Book picks similar to
In a Quarter of a Second by Anita Kirk


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The Veils of Azlaroc


Fred Saberhagen - 1978
    yourself as a settler, living in a translucent "pocket" that makes your life an almost ageless state, as time in each pocket passes so slowly that senility and death are meaningless concepts. Your immortality has a price; you have free interaction only with those of your "generation"; you see settlers from ten years before as blurred outlines. And a settler from fifty years before can walk right through you!IMAGINE... yourself as a tourist, struck by the wonder of the shimmering planet, yet careful to heed the date of the next predicted veilfall, knowing that to be on Azlaroc at veilfall is to be there forever.IMAGINE... yourself as the one man on Azlaroc who knows for a certainty that, this time, veilfall will come early, and without warning!

Immortal: An alien invasion of Earth is imminent … or is it?


Nick M. Lloyd - 2019
    The senders, calling themselves the Ankor, claim a colossal gamma ray burst from a supernova will engulf the Earth in less than a year, sterilising all life. But they provide no proof … only demands that all countries must prepare to build an enormous shield in orbit around the Earth. Francis MacKenzie, industrialist and private owner of the UK’s only satellite launch facility, says there’s no alternative but to accept the Ankor position and mobilise immediately. Tim Boston is not convinced the Ankor can be trusted but as a divisional head in MacKenzie’s flagship bioengineering company, he won’t risk biting the hand that feeds him. Samantha Turner may do though, despite her ongoing commitment to Tim not to cause trouble. Scroll Up And Buy It Today

The Eight Walls of Rogar


William Woodward - 2006
    The story unfolds in the weeks following Andaris’ seventeenth name day: Desperate to escape a life of meaningless drudgery behind the plow, he leaves the safety of his secluded valley town and ventures alone into the uncharted depths of an ancient forest, the heart of which is said to be twisted and black. Choosing to ignore the counsel of his more sensible nature, he is drawn ever onward, lured by the tantalizing splendor of distant mountains, the sheer peaks of which purportedly stand sentinel over a land long steeped in mystery. What ensues is more remarkable than anything even he could have envisioned. Andaris goes looking for adventure.... What he finds is a world in the midst of tidal change, an extraordinary place where he encounters all manner of extraordinary things—vast landscapes teeming with flora and fauna capable of firing the most malnourished of imaginations. To be sure, danger lurks around every bend, a heady amalgam of sword and sorcery which threaten to bring his young life to an abrupt end. Indeed, if not for a very fortuitous encounter, namely the crossing of paths with a band of travelers who turn out to be much more than meets the eye, it surely would have. Gaven, Ashel, and Trilla seem fated to become fast friends, the sort of companions he’d always wanted, but never thought he’d have. The Lost One and his army of shapelings are preparing to march against Rogar’s western border—the only thing standing between them and the green, fertile lands to the East. The balance of power is shifting. Despite the debt of blood owed them by their Sokerran neighbors, the Alderi Shune fear they will be made to stand alone. No one speaks of defeat, but it is on the tip of every tongue. For the first time since they were erected, more than a thousand years ago, the impossible is about to happen: The Eight Walls of Rogar are about to fall. The scales could tip in either direction, depending, oddly enough, on the choices of a rather bookish young man named Andaris Rocaren. You will forgive me, intrepid reader, if I now take the opportunity to formally invite you to join in the fun, to accompany young Andaris and his fellows into and out of the kingdoms of Nelvin, Mindere, Sokerra, and Rogar. Over hill, dell, and stream you shall go, hiking through rugged mountain ranges heavy with snow, into subterranean catacombs whose unplumbed fathoms are illumined by naught but the guttering flames of your makeshift torch, until you reach, at long last, and in just the nick of time, the battered gates of a once great civilization on the brink of war.

Seeds of Hope


Debbie TremelDebbie Tremel - 2018
    Hope can lie dormant in the tiniest of seeds. . .In the blink of an eye, Daniel’s world spirals out of control. He watches helplessly as the bodies of his father and friends are buried in stone. Those he loved would never know the breath of life again. In this overwhelming loss, he despairs. Was this the end of hope? The rest of his family and the others in their small alliance had already fled the destruction of society, headed for the northern wilderness. Can he possibly reach them on his own?Salvation can be found in the most unlikely place . . .If he does, will the wilderness be the sanctuary of which they dream? Are their skills good enough to survive in the wilds on their own? Will it be possible to survive the evils that emanate from the decaying world they left behind? And if they do, is it truly possible for something beautiful to grow from the damaged seeds of society?The heart is the doorway to any dream...Their journey is one filled with beauty and peril. Their dream; to create a better world, one in which future generations will live with peace, love and kindness. of society?

Prophecy


Kyle West - 2015
    What was once known as the Wasteland is now controlled by the Annaran Covenant, a theocracy that rules with an iron fist.To the east of the Covenant lies the Red Wild, the abode of the human Elekai. Each side believes that their Goddess, Annara, has called for the other's extermination -- a prophecy that will be fulfilled during the end of days, known as the Second Darkness.Living in the Covenant's capital of Colonia, seventeen-year-old Shanti Roshar discovers she has the ability to speak to dragons -- and when she catches the eye of the Covenant's Hunters, her life will never be the same.Note: The Xenoworld Saga is a follow-up series to The Wasteland Chronicles. Start that series for free here: amzn.com/B00AJF2130

I'll Always Belong to You


Bianca - 2016
    They are smart, successful, and run their own business. Dr. Monae, and Dr. Erica are married to successful men while Dr. Grace is swearing off men. Dr. Monae is married to one of the most powerful men in Texas, Governor Greg Johnson, who is so consumed with looking good for his peers that he neglects his wife needs. When she starts having eyes for someone else, will she risk her career, and family just to feel loved? Dr. Erica knows that she could be more successful than she already is, and while working towards that goal, she neglects her husband, Bishop Duncan, needs, which is a need for children. When her husband starts to roam, will Dr. Erica, put her own selfish needs aside to give her husband what he so desperately wants? After Dr. Grace catches her soon to be ex-husband in a compromising position, she is done with love and throws herself into her work, until she meets Exodus. Will she be able to put her work aside and try to love again? Secrets, lies, and betrayal seems to be the theme in these three friends professional and personal lives. Will the secrets that each of these friends are holding ruin their lives, or make their bond stronger? This steamy novel full of lust, love, and lies is sure to leave you wanting more.

World Glimpses: Parasite


Sara King - 2014
    In Planetside and Opening Night at the Naturals Preserve, you get to look into her upcoming new world of After Earth. In Parasite, for which this edition is titled, you have the chance to read into some of the background and history of one of the brilliant characters from Sara's Millennium Potion series, of which you can find the first novel, Wings of Retribution, right here on Amazon!

Population Zero: Book 1


Ryan Schow - 2021
    They intend to break the nation. The goal is depopulation. They have now gone from beta-testing to fully operational, and the world will never be the same.Welcome to the apocalypse…Population Zero is not just a weapon. It is the objective.When internet talk-show sensation, Slater Corrigan, finds himself on a collision course with The Aatrox Group, he realizes that the nation is in grave danger. Even though this isn’t the first time Slater has played chicken with psychopaths, he has never met a monster quite like Johan Schwein for a man this vile tends to keep to the shadows.Until now...As Slater, his brother Scout, and the Italian firecracker, Gabriella Esposito, learn about the might and power of Population Zero, they are left to wonder, is this the mother of all cyber attacks, or is the population of America about to be culled?As the power grid fails and the very fabric of society begins to unravel, a mixed group of survivors will attempt to both solve and rectify a murder while navigating through a lawless, apocalyptic landscape in search of safety and answers. But can they endure a world pitched into darkness and chaos? Will those they love most survive the fall? And what kind of a war will they incite when sorrow turns to revenge?

The Singularity: Box Set


David Beers - 2015
    An artificial intelligence, The Genesis, began creating a world without flaws—killing off humanity’s leaders and growing children in labs. A perfect world.  A perfect society.  A perfect human race… But one man, Caesar Wells, sees beyond the utopian canvas The Genesis painted.  Refusing to bow to The Genesis, he tries to prove the world must be restored to its former state.  But The Genesis will not be stopped or thwarted. Now it's up to Caesar to rescue humanity from itself. Grab your battle gear and suit up for the fight of your life as Caesar attacks the greatest threat humanity has ever known.  Willing to die if needed, watch as one man sets out to teach everyone that a perfect world cannot exist. Unless The Genesis decides it already does...

Deep (Seeder Saga,#1)


Adam Moon - 2013
    But a new world has been discovered that has all the right ingredients to sustain human life. The vessel Seeder will travel four thousand years with its crew members and colonists to this new seed planet to ensure humanity lives on.But the stasis pods malfunction. When the crew is revived they discover they've been traveling for the past eighteen million years, and the colonists are all gone.And it only gets stranger. Book #1 of the best selling Seeder Saga (34 pages)

Lockheed Elite


Tyler Wandschneider - 2017
    Now Anders must decide quickly—stay and fight or cut cables and run.Either way, it’s too late. Someone has other plans for them. The trap has been set, they’ve rescued the woman and taken the bait, and before long Anders and what’s left of his dwindling crew must navigate with caution through the grips of the military and an especially vile outlaw.But Anders doesn’t captain just another team flying the black. With a genius mechanic who uses his ragtag high-tech machine shop to aid them in getting in and out of trouble, they’ve earned a reputation as the best of the best. With Anders’s careful planning, this motley crew must band together and flip the military to use them on a monster heist and dig themselves out from the heat pressing in from both sides of the law.Fly with them. They are clever, they are fierce, they are Lockheed Elite.

Nevada


Joshua S. Porter - 2009
    One shocking discovery leads to another as the animals prove to be intelligent, charismatic creatures with sinister motives. A husband and wife recently parted by adultery, an enterprising sociopath and a thirty-year-old mentally handicapped man all become pivotal to the animals’ cryptic timetable. Each strangely connected character begins to realize they are caught up in a frightening force spiraling toward a bizarre state of authoritarianism. This frenetic story is a fast and immersive read told through letters, journal entries and news transcripts.

Til Death Do Us Part


Leo Petracci - 2016
    For Frederick and the inhabitants of his world, reincarnation is real, but people are always reborn in the country in which they died. Now Frederick seeks to pull off his greatest heist yet—enter a maximum security prison, where souls are trapped through reincarnation, and assemble the greatest criminal team that has ever lived. But for Frederick, the heist is just the beginning of a plan centuries in the making: a plan of revenge for unforgivable crimes committed a millennium before. And in this world, even death cannot keep Frederick from success.

Among the Hidden, Among the Impostors, Among the Betrayed, Among the Barrons, Among the Brave (Shadow Children Series, 1-5)


Margaret Peterson Haddix
    Among the Hidden 2. Among the Impostors 3. Among the Betrayed 4. Among the Barrons 5. Among the Brave

World Enough (And Time)


Edmund Jorgensen - 2019
     Normally Jeremiah Brown would not begrudge such luckless animals their windfall, but the man was his uncle, and the fortune was supposed to be his inheritance. Furthermore, having already purchased a ticket for a luxury space-cruise "on expectation" of said inheritance, Jeremiah can no longer pay for said ticket. And furthermore still, he is already on said cruise. Having defaulted on his ticket, Jeremiah must work as a concierge for the remainder of the trip. Since he has never worked a day in his life, even an ordinary job would be sure to prove challenging. But this will be no ordinary job... World Enough (And Time) is a sci-fi comedy of manners and errors. If you enjoy the work of Douglas Adams—or have always longed to read something inspired by P.G. Wodehouse or Kingsley Amis but set on, you know, a spaceship zipping through the void at an appreciable fraction of the speed of light—you should check it out.