Imagine a drug that flips the valleys and makes them peaks, too. You react now to an event based not on the pleasure or pain that it brings, but solely on the intensity of the emotion created. Pain brings pleasure, grief gives joy, horror renders ecstasy.Now give this drug to a soldier. Tell them to kill. Not in the historically acceptable murder of war, but in a systematic corporate strategy--of xenocide.They will kill. And they will revel in it.Welcome to the world of Scream.Jason Trelayne is a Screamer, a soldier forced to take part in the destruction of entire races. But when Trelayne falls in love with a beautiful Scream Angel, an alien who produces the addictive drug, he sets off a chain of events that pits him and a small group of followers against an empire.An award winning novelette of rebellion, love, and an unlikely hero."A dark and powerful story with a first line that sets the tone for what is to come: 'They stopped beating Trelayne when they saw that he enjoyed it.' (A++)" --Fantasy Book Critic"A visceral work. A true pearl of the fantastic literature. Breath-taking." --Café de Ontem"...the book's most skillfully crafted story...quickly becomes one that holds the reader's attention until the very end." --SpecFicWorld"...remind me of the reasons I love the author's writing: his characterization, attention to detail and recurring themes of love, faith and redemption." --SF Crowsnest Reviews"The story has so many layers that I'm still sorting them out. And like an onion, I'm not sure if I'll ever find the final layer." --Tangent Online"One of those rare ideas that seems at once so perfect and so natural that someone must have come up with it before; but if someone has, I haven't heard about it, and regardless Smith exploits the potential of the idea extraordinarily well here." --Strange Horizons

    Then we ask a team of ruthless judges to scour that ore and pick out the gems. The result is All These Shiny Worlds II:A world of today where cosplay and stagecraft are bright lights hiding dark shadowsA world of tomorrow, where kitchen appliances fend for themselves and take solace in each other's arms, refugees from indifferent ownersA world of little cogs in big machines, where the humble trash collector is the unsung hero of getting evil doneA world of small magics and big hearts, where a little chaos can go a long, long wayFrom the brutal curators at ImmerseOrDie.com comes another collection of indie short stories, each a distinct jewel forged in the fires of judgment, and all continuing to carry our one simple promise:Guaranteed not to suck.

    This collection of delightfully twisted, supernatural short stories will captivate your imagination and entertain your darker side. A monster with a love of bakery, an old woman living in fear with her ex-con nephew, a widow with only one chance left, and a demon with a dark and powerful heart, are some of the characters wrestling with their darker selves in this enjoyable collection.

    The leaders of these guilds have complete control over their members, but one man is about to challenge that authority.Follow the tale of The Artificer’s Apprentice to see what he shall fashion in his shop...

    A short story written for Halloween

    To the dismay of the city born rogue, Melegal, Venir, wielding a mystic war axe, sets out on a one-man crusade against the insidious race of fiends, called the underlings. Venturing deep into the wasteland’s jungles Venir discovers that the underlings have destroyed a village, slain their people and kidnapped their woman and children. Donning the mantel of power, the ultimate hunter of the Outlands sets out on one of the bloodiest rescues missions of all time. The Darkslayer: Brutal Beginnings is a sword and sorcery/fantasy short story that serves as a quick introduction to a much larger fantasy setting in the world called Bish. Set in a harsh climate with two blistering suns, created by a bored immortal, The Darkslayer brings to light everything a fan of science fiction fantasy could hope for, including the full buffet of monsters and races such as giants, dragons, dwarves, orcs, ogres, underlings and worst of all god-like beings that are unpredictable. Give this action packed short story a try, that is only a taste of two full lengths series that are over16 books and one million words long.

    Whether it be granting himself immortality, stopping bullets in mid-air, or destroying his enemies with a mere thought, he is often feared as a god on Earth. However, outliving everyone he ever loved whilst losing friends to the limitations of his powers causes a heavy burden upon his shoulders, and in the 21st Century, Clarke is a stoic loner, traveling and living only to kill evil. He has no time for friends or family, but all that changes when he meets a dedicated doctor working in the dark streets of Detroit.In Detroit, Clarke vows to eliminate all gangs terrorizing the city's populace. However, after delivering a junkie with a broken leg to a hospital, Clarke is given a chance to end his decades of rampages, killing criminals and villains. Instead, he is offered a chance to work in the hospital along the idealistic Doctor Chloe Hall. His powers give him an incredible edge in the emergency room and he soon realizes that he could save everyone who comes through the hospital doors. But the gangs are still out there, and Clarke has to make a choice. Should he keep killing, or should he begin saving lives?"That which is destroyed cannot be repaired. That which is mended cannot be maintained."

    This is Stefan Bolz at his best." [Amazon Reviewer] "It's one of those books that leave you desperate for more!" [Amazon Reviewer] "Highly, highly recommend this jewel of a book!" [Amazon Reviewer] "A fantastic story, wonderfully developed characters, and an ending that will leave you on edge and begging for Genesis Part 2" [Amazon Reviewer] "I loved this book's prose, characters and story line. Get this. Read it. Experience the awesome that is Stefan Bolz." [Amazon Reviewer The White Dragon: Genesis is the story of the very beginning of an apocalyptic event as seen through the eyes of an eighteen-year-old girl. Nothing could have prepared her for what is about to happen and she has to face some seriously tough stuff before the end. During the thirty-six hours of terror that turn Kasey Byrne's life upside down and strip her of everything dear to her, something inside her awakens. It is gift and curse alike for it can destroy her or turn her into the most powerful weapon against the evil that has reached the shores of our world.

     After struggling with the death of her lifemate of over a century, Tara spends what the leaders of her clan considers an unreasonable amount of time in finding another. The clan needs offspring, they insist. While soaring over a meadow, Tara sees a dragon intruder attack a shepherd. Outraged, she intervenes and saves the young man from certain death. Breaking a two hundred year old pact between man and dragon forbidding any contact between the two, a powerful yet dangerous bond slowly grows between the dragon and her boy. This is a fun short story, at 5300 words. Stories two and three are already written. They continue the series and will be available shortly! I hope you enjoy them all.

    Here in these remote areas, thriving cities, and secret worlds, a strange technological revolution reigns. Inside these pages inventors, dreamers, and revolutionist rule in worlds of steam driven machines, cog powered humanoids, clockwork miracles, and paranormal magic. Dressed in corsets, top hats, and cog lined finery the heroes and heroines face down immense obstacles as they take to the skies in airships, use incredible technology that is a mix between ancient and futuristic, and discover love. Fifteen talented authors, artists and poets have come together in the must read anthology of 2014. The product of this collaboration is an incredible journey through a blend of sci-fi, fantasy, action, adventure, history, paranormal, and romance that embraces the roots of Steampunk while pushing the genre to new, bolder limits. Stories by Catherine Stovall, Amanda Gatton (Illustrator), Robert Craven, Samantha Ketteman, Cindy J. Smith, Emma Michaels, Faith Marlow, Nina Stevens , Wayne Carey, Zoe Adams, MJ Baerman, Eada Janes, Andrea Staum, Deborah Dalton, SJ Davis, and Cecilia Clark.

    Includes The Amplified, The Dissenters, and The Restrainers.

    Constantly bullied by Aiko, he eventually takes refuge with the village priest in the Kadek Temple where he studies medicinal and culinary arts, calligraphy, and ultimately, the art of Ki sword. Under the tutelage of the priest he comes to know the grim truth about his father, and is prepared to face the horrific assault of the armies of the Atlantean Empire upon his humble world.And this is just the beginning . . .

    A dark ritual turns a woman obsessed with supernatural powers against the people who love her most. A possessed TV proves that old B-Movie monsters can still terrify an unsuspecting audience…Scare Street’s roster of authors brings you eleven new tales of supernatural horror, in one blood-chilling volume. This macabre collection of short stories is guaranteed to get your pulse racing, and send shivers down your spine.Each deliciously dark tale will haunt your dreams, and keep you reading long past the witching hour. But wait…What was that noise? Did something move in the shadows?Just keep telling yourself… it’s only a story.

    In this strange place, only a select few people ever leave the city limits and even then, they leave reluctantly. This is what fifteen and a half year old Benjamin Granault faces as, through a string of amazing events, he finds himself living in a town where he can never talk about modern technology or current events, a place where being an outsider can cost a person his life and being part of the community may very well cost more. Follow the adventures of Benjamin Granault in ‘50sVille, the strangest town Indiana has ever been unaware of.

    Yet when she gets the opportunity to see her betrothed once more, she cannot possibly resist the chance for one last kiss.*This is a short story with an extended preview of the full length novel JACK- A GRIM REAPER ROMANCE.**Some scenes in the preview for JACK are not suitable for those under 18 years of age.*