In "Sticky Note," Gary finds a note with two simple words on it in the gutter: Kill her. Was it part of someone's to-do list? Bentley Little tells us where this yellow square piece of paper takes Gary in a way that only he can. A bad confrontation with a maid at a fancy resort leads a couple on a chilling journey they never dreamed would happen. "The Maid" may make you think twice about asking the front desk for extra towels or complaining about anything ever again. You'll never think of small-town rodeos the same way after reading "The Last Rodeo on the Circuit," and neither will Rob and Teena after they decide to take in the local bizarre entertainment in an unscheduled stop along their road trip to Vegas. Would you anonymously write your negative thoughts about your friends in a slam book? What if the words you wrote changed things? "Slam Dance" shows you what the consequences of that might be. Sometimes, a "Palm Reader" knows more than they're willing to reveal to their customers, chilling things that their clients don't really want to know. Would you tell them anyway? Snowmen aren't scary, right? Hal and April Katz are out on a wintery drive when they see a snowman on the side of the road. Then another that looks almost the same a few miles later. And then, hundreds of snowmen around the next bend. You might think snowmen aren't scary, but "Snow" will prove you dead wrong. Bentley Little can take the innocuous, twist it around, and write a story that will change your way of thinking. Walking Alone: Short Stories is a shining example of his talent to scare you, creep you out, and make you shudder. Table of Contents: Milk Ranch Point Snow Children's Hospital Palm Reader Slam Dance Last Rodeo on the Circuit The Car Wash The Feeb The Mall Hunting The Piano Player has no Fingers The Man Who Watched Cartoons Apt Punishment Black Friday MoNA Retrospective, Los Angeles Jorgensen's Fence The Silence of Trees Sticky Note The Smell of Overripe Loquats The Maid Schoolgirls Under Midwest Skies Pictures of Huxley My College Admission Essay Pool, Air Conditioning, Free HBO The Train A Random Thought from God's Day

    She plans to dazzle the bride and groom so the Chalet’s owner will keep her around, but fate has other plans for her when the bride’s brother shows up for the first food tasting.Andrew Kyle is not only the Cuisine Channel’s Edgy Eats host and chef, but his recent review of Julie’s restaurant was the final nail in its coffin. Once he meets Julie at the Rose Chalet, he’s certain she’s playing it safe. And he wants nothing more than to be the one to break her guarded passions loose.But despite the undeniable sparks between Julie and Andrew — and the fact that he seems to believe in her when no one else does — can she afford to be taking risks with her cooking, with her career… or with her heart?

     Hunters come in droves but the beast proves itself too big and too cunning, using its fearsome teeth and claws to destroy the intruders. Many die and blood is spilled by the gallon, but has the beast met its match when a park ranger, an average joe, and a trail expert come together to predict where the beast will attack next?

    Fortunately, there's an electrician in town who can get the job done by the holidays.Scott Quinn has wanted to get his hands on the Burkes' wiring for almost as long as he's wanted to get his hands on their daughter. Chloe didn't notice Scott back in high school, but she's noticing him now, and soon they're indulging in a little festive fun: no strings, no expectations. After all, Chloe plans to get out of this goldfish bowl of a town and back to her real life in Boston by New Year's.But Chloe and Scott discover they enjoy each other's company just as much out of bed. Could their holiday fling turn out to be the real thing?

    Follow Max on his lifelong quest to produce the perfect novel. Touching, irreverent, hilarious and sad. Every writer should read this story. Every writer will relate to Max. please note: This is a SHORT STORY consisting of 2,500 words.

    On their first meeting, they encounter the ghosts of their past that threaten to tear them apart. The couple decides to face the evil that stands between them--but will they make it out alive?

    Traveling with a Crocodile named Malachi, a trapeze girl named Ophelia, a strong man they call Hero, which is short for Hieronymus a clown named Domingo de Ybarrondo, who paints in a wagon pulled by a giant Ibis bird, the troupe wanders from adventure to adventure with mythic aplomb. From the first story, in which Indigo Murphy, the best bird handler in the world leaves the show to join in matrimony with the Duke Lorenzo de Medici, to the fabled court of Kubla Khan, the magic never stops. You will meet a young apple thief named Angelo with magic eyes, and an orang-outang named Bathsheba, and a host of other amazing characters with names and personas cut like a patchwork quilt from the mythologies and dreams of the world. Though written forty years ago, these pages are littered with the same magical side steps that have always been woven into Clive Barkers fiction. Worlds not quit our own, and yet so real they ring with truth and leave you wishing you could step from your mundane life into that other place into those caves of ice if only long enough to catch Maximillian's show.

    As tiny and inconspicuous as it may seem, That-Which-Had-Been exhibits an unexpected and varied gift for survival, as it journeys implacably toward its ultimate destination. Along the way, it meets a rich array of ordinary human beings, some of whom assist it along its way, others who impede its progress, none of whom have any idea of its existence.From whence comes the strange, but universal, experience of deja vu? Why do some people exhibit a wisdom far beyond their age and experience - persons reincarnationists refer to as 'old souls'? Joseph Wurtenbaugh in this short story offers a fascinating and tantalizingly plausible explanation for these phenomena, presented in a natural setting that brims with adventure and exhilarating possibility. Not to be missed by anyone who enjoys science fiction or thinking outside the box.

    Kevin Banks has his dream job: protecting the President of the United States. But the president believes there is something greater that he can do. Find out how Kevin joined the unit and became "Spud."

    Don’t miss this special release from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Stephanie McAfee.

    She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.Three short lines, fired over social media in response to questions of why Senator Elizabeth Warren was silenced on the floor of the United States Senate, for daring to read aloud the words of Coretta Scott King. As this message was transmitted across the globe, it has become a galvanizing cry for people of all genders in recognition of the struggles that women have faced throughout history.Three short lines, which read as if they are the opening passage to an epic and ageless tale.We have assembled this flash fiction collection featuring several of the best writers in SF/F today, including Seanan McGuire, Charlie Jane Anders, Maria Dahvana Headley, Jo Walton, Amal El-Mohtar, Catherynne M. Valente, Brooke Bolander, Alyssa Wong, Kameron Hurley, Nisi Shawl and Carrie Vaughn. Together these authors share unique visions of women inventing, playing, loving, surviving, and – of course – dreaming of themselves beyond their circumstances.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    When he sees strange individuals coming, but never leaving his neighbor’s house, he begins to suspect that something nefarious is going on. Now that he saw a small child walk in but never walk out, he and his wife Clara need to figure out what is going on. They will stop at nothing to rescue the innocent boy that is trapped inside before it’s too late. Short story: 10,000 words

    That was the night they broke all the rules…Lucky Shot is a free short story. Enjoy it as is, or go on to read the rest of Bess & Tank’s second chance love story in Sure Shot.

    In this short story, Vincent Pels struggles to save his daughter in life and death.

    A beautiful business consultant swoops in to rescue a struggling company from financial disaster. She cancels layoffs and dazzles everyone with her killer looks and corporate savvy. Employee, Lonnie Raiford, becomes skeptical when he and the other staff notice unexplainable, over-the-top attention and affection she showers on his best friend, Hugh Berish. As curiosity mounts about the woman's intentions, Lonnie begins a frantic investigation that uncovers her true identity and a secret more bizarre than anyone at the company had imagined.