Bread is a good start for sustenance.Don Eyr and Serana were survivors who came to Low Port – it gave them air, water, a place to stand and a place to make bread. The place to sleep meant they needed a certain amount of safety and to get that they founded a bakery at the corner of Crakle and Toom, brought in others seeking to survive in the midst of the poverty and ignorance, and built a tiny bastion of a self-sufficient community dedicated to raising competent, alert children who understood decency.Low Port toughs tried to break the bakery and a planet-shaking blast from the skies nearly did it in, but the bakery was hope, and people who have hope will fight to keep it.This chapbook collects four stories about sustenance, all about the bakery, its people, and its influence. ″Degrees of Separation,″ ″Fortune’s Favors,″ and "Block Party" are reprints. The novelette ″Our Lady of Benevolence″ appears here for the first time.

     The catastrophic Abunga virus has wiped out everyone on Earth except for a few scattered souls with natural immunity. Other humans escaped this Apocalypse by fleeing to other parts of the Solar System, populating and exploiting its moons and planets. A thousand years on, those now living on these distant outposts still can't return but secretly confine and observe the survivors as a combination of social experiment and nostalgic entertainment. Their former home is now a ‘holopark’, a new Eden, a Heaven on Earth. It’s a chance for the human race to start all over again. There, Gibbous Moon, a 70-year-old tribal story-teller and seer, is leaving his settlement on a solitary Last Walk Out. Except that he is not alone. Reluctantly he has to accept animal company in the shape of a determined dog he names Yellow. And then his daughter-in-law Paintbrush and her baby Skyman suddenly appear after their clan is brutally massacred by rivals on the reservation. Could it be possible that this small renegade band could now form an unlikely alliance, the basis of a real New Beginning? Praise for David Helton: "The Last Walk Out is a story that satisfies on many levels – compelling and adventurous, with engaging characters including strong and individualistic women, it investigates the wisdom and contradictions mankind has confronted across history." - Amazon Review David Helton was born in San Francisco, graduated from the University of Texas and has spent most of his working mainly as a freelance journalist and documentary scriptwriter. He has won or been nominated for several international awards and has written one other novel, King Jude. He now lives in England.

    But Tom's demons return with a vengeance as he discovers the baby is possessed by the spirit of another girl, who went missing 10 years ago - the night Tom had his last drug-fuelled blackout.

    Amid the chaos of war, a band of rebel humans risk everything to fight for freedom, and an end to the Dragon Age. Read the saga that Orson Scott Card called “a magnificent hero story.” Bitterwood, the Complete Collection gathers together all four novels of the Bitterwood series, plus the prequel short story “Tornado of Sparks.” The individual works: Tornado of Sparks: The dragon Vendevorex demonstrates his magical powers for the dragon-king Albekizan in a test that orphans a human infant. Can Vendevorex reunite the child with her only remaining family? Bitterwood: Dragons rule the world and humans serve as their slaves, pets, and prey, with only the mysterious dragon-slayer Bitterwood fighting the dominant dragons from the shadows. But when Bitterwood slays the beloved son of the dragon-king Albekizan, the dragons launch a war of extermination against all humans. Can mankind survive the combined might of the dragons? Dragonforge: As a war spreads throughout the dragon kingdom, a band of human rebels take over the armory of the dragon armies, the legendary Dragon Forge. As the dragon armies mass to take back the fortress, Bitterwood finds himself in the fight of his life, facing off against the most dangerous dragon of all: Blasphet. Dragonseed: With the dragon forces in disarray, the humans face their own woes as allies banded together to fight the dragons begin to take up arms against each other. With all of civilization on the verge of anarchy, can Bitterwood save the day by joining forces with his worst enemy—the sun-dragon Hex, the last surviving son of King Albekizan? Dawn of Dragons: 1000 years before Bitterwood, a man named Alex Pure gets disemboweled by a dragon. It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Also, the apocalypse. In praise of Bitterwood: “For the sake of humanity, join in Bitterwood’s revolt.” – Kirkus Reviews “A grabber from page one, a smart tale of adventure and revenge sprinkled with echoes of our own dangerous times. James Maxey’s world of dragons and humans at war is so solidly and engagingly rendered that I never wanted to leave.” – John Marco “Bitterwood is an unlikely hero in a rich world, with a rich history that holds many surprises. James Maxey tells his story with a sure hand. Enjoy the journey!” – Carrie Vaughn "Fine action and cool world building. Anne McCaffrey through a mirror darkly." – E. E. Knight “A magnificent hero story.” – Orson Scott Card

    On the night he decides to strike, his life, and his world, are forever changed. Alien scientists from across the cosmos, abduct and place Kazaka in deep storage for centuries. When they revive him with the intent to subject him to extraterrestrial evisceration, the ninja escapes. The shadow warrior then begins to hunt his captors, one by one, leading up to a battle that will shake the galaxy.The Bear That Fell From the StarsA different kind of alien terror. NOTE: This is a Novella of approx. 20,000 words, or about 60 pages.Science Fiction Fantasy and not hard SciFi.Some scenes of graphic violence.

    An untested spacecraft. A perilous gamble.Can her journey preserve humanity's freedom?Cristina Flores speaks her mind. But in a totalitarian surveillance state where privacy is a thing of the past, her critical thinking and outspoken nature have marked her for death.So when rebel scientists recruit the math genius for a covert plan to start anew on Mars, she accepts the chance to control her own destiny.But space is a harsh sanctuary, and freedom is never purchased cheaply.Alongside a small band of like-minded renegades, Cristina struggles to overcome escalating failures and rising panic. She fears their most lethal threat may be a charismatic but incompetent leader determined to command the colony to its last dying breath…Can Cristina's unstoppable determination keep their dream alive, or will the hope for freedom be lost in the void?The Far Shore is a thrilling sci-fi novel in the classic tradition. If you enjoy courageous heroes, convincing technology, and hard-edged science, you’ll love Glenn Damato’s bold odyssey.“A magnificent story – a soaring feat of imagination, highly suspenseful and utterly gripping.” –Robert Bidinotto, bestselling author of HUNTER“I give The Far Shore five stars. It rivals The Martian in accuracy, ambition and attitude. It offers hope for humanity at all levels.” –Tamara Wilhite, contributor at Liberty Island Magazine“A plausible and harrowing adventure that explores humanity’s drive for personal freedom.” –Kirkus Reviews“Gripping and immersive, The Far Shore offers a lot: technology for the hard science fiction fans and tons of heart for all of us.” –Laura Montgomery, author of Mercenary Calling“Brilliant . . . I admit to having tears in my eyes.” –Jeffery D. Kooistra, author of Dykstra's War“I was hooked! Damn! The pace is awesome, the suspense is unbeatable, the characters are engaging, the plot is original, the theme is eternal and universal.” –Irene Psyhogios“Highly recommended for adult sci-fi fans who enjoy exceptionally well-developed plots, characters, and hard sci-fi.” –Donovan’s Literary Services“The Far Shore sucked me in from page one. It really is amazing.” –Sherri Addleston Hilts“I'm a techie, and like my science fiction hard, with rivets. Damato has not only done a marvelous job of keeping the reader on the edge of their seat, he's made it all technically solid and credible.” –Tom Ligon, Member, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America“Whenever I put this book down I couldn't wait to get back to the characters. The story line was gripping and made me late for meetings and kept me up late reading more than a couple times.” –Mark Bottorff“Damato masterfully reins together the emotional titans of hope and fear through the eyes of a young girl.” –Joel S. Copeland“Kept me riveted. Damato expertly blends science fiction with an all too possible and alarming future.

    

    But when a general of the Colonial Corps arrives with an offer of freedom, and a chance to clear his name, Gideon doesn’t have to think twice. He takes her offer and with Elvis, his pet draco, on his shoulder, boards an airship bound for the city of Nike in search of revenge. And justice. But mostly revenge.What he finds is plucky street-thief, a city steeped in corruption, and a calculating enemy determined to stop Gideon from discovering their deadly purpose—by any means necessary.Now Gideon finds himself involved in an entirely different kind of battle—a shadow war that, if he loses, could bring Fortune’s new and fragile peace to an explosive end.And that’s just his first night in town.

    

    All of that changes, though, when Lee leads a team of old friends to virtual glory as the first-ever group to beat Mako Assault, a revolutionary new game that has emerged from nowhere to take the Internet by storm. As a reward for their achievement, the group is flown to meet the game’s mysterious designer and assist in developing the follow-on game Mako 2.0. But what they find when they get there is more than they’d expected…much more. Mako’s intent was never to entertain its players. It was to train them.An epic sci-fi thrill-ride of action, suspense, laughter, and romance, Mako is the story of five ordinary people who will have to rise to the challenge of extraordinary events, driven only by their faith in each other. If they can’t, the game will become very real to more than just themselves—the Earth itself may ultimately be at stake.

    Unfortunately, that was before two dudes wielding high-tech gadgets made off with both his kegs and his brother. Now Clyde has to hunt down his sibling with only his most trusted lackey along to help. Will he manage to recover both his beer and Dougie? Will they survive the night as they unveil the mysterious secret of the kidnappers? Will the Earth be destroyed thanks to their bumbling incompetence? Probably that last one, but you’ll have to read it to find out.

    Emily Morrison undertakes a controversial drug study over protests from fringe groups and even some colleagues. Soon she’s facing death threats and a letter bomb that maims her secretary. Then a young coed suddenly dies after taking the experimental medication. Emily figures out what killed the girl—not the study drug but DIFP, a toxic chemical from her lab. A diabetic, Emily discovers the same toxin in her insulin. But when the police find a bottle of DIFP in Emily’s office, she suddenly changes from victim to suspect.Then a professional killer comes after her, and he eliminates anyone who gets in the way. Emily knows she must confront this stalker on her terms, but she’ll have to do it without help, using only the element of surprise. And that’s just her first step in uncovering the truth – she needs to find out who hired the killer before someone else tries to finish what he started."An intriguing thriller set against a backdrop of clinical drug tests and medical research." — Kirkus Reviews

    Maybe he saved it. Now, it's my turn to save us both.Living forever isn't all it's cracked up to be.Fall into the realm of Phoenixes and Wraiths who guard the gates of the beyond. The Phoenix Rising Complete Series Box Set contains all five books in this thrilling paranormal romance series.

     Nothing stands between Kael and the last of the Wandering Stars, yet his location may be obvious to those watching from the Eternal Realm, making his presence a danger to everyone around him. With his allies and family centralized in Orud, and the city under threat of imminent assault from the most dangerous and technologically advanced enemies, Kael must decide whether to stay and ambush them or leave to confront them alone. Which is the wiser path? The answer depends upon his interpretation of an ancient prophecy and the depth of his faith in it; meanwhile, the lives of everyone he loves hang in the balance. In book seven of the bestselling Awakened series, Jason Tesar’s epic saga forges a new world from the remnants of three disparate civilizations, fusing the genres of sci-fi, fantasy, and military fiction.

    He and his team battle to drive the enemy from star systems under protection of the Confederation. His courage and fighting abilities are tested to their utmost, as he rises through the ranks of the LRS and beyond. Small unit skirmishes build to full-scale combat on planet surfaces, and serve as a counterpoint to violent conflict in space.