the poker agai

Rogue (The End 4) Read Free *************** “There is no Den in the wide world to hide a Rogue” Ralph Waldo Emerson Prologue 10th January 2020, 7:46 am. Four Seasons Resort. Orlando, Florida. USA. Adrik kissed Vivien’s neck as she lay with her back to him on the bed. Suzanne rolled her eyes, knowing he wouldn’t notice. Adrik sighed. “You used to like it when I did that,” he whispered into her ear. “Things are just not the same anymore, Adrik. The last time we were like this was nineteen years ago. Forgive me if I don’t remember the things I used to like,” she said as she sat up on the bed. “I’d like some coffee. Would you want some too?” she asked as she moved to leave the bed. Adrik held her arm. “I never stopped loving you throughout those nineteen years, Viv. How do you want me to prove it to you?” he asked, staring at her intently. Vivien returned his deep gaze. She wondered if he meant his words. “Adrik, I want to go home and build a life for myself. I’ve been here for nineteen years, and I’ve served faithfully throughout that time. I’m forty-one, Adrik. And my life is nothing to write home about,” she said. She hardly believed she had said those words. They had been buried in her heart for too long, looking for the right moment to come out. She wondered how Adrik would react. She had seen him discipline other agents. Fear began to fill her. Adrik smiled at her instead. “I know, Viv. I know how you feel. We’re almost done. This is the climax . I also can’t wait for all of this to be over. I want to settle down with you and have children and watch them play in the park,” he said, and Vivien felt her heart melt. She had been waiting to hear those words for so long. “But this is the last phase. This year is when your brilliant idea will finally become a reality,” He said as he turned to the bedside table and searched his bag. He pulled out a file and handed it over to her. Vivien didn’t want to make him angry. She had been fortunate that he hadn’t gotten angry the first time. She didn’t want to push her luck. She took the file from him and looked through it; all the while, keeping her face emotionless. “Billy, as you know, is the Democrats candidate for the election. Thanks to my team, he has an impressive track record from kindergarten till now,” Adrik began. Vivien chuckled. “The man didn’t even know America existed when he was in Kindergarten,” she said, and Adrik chuckled too. Vivien knew the man- Billy Monroe, better known as Alexei Igor. She had been the one to move him up the ranks in the US government. She had ended her duty as a worm in the government a year ago. Now, she served as a moderator for the agents in the US. When Alexei got the position, she would become the next Chief-of-staff “Anyway, his opponent, Donald Boris, has more following and seems more likely to win. This is not good for us. We don’t want this to stretch longer than it has already. We need to do something,” Adrik said, finally. He had become serious. Vivien pull

Illicit Mate (Abducted 4) Read Free *************** CHAPTER 1 Jenna glanced around the glittering ballroom at the beautiful women in gorgeous gowns and the men in classy tuxedos, still amazed she was sitting here. She could never afford to stay at a luxury resort like this on her teacher’s salary and never would have come here on her own even if she could, but she’d won this all-inclusive vacation to the Bonavista Resort and it was for one person only. It couldn’t be sold or transferred in any way. Not that she wanted to give it up. She’d never won anything before and this was a dream vacation. When Jenna had told the person who’d called to tell her she was one of the lucky winners, the woman had reassured Jenna that the resort had events and activities set up to help her meet others. So traveling alone wouldn’t be a problem. And the truth was she didn’t have anyone to travel with. Well, not a man. And she so desperately wanted to be in a serious relationship. To find her soul-mate. Most of the women she knew didn’t believe in soul-mates, but Jenna was a hopeless romantic and thoroughly believed there was one special person out there just for her. As it turned out, the resort had arranged to seat her at a table with four other women this evening. Jenna had arrived first, then Eva, followed by Crystal and Kate. They were all friendly and welcoming, and Jenna was becoming more comfortable with the idea of being here on her own. “I wonder if those two come as a pair.” Crystal smiled at the two gorgeous men sitting at the next table, glancing her way. “I’d definitely be up for that.” Kate, the young woman next to Crystal, giggled. Jenna laughed, too. She loved how comfortable Crystal was with her sexuality. The woman wore her shimmering red dress with a graceful confidence and every man in the room seemed to notice her. Jenna had bought a special dress for this occasion, hoping she might attract the attention of a nice man with romance on his mind. As she stared at the two handsome men, Jenna imagined one of them asking her to dance, then taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor. He would hold her close to his big, strong body and guide her around the floor to the sensual beat of the music. In her fantasy, he would become totally captivated by her and at the end of the evening, he would take her in his arms and kiss her passionately. Then unlike the Cinderella story she so often dreamed about, she would take his hand and drag him to her room, then once inside, he would unzip her dress, then slowly peel it away. Her pulse raced as the images became more erotic. Her breasts ached as the nipples peaked, as she imagined his mouth covering one hard bud and suckling. She sucked in a deep breath. She had no idea what had gotten into her lately. She’d never invite a strange man into her room. That’s not how she behaved. Her daydreams were of happily-ever-after, not jumping the first man she saw. But for the past several weeks, all she could think

Transcendence Read Free *************** CHAPTER ONE I awake to cold and near darkness like I do every morning. Around me is the chilled stone of the rocky cavern where I live. There is warmth from the animal furs that surround me, and it’s difficult to push myself away from them to crawl across the dirt and rock and add a log on top of the glowing coals in my fire pit. Within moments, flames lick around the edge of the wood, and I wrap my fur around me a little tighter to ward off the cool air until the fire can further warm the small cave. The faintest glow can be seen coming from outside the crack that leads to the outside, but I can’t quite bring myself to venture out just yet. My body is weakened, and there is little inside my mind that wants to push on—to survive. It’s been so long since I’ve eaten. As I watch the flames grow higher, the need to relieve my bladder becomes urgent. With a deep breath, I force my muscles to push myself onto my feet and move to the ledge just outside my cave. The air is even colder on the outside, but the springtime sun holds the promise of a warmer day. I listen to the morning birds sing for a while and wonder how long it will be before there are eggs to collect from their nests. I hope not long, though I know if I wait until that time it will be too late. I need to eat. Not for the first time, I consider just going back into my cave, lying down, and letting the hunger take me. I’m tired, cold, and alone. I’m not sure there is any reason for me to continue to work so hard just to keep myself alive. With a long sigh, I decide not to give up just yet. I look at the long, straight stick propped up against the edge of the cave’s opening and reach over to grasp it. It’s sharp at the end, but I’m not sure if it’s sharp enough to pierce the hide of a large animal. I know I can’t fail again, or it will mean my death, so I bring the stick inside and reach for a piece of sharp flint from my collection of simple tools. With the end of the stick lodged underneath my arm, I begin to run the piece of flint over the end of the stick, further sharpening the point. I go slowly, being careful not to push too hard or work too fast—I’ve already broken two other spears with impatience, and I can’t afford to break another. The effort takes most of the morning, and I am further delayed as I start to leave the cave because I see movement across the field of brown grasses. I position myself at the entrance to my cave and watch closely as a pack of canines trot into the valley. They are enormous, the largest male nearly the length of two of me with his long tail. They have huge heads, long snouts, and short, stocky necks. The pack of predators moves swiftly across the field with their snouts moving from side to side as they track the scent of some other animal. Hyaenodons. The first memory I have of hyaenodons was when I was a boy, and they came into my tribe’s area in the forest. My mother had grabbed me and two of my siblings and fle

Librarian's Note: Alternate cover for this ISBN can be found hereHere, from a grand master of science fiction, is the long awaited final novel of the greatest series ever told. Completed just before his death, Forward The Foundation is the crowning achievement of a great writer's life, a stirring testament to the creative genius of Isaac Asimov. As Hari Seldon struggles to perfect his revolutionary theory of psychohistory and ensure a place for humanity among the stars, the great Galactic Empire totters on the brink of apocalyptic collapse. Caught in the maelstrom are Seldon and all he holds dear, pawns in the struggle for dominance. Whoever can control Seldon will control psychohistory—and with it the future of the Galaxy. Among those seeking to turn psychohistory into the greatest weapon known to man are a populist political demagogue, the weak-willed Emperor Cleon I, and a ruthless militaristic general. In his last act of service to humankind, Hari Seldon must somehow save his life's work from their grasp as he searches for his true heirs—a search the begins with his own granddaughter and the dream of a new Foundation. Part I Eto Demerzel DEMERZEL, ETO-... While there is no question that Eto Demerzel was the real power in the government during much of the reign of Emperor Cleon I, historians are divided as to the nature of his rule. The classic interpretation is that he was another in the long line of strong and ruthless oppressors in the last century of the undivided Galactic Empire, but there are revisionist views that have surfaced and that insist his was, if a despotism, a benevolent one. Much is made, in this view, of his relationship with Hari Seldon though that remains forever uncertain, particularly during the unusual episode of Laskin Joranum, whose meteoric rise - Encyclopedia Galactica [1] 1 "I think Hari,"** said Yugo Amaryl, "that your friend Demerzel is in deep trouble." He emphasized the word "friend" very lightly and with unmistakable air of distaste. Hari Seldon detected the sour note and ignored it. He looked up from his tricomputer and said, "I tell you again, Yugo, that that's nonsense." And then-with a trace of annoyance, just a trace-he added, "Why are you taking up my time by insisting?" "Because I think it's important." Amaryl sat down defiantly. It was a gesture that indicated he was not going to be moved easily. Here he was and here he would stay. Eight years before, he had been a heatsinker in the Dahl Sector-as low on the social scale as it was possible to be. He had been lifted out of that position by Seldon-**made into a mathematician and an intellectual-more than that, into a psychohistorian. Never for one minute did he forget what he had been and who he was now and to whom he owed the change. That meant that if he had to speak harshly to Hari Seldon-for Seldon's own good-no consideration of respect and love for the older man and no regard for his own career would stop him. He owed such harshness-and much more-

Chosen by the High Judge (Under Alien Law Book 2) Read Free After twenty-year-old Zara Webb is arrested for delinquent behavior while living as an exchange student in an alien colony, she is placed into the custody of High Judge Galen Hosta. For the duration of her sentence, she will live in Galen's home and under his authority, and the stern, handsome warrior will have the right not only to punish her in any way he sees fit, but also to take her to his bed and enjoy her beautiful body in any way he pleases.Within moments of her sentence being pronounced, Zara finds herself over Galen's lap for a painful, embarrassing bare-bottom spanking. But when she kneels at his feet, blushing crimson as she is made to thank him for her well-deserved punishment in the most humiliating way possible, she cannot hide her helpless arousal.Over the coming days, Zara discovers that Galen's mastery of her body will be far more thorough than she would have thought possible, yet even as she is brought to one intense, shameful climax after another, her need for him only grows stronger. But when her sentence is complete and she is no longer his prisoner, will she choose to stay by his side as his mate?Publisher's Note: Chosen by the High Judge is a stand-alone novel which is the second entry in the Under Alien Law series. It includes spankings and sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book. *************** Chapter One Eyes down. No peeping. If she looked up, if she stared at him, it would be disrespectful and she was in enough trouble already. She stood on the spot, on the designated mark on the floor, and tried to imagine her toes were growing roots into the hard surface so they could anchor her feet and stop her legs from shaking. He sat only a few paces from her, behind his raised bench and he would probably be peering down at her with those alien hawk-like eyes—but she daren’t check. To her left was the court recorder, the man who’d called out her name. To her right, the prosecutor. Another man. He was not her friend. He was her enemy. She had a lawyer—he was located behind her and out of sight. She’d met him that morning for the first time and he kept forgetting her name. He left her with the clear impression she should plead guilty and accept her fate. He’d done nothing to help and presented her defense in a matter of minutes. She wasn’t sure about pleading guilty but she was determined to correct one major mistake on her part. She swayed and clenched her hands together behind her back. Her wrists were cuffed. “Zara Webb, do you have anything you wish to say to the judge before you agree or disagree with your culpability?” the clerk asked. In the Vendu world, entering a plea came after the evidence has been presented. Then came the judge’s sentencing. She’d no clue as to what to expect; her counsel had been pessimistic. “You got drunk. You got your friends drunk,” he’d said during their short meeting. He’d said it with disgust and a gr

Lace & Lead Read Free *************** Chapter 1 “Shit! Keep your head down!” Emmaline Gregson immediately followed the barked command, ducking behind the low stone wall surrounding the garden. The next shot passed overhead where she had been half a second earlier. Her heart was hammering, her palms sweaty and she thought she may lose her nerve completely as the exchange of gunfire rang out through the crisp morning air. “Wh—what should we do?” “Well, honey, at this point I’d be pretty damn pleased about not dying!” Emmaline gritted her teeth against the presumptuous endearment. Peirce Taggart had been hired to protect her. Right now clearly wasn’t the time to fire him. Instead she shot him a glare. Too bad the bullet-jockey was busy returning fire and didn’t even give her a sideways glance. Even now, with her life at risk and shots hammering the stone wall at her back, she couldn’t completely escape the fact that he was the most striking man she’d ever seen. For the past two weeks, he had been a welcoming distraction from her father’s controlling behaviour. She’d been smitten since the mercenary had waltzed into her comfortable ancestral summer home, all confident swagger and heady sexuality, carrying his security orders from her father. A former corporal, Taggart moved with the restrictive grace of an ex-Lawman despite his broad shoulders and muscular thighs. His blonde hair remained buzzed, although he’d relaxed his training enough to allow the most interesting shadow of stubble grace his strong jaw and chiselled lips. Even now, face smudged with dirt, blood rising up where he’d been hit by the spray of rock shrapnel, she couldn’t look away from the intent focus in those blue eyes, currently narrowed and focused on the unseen enemy. He’d be the perfect man to help her solve her little problem, if not for— “What the fuck are you doing sitting there?” he yelled at her as he ducked down behind the wall to reload. “I told you to get to the fucking house!” If not for his filthy mouth. Emmaline lifted her chin in defiance. “I can’t. They’re shooting at us—” “That’s why I’m trying to shoot back at them,” he retorted. “It’s called cover fire, sweet tits.” She slapped him. She probably shouldn’t have, judging by the way the muscle in his jaw ticked. But he didn’t raise a hand toward her. Instead, he just glowered at her until she was quailing and told her in a very low, very calm voice, “You have exactly three seconds to get your ass up and moving toward that house.” She swallowed. “I can’t.” His huge hand, one she knew was rough with calluses under his leather mechanic’s gloves, gripped her chin, forcing her to look him eye to eye. Her breath caught. “Kai and Douglass are moving in to cover us. We have to get inside before their positions are compromised. I’m going to tell you to go and you’re going to run. I’ll be right behind you.” Something inside her broke, maybe from fear, maybe from the knowledge that denial was no longer an option. Tears sp

The starship Earthling, filled with thousands of hybernating colonists en route to a new world at Tau Ceti, is stranded beyond the solar system when the ship's three Organic Mental Cores, disembodied human brains that control the vessel's functions, go insane. An emergency skeleton crew sees only one chance for survival: to create an artificial consciousness in the Earthling's primary computer, which could guide them to their destination . . . or could destroy the human race. Frank Herbert's classic novel that begins the epic Pandora Sequence (written with Bill Ransom), which also includes The Jesus Incident, The Lazarus Effect, and The Ascension Factor. IT WAS THE fifth clone ship to go out from Moonbase on Project Consciousness and he leaned forward to watch it carefully as his duty demanded. The view showed it passing the Pluto orbit and he knew that by this time the crew had encountered the usual programmed frustrations, even some deaths and serious injuries, but that was the pattern. Earthling, it was called. Earthling Number Five. The ship was a giant egg, one-half of it a dark shadow lambent on a starry background, the other half reflecting silver from the distant sun. A nervous cough sounded from the darkness behind him and he suppressed a sympathetic repetition of that sound. Others were not as self-controlled. By the time the coughing spasms had subsided, the Earthling had begun to make its turn. The movement was impossible, but there was no denying what they all saw. The ship turned through one hundred and eighty degrees and reversed, heading directly back down its outward track. "Any clue at all on how they did that?" he asked. "No, Sir. Nothing." "I want you to go through the message capsule again," he said. "We're missing something." "Yes, Sir." It was a sigh of resignation. Someone else spoke from the darkness: "Get ready for the capsule launching..." Yes, they'd all seen this enough to anticipate the sequence. The capsule was a silver needle that looped from the Earthling's stern. It held to the ship's blind spot (who knew what weapons such a ship might produce?) until it was lost among the stars. From beneath their view a flame darted - the laser relay with its destruct message. A purple glow touched the ship's bulbous nose. It held for no more than three heartbeats before the ship exploded in a blinding orange blossom. "That Flattery model is sure as hell reliable," someone said. Nervous laughter went around the room, but he ignored it, concentrating on the viewer. Why the hell did they always think it was the Flattery model? It could be anyone on the crew. Their view closed on the swollen blossom with the collapsing speed of time-lapse which made the explosion's orange light wink out too rapidly. Presently, the movement slowed and their view moved into the spreading wreckage, probing with crystalline flares of light until it found what it sought - the recording box. That and the message capsule were the most important elements

Description of book "Astronomicon 1: The Beginning" Three Spacecraft, two-hundred-and-forty colonists, twenty-five trillion miles and a discovery that changes everything. Astronomicon: The Beginning follows the human race's intrepid first steps into interstellar space, a colonisation mission to Proxima Centauri. The colossal distance and harsh environment are not all that stands between them and survival. This first volume in the epic Astronomicon series is the story of their desperate adventures and the political machinations that are unfolding back on Earth, which threaten to end space exploration permanently. With colonies on Mars and a thriving mining community around Jupiter, will everyone want to come home?

Humanity has colonized the solar system—Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond—but the stars are still out of our reach.Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, the Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for—and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to the Scopuli and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations—and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.

Returning to the Ozark Territories, freedom fighter David Valentine is shocked to find it overrun by vampiric Kurians under the command of the merciless Consul Solon. In a desperate gambit, Valentine leads a courageous group of soldiers on a mission to drive a spike into the gears of the Kurian Order. Valentine stakes life, honor, and the future of his home in a rebellion that sparks the greatest battle of his life. The Ouachita Forest, Arkansas, December of the forty-eighth year of the Kurian Order: The pines stand, colorless spindles under a winter overcast. The low mountains of the Ouachitas huddle dark all around, just touching the cloud sea. Water beads linger on bough, trunk, leaf and stone as though freshly dropped; the earth beneath the fallen leaves smells like decay. Birds overturn dead leaves and poke about the roots in silence, walking the earth as if too dispirited to fly. Brown ferns lie flat along the streambanks, under patches of frostbitten moss flaking off the rocks like old scabs. Even the wind is listless, seeping rather than blowing through the pines.Naked outcroppings of stone, etched with lightning strikes of quartz crystal, project every which way from the ground like the work of titans who tried to pull out the mountain by its roots. The strata of the Ouachita slopes are jumbled, pushed up and twisted from a seismic pileup millennia ago. Thanks to the blind runs, box canyons and meandering crest lines of these elderly mountains, the landscape doesn't lend itself to habitation. These hills have been hideouts of liberty-loving Indians, diehard Confederates, and law-evading brigands -the notorious Younger gang used to hole up here with the James brothers. Between the stands of rock, the ferns' squashed-spider shapes lie in boot tracks and hoofprints forming a trail that suggests a similar hurried flight from authority.The boot tracks have a source, noisily crunching over the hilltop's still-frozen ground. Six mud-stained figures walk with the oddly stiff motion of men on their last legs, strung out in front of and behind a lone horse pulling an A-frame drag supporting an unconscious man with blood-matted hair. Two dreadlocked men in blue-black uniforms share a blanket as they move, muttering to each other in the patois of the sunny island of Jamaica. Walking alongside the horse is the oldest of the group, a meaty-faced man of six-two, dark brown hair flecked with early gray and a boxer's shovel jaw. His clothing, indeed his whole body, has the look of having just emerged from a threshing machine. An improvised poncho is fixed about his waist with a wide brown belt. Dried blood stains the parts that dirt hasn't touched; bits of rag are knotted around wounds in his left leg and right arm. He moves the horse along with a switch, though the occasional lash does nothing more than send it lurching forward a quick pace and into the man leading it.The lead shape, seemingly bigger than any two of the others put together, is of anoth