Advances in technology, and a strong set of fair laws, had allowed a peaceful expansion of Human ideals. As the alliance aged, corruption crept in, allowing an overthow that placed a dozen ruling families in charge. Without clear leadership, the New Alliance began to decay, and without change, it will ultimately fail. For Knog Beutcher, a three star veteran detective, living in the New Alliance is a struggle. He finds himself caught in the middle of the chaos as colonies rebel and populations riot. With the invasion of one of the galaxies by an external enemy, the alliance's future becomes uncertain. Corruption, rebellion, intrigue and lawlessness have come to Knog's world. His struggles have only just begun...

     Monsters do not lie under your bed. Monster do not live in closets. They go to church. They go to school. Some teach in schools. Some are mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. My monster was the married mother who lived two doors down. She moved in as the housekeeper and later became my father’s wife. I was starved, beaten and held captive on our property, but after eight years of torture, I survived the monster. When a story, like mine, hits the news, most of us ask the same questions: Why? How? Why would a child, attending school, endure eight years of cruel torture and starvation, yet not run for help? Why did my twenty-one year old brother not move out earlier or call the police? Why didn’t the six of us gang up on her? To understand the answer to these and many other questions, you have to live the abusive lives we lived. You may ask what fuels a monster. Greed, jealousy and control are three big factors. According to recent NCANDS data the majority of the perpetrators, half a century later, are still women. So how could my father, not mutually engaged in the systematic sadistic torture of his children, allow it to happen on a regular basis? That answer is simple. Somewhere back in time, my father lost his spine.

    Support for the Democrat and Republican parties has dwindled and the Meritism Party has gained unwavering support from 70% of the population.Currency has been replaced with Personal Merit. The goods and services citizens are allowed to possess are dependent on their objectively calculated productivity within the society.Careers that do not contribute to food, shelter, clothing, sanitation, education, healthcare, technology, art, or sport have been abolished. These abolished professions include investment banking, marketing and advertising, career politicians, and many others that were dependent on capitalism.Luke Medina, a Merit Agency Investigator, fights to uphold all that Meritism has accomplished.The Capitalist Party desperately conspires to bring back class divisions and a society of economic inequality based on a fiat currency.

    But the past is hard to escape. The 'City has always been a dangerous place to live: now it's lethal. Not only are the crime lords exploiting its lawless streets, it is also the unwitting test bed for a sinister corporate technology. As Jaz tries to find an old friend who needs him, can a new ally help? Can he even be trusted? 'Trust A Few' is the first book in 'Haruspex', a tense new, sci-fi trilogy from Fortune's Fools.

    The corrupt, the insane, their minds were all hers to unlock. But when those around her, those she trusted with her life start to exhibit the same characteristics, she is forced to turn to a stranger, a man whose name she is incapable of even remembering, for sanctuary. Follow Eva as she crosses continents to unlock the answers, and her eventual destiny. Hellbounce. Demons don't always hide in the dark.

    OTHERS ARE LESS COMPLIMENTARY. Buckle up for a comedic roller coaster ride, with bad wigs, waxing disasters, holiday scams, a deluded hitman, lust, arson and murder. Albert Trollop takes refuge at his allotment and the betting office, while his wife, Gretyl, lives for the shopping channels, car boot sales and local gossip. After fifty years of marriage, she’s thinking of a new life, somewhere hot. He’s thinking of the crematorium. She’s thinking of stuffing herself in a bikini. He's thinking of a taxidermist. The Londoners continue their separate lives until a mysterious letter turns their world upside down. In Essex, Dave and Sharon Soddall are struggling on benefits and looking for a get-rich-quick solution. With the help of a devious financial advisor, they concoct a plan and ‘Costa Soddall Travel’ is born. Will the Soddalls pull off the con of a lifetime? Can Gretyl be silenced? Will Albert end up missing Gretyl? "'Missing Gretyl' is a rare treat - a brilliantly written comedy novel that's genuinely funny." Mark Stibbe, best selling, award-winning writer. Missing Gretyl is also available as a Kindle eBook through Amazon.

    She does not know that her search will uncover secrets that will both shock and thrill her. Nor can she imagine the emotions and events which await her. Some comments from readers: We have just returned from holiday where I read this book. I must say that I really enjoyed it, and in parts I could not put it down. Lynne, Ilford, Essex I find Tainted Tree very interesting and readable. The way the plot is developed is very good, the reader can't put it down. Barbara, Haslemere, Surrey Great read - I really enjoyed it - genuinely interesting, compulsive reading and so relevant to what is happening today. Susan, Pirbright, Surrey I couldn’t put it down - it was a really interesting saga, beautifully written (a real ‘tear-jerker’ at times!) and I loved the characters, especially Addie. Joyce, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex I finished Tainted Tree and LOVED IT! Elizabeth, Illinois, USA Thoroughly enjoyed the book - I couldn't put it down and loved the ending. Celia, Pirbright, Surrey I have read Tainted Tree, despite meaning to save it for my holiday in August. I couldn't resist and read it straight away in great big chunks and really enjoyed it and the twists and turns and highs and lows of Addie's search. Maggie, Bisley, Surrey I’m just coming to the end of this book and I love it. Natasha, Zurich, Switzerland I’ve got to say - beautifully written - absolutely superb - I thoroughly enjoyed it. Mike, Pirbright, Surrey I thought the book was splendid. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Beryl, Hindringham, Norfolk I really loved it. I was absolutely riveted. Maggie, Woking, Surrey The book was excellent; made me cry near the end. Would have liked another chapter or two. Didn’t want to put it down. Theresa, Woking, Surrey I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sonia, Coulsdon, Surrey I’ve just come back from my holiday and I have been reading this book. It was very interesting and it made my holiday very enjoyable. Gillian, North London As to Tainted Tree I would absolutely recommend it. I found it a really interesting read, and after a few chapters couldn't put it down. It is an excellent study in human relationships in all their many forms, with a great feel for history, time and place. Barbara, Thames Ditton, Surrey Having just been on holiday, I took this book with me to read and I really enjoyed it. It was very good - a page turner. Beverley, Godalming, Surrey an excellent plot line … the author has spaced out her revelations to keep the interest going and the mystery developing. I wanted to know what would happen next - the pace was good, the writer’s ear for dialogue, excellent. Colin, Guildford, Surrey

    Those are the last things Matt Anderssen, a scientist stationed at a Top Secret missile test site on a remote Pacific island, knew before all contact with the outside world suddenly stopped. Stranded on the idyllic tropical island that was his home and cut off from his wife and children by five thousand miles of ocean, Matt elicits the help of two loyal friends. Together, they defy the law and set out across the Pacific Ocean to reunite with their loved ones—if they're still alive, if anyone is still alive.High seas, pirates, storms, and terrible luck will test them physically, and hopelessness, anger, and self-doubt will test them emotionally. But against all odds and with the help of a woman they rescue along the way, they will make it to the mainland—and what they find there will be their ultimate test.*Second Edition

     An industrial hell. The foulest and most decrepit slum on Parsephon. A nest of human misery, where hope is word long forgotten, and the dead are carted away every day. It is the worst pit in the Confederation’s great industrial machine known as the Iron Belt. Among the millions born into misery, poverty, and despair under the dark and smoky haze that covers the planet, Andromeda Lafarge is unique. One lost soul among billions, she is tough, relentless, determined to get out, to escape, to blaze her own trail, and to make a name for herself across the stars. Andi will break the chains binding her to a life of destitution, leave the Gut and Parsephon behind forever, and plunge into the dark and deadly worlds of the lost empire, prospecting for imperial artifacts, the bits and pieces of old tech that can make her rich. She will find new friends—and enemies—on the frontier, and she will blaze a trail from the filthy, polluted Iron Belt world of her birth to the dead and haunted imperial planets of the Badlands. She will fight, endure hardships unimaginable, save comrades…and lose some, too. She will struggle to amass wealth, to do whatever is necessary to ensure she will never again be helpless, and she will bring back the technology of the ancients, scraps of mankind’s lost legacy, to do it. She will create a name for herself among the rough and tumble adventurers who ply the rogue trade in ancient tech. For some, she will become one to emulate, to follow. To others, her name will become the foulest of curses. She will make her way, blade and pistol in hand, from one dead and ancient world to another. She will become the scourge of the Badlands. The Andromeda Chronicles is a new series set in the Blood on the Stars universe. Book 1: Andromeda Rising Book 2: Wings of Pegasus Book 3: Into the Badlands The Blood on the Stars Series: Book 1 - Duel in the Dark Book 2 - Call to Arms Book 3 - Ruins of Empire Book 4 - Echoes of Glory Book 5 - Cauldron of Fire Book 6 - Dauntless Book 7 - The White Fleet Book 8 - Black Dawn Book 9 - Invasion Book 10 - Nightfall Book 11 - The Grand Alliance Book 12 - The Colossus (Coming) Book 13 – The Others (Coming) Book 14 – Enemy of My Enemy (Coming)

    Add in a washed-up celebrity chef whose career needs re-building…Flavour with…An aging rock star fresh from rehab, and a Sloane Ranger food writer who gets her own TV show…Bring to the boil…At a Gourmet Food Festival, in Ireland, where anything goes!When media agent Hilary Hargreaves travels to Ireland to look at a campaign for a new cookery school, she meets a blast from her past - the romantic but feckless chef Mickey Lloyd, who is hell-bent on resurrecting his flagging career. Her tough demeanour is rocked as it becomes apparent Mickey's intentions involve more than a stint behind a stove in his quest to pursue her. But as plans for the school gain momentum, she realises that she's developing more than a passing interest in reformed alcoholic Long Tom Hendry, who owns the crumbling old mansion where the school will be homed. Hilary has many ingredients to juggle with her demanding client list - which looks set to boil over if she doesn't keep control. From London's bustling Soho, to Southern Ireland and the sunny shores of the Caribbean, has Hilary got too much on her plate and is she really prepared to risk it all for love?

     Aging Mafia Don Salvatore Padronelli, a.k.a. the Padre, is furious when fanatical terrorists capture his beloved daughter and grandson on a trip to Egypt. Fed up with diplomatic caution that prolongs their captivity, the Padre and his loyal henchman cleverly insinuate themselves into the White House to hold the President and his wife hostage. Now the Padre calls the shots on getting the President to take steps to release his family. But will his plan go as expected? - HOW THE GODFATHER INFLUENCED WE ARE HOLDING THE PRESIDENT HOSTAGE - I have long been a fan of Mario Puzo's The Godfather ever since we attended Don Wolfe's creative writing course in the New School years ago. Mario was more than ten years my senior, a World War II veteran, while I was a twenty-year-old college graduate who took Dr. Wolfe's freshman English course at NYU, inspiring me to devote my life to writing. The class met once a week, but a few of us from the class were chosen by our classmate Harold Applebaum, who was a published poet that frequently appeared in The New York Times, to meet periodically in our homes to read our work and generally socialize. Mario and I were among some of the select few; we liked to think that Harold had chosen us because he deemed our work as reflecting superior talent. We were flattered of course, although in retrospect, many of the students in that class were extraordinarily talented. I think there were about six of us among Harold's chosen, all determined writers hoping to make our mark and who were all flattered by Harold's attention. Years later when The Godfather was published, I was quick to purchase the book and gobbled it up with relish. I thought the book was wonderful. When it hit the silver screen its impact was extraordinary and spawned a giant career for my fellow classmate. I can trace a direct line from The Godfather to my characters in We Are Holding the President Hostage. Another influence was the fact that I had grown up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, in the neighborhood that was the headquarters of Murder Inc. and had observed in person many of the gangsters who were part of that era. Another influence of mine was the fact that I had become familiar with the White House and its inner workings, having been a consultant to the Nixon White House with a blue pass that gave me access. Although there was tight security in those days it was far more lenient than it is today. It was also a time when hostage taking was just beginning to show its ugly face and the news was filled with incidents in which the taking of a hostage was becoming a political act of choice. For me, it was a question of connecting the dots. I was able to imagine a story where a group of mafia characters, one of whose daughters was taken hostage in Egypt, were able to infiltrate the White House with the express purpose of persuading the president to use mafia tactics to deal with the hostage taking. The Godfather will always have a special place in my heart, being one of the major influences that sparked We Are Holding the President Hostage, including my political experience and the events going on around me during the 1980s. But it really comes down to my relationship with Harold and Mario. If I had never known them, then perhaps the course of events wouldn't have played out the way they did and the idea for my book never would have materialized.

     Following a frightening premonition from a mysterious neighbor, Brian, believing he has inadvertently contributed to the death of his grandmother's housekeeper, runs away from home with his best friend, Charlie. Aided by their friend Stephanie, the two friends find refuge with an old man living a hermit's life on a nearby knob. The old man teaches the boys the virtues of living a simple life and teaches them even more about letting go of the past and never taking things for granted. It all comes to a terrifying climax one day when Charlie climbs inside an abandoned, rusty truck, a truck that still has a few chips of red paint, and closes the door. Here begins a struggle between life and death. Chips of Red Paint is a modern Southern Gothic novel that weaves the past with the present into a colorful quilt that touches every emotion.

    Gertie’s mission in life is to improve Rosedale's citizenry through a steady stream of belittling, correction, and harassment. The only person unfazed by her campaign is the town’s deputy sheriff, Seth Randall, who has his own mission. Seth also serves as associate pastor of a local church, and he will not rest until he saves Gertie’s soul.But redemption is a word easier said than done. Add Gertie's childhood friend turned convict, an extremely valuable rookie baseball card, and a plate of cookies delivered with threatening messages, and you’ve got yourself a hornet’s nest of trouble.When the people of Rosedale come together to save Gertie Thump, the one person they would rather not, Gertie's not the only one who discovers that every good person has a little darkness in them and every demon a little tenderness.

     (Note: both books (1) How to Write Descriptions of Eyes and Faces and (2) How to Write Descriptions of Hair and Skin are now available in a single, unabridged volume for readers interested in both buying both books together at a cheaper price than buying them individually: How to Write Descriptions of Eyes, Faces, Hair, Skin. ASIN: B00670OUGW.) Here, you get more help than you could possibly imagine on describing eyes and faces. Each section centers on a type of description, such as Eye Color (for example, "Crystal blue eyes"), or Appearance of the Eye (for example, "Beady eyes," or "Bedroom eyes"), or Actions Involving the Eyes (for example, "Darting eyes" or "Gawking"). Each section lists its descriptive terms alphabetically with full explanations. You can read the lists to learn new terms, or you can look up a specific term. The eye section starts with the location of colors in the iris. Through examples, you learn how physical description starts with an accurate, detailed picture of everything you see, which you condense for your fiction. You learn about the appearance of the eyes, actions involving the eyes, and how to describe eyelids, eyebrows, and eyelashes. All of this leads into more than 2,000 words explaining 82 different color names to assign to eyes that are black, blue, brown, gray, green, hazel, or violet. The face section shows how to describe facial shapes, forehead, ears, cheekbones, nose, lips, chin, and facial hair, if any. You learn about facial expressions, such as simpering or sneering, and things like the differences between a frown and a scowl. You also get a section on how the face shows different emotions. For example, you can look up "Anger" and read about common physical signs of anger such as blood rising beneath the skin, the forehead tightening, the eyes narrowing, and the nose wrinkling in disgust. Who may benefit from this book? Anyone who wants a quick prompt or idea so as not to lose his writing momentum. Readers for whom English is a second language may enjoy the in-depth explanations of American English terms. Authors in genres that demand much physical description (for example, fantasy fiction and romance fiction) may also find this book useful. How to Write Descriptions of Eyes and Faces is about 15,000 words in total. Thank you for reading.

     A deadly weapon of the Soviet Union in the Cold War: the Kilo Class submarine. It’s known as the Black Hole for a good reason. Iran intends to use two of these boats to choke off the Gulf oil supply by blockading the Straits of Hormuz. But Captain Luke MacArthur holds an ace: command of the most powerful submarine in the Royal Navy, HMS Holy Ghost. Dark fate has chosen his encounter point: the straits at the southern entrance of the Red Sea, known as the Gate of Grief. On his mission, Luke faces a personal dilemma in the form of sultry Savita, his Weapons Officer, who is sending out flirtatious signals. The duty of command means that he shouldn’t respond, although he wants to. He knows he’s in danger of becoming a moth to her flame. Join the crew of the HMS Holy Ghost and help Luke to hunt down shadows in the night: the Kilo Class; the Black Hole. What Amazon readers are saying about the book: ★★★★★ ‘As real as it gets! I’m a former Sonarman, retired Navy Mustang now. This brought back so many Cold War memories! A great read and I can't thank you enough for being a contributor to the Unlimited side of the house. Truly an awesome naval yarn that is closer to reality than many would ever expect!’ ★★★★★ ‘Another suspenseful book! You wanted to keep reading to see what happens next.’ ★★★★★ ‘Extremely entertaining! Very well written, terrific storyline.’ ★★★ ‘This is the second book I've read by Mr Makk. I found them to be a good read. The fighting scenes are well done and intense, making you feel the tenseness of the crew during the attack and defensive moves to stay alive.’ ★★★★★ ‘Good story. Flowed well.’ ★★★★ ‘Pretty good read here. Very enjoyable.’ ★★★★ ‘A potential headline story. A submarine thriller that could quite possibly become a reality. The nuclear missile crises are present today and could very well happen.’ ★★★★ ‘Good, quick read. An interesting tale about a sub chase. Good explanation of the internal activities preparing for contact… I will read more from Mr Makk.’ ★★★★★ ‘Kept my attention. I learned something about submarines and warfare to boot.’ ★★★★ ‘War in the ocean – good stuff. Another in this upcoming author’s series of books. Entertainment with a twist.’ ★★★★★ ‘Characters were interesting and realistic. The story was believable, patriotic without being political, and appropriate, as I read it on July 4th.’ ★★★★★ ‘If anyone ever thought The Hunt for Red October was suspenseful, they have not yet experienced reading HMS Holy Ghost. It is a lone, though sparkling, new sub against two Russian Kilo Class subs and two frigates in the ultimate cat v mouse game. I love these submarine suspense thrillers of Stephen Makk. They should be required reading for all adrenaline junkies as they are guaranteed to take you on a ride of your life. Enjoy!’