Content: strongest start five

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Tizzy Donovan, widow, single mother, daughter to the best baker in town, sister to the county sheriff, and local girl with a weird habit of talking to the dead, is ready to start a new life with Texas Ranger Ridge Cooper. But where is he?

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Formerly The Poppy Field. A tale of seduction.

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A misfit girl and her friends must ward off flesh-eating zombies after a meat-borne virus invades her father's divy burger joint.

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When Mason Ward's father walks back into his life, a series of actions are set into motion which change Mason forever. Deception, betrayal and a chase across Europe - who's the real prize?

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In the spring of 2011, a young woman is abducted in the Trinity Mountains of Northern California. Three months later, she walked out of the wilderness, claiming to be a messenger of God.

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After a hiatus of two novels, I'm bringing back my old protagonist, Jack Lansing. Jack has shucked his medical career completely now and become a full-time writer after the success of his first two novels. After meeting a man he knew back in his surgical residency days, murders begin popping up in and around his peaceful beach town. And amazingly, they point to him as the killer. Jack must convince the police and the FBI of his innocence, while he attempts to unearth the mystery himself - because, he realizes, he and his wife could be the next victims.

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Hi Folks, A quick note: I am on sabbatical from TNBW for personal reasons. I'm leaving this up because it won the contest and I thought some people might be interested in reading it. If you do read it, you have my thanks. If you want to leave a review, even more thanks. I will reciprocate when I can, but it may be a little while. All the best, Q

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The free world industrial revolution is endangered by the earth’s fast consumption of rare earth elements. Professor Avner Amram’s scientists develop a sophisticated spectroscopic instrument that can remotely detect the presence of critical rare earth elements in outer space. CIA, KGB and Mossad agents are entangled in spying and counter intelligence while searching for stolen plans and technology secrets related to space missions. Drawings and software are stolen from the Jet Propulsion Laboratories, copied and sent to the Kremlin. A mole recruited by a foreign country is arrested. Avner and his associates are drawn into the mayhem. They encounter industrial espionage and intrigues as they prepare for unmanned space probes. Secrets leaked to Russia result in a race of unmanned probes to Mars and asteroids. Avner’s team reaches a resolution with unexpected conclusions.

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When 13-year-old Jamie's cousins from Los Angeles arrive at her family's ranch, she finds out how much they've changed since their last visit. For Jamie, acting like a traditional teen-aged girl is already difficult, but now it's 1965, and her 15-year-old cousin Gwen is far ahead of her with the latest fashions and music. Jamie's grandmother makes the cousins enroll in the local country schools, but keeps their reason for leaving Los Angeles a family secret. As Jamie goes to classes with her cousin Brandon, also 13 years old, it becomes increasingly difficult for her to keep the secret, especially when shaggy-haired Brandon attracts attention from the girls in Jamie's school. Feedback: Period details from 1965, contrasts between rural and city characters, conflicts between siblings, conflicts between adults and teens

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Deception and corruption shadow April Chastain as she returns to her hometown, Magnolia Blossom, Mississippi, as a starry-eyed young reporter to work for Russell Dalton, a man she idolizes. Having survived being shot when she was six when both her parents were murdered April comes home, and clues regarding her parents’ murder and murderers who have never been apprehend trickle to light. April finds herself caught up in a web of romance, mystery, and danger. Both she and Russell realize quickly that if they can survive the truth, a lifetime together stares them in the face. Any and all feedback welcome: characterization, plotting, pace, dialogue, readability.

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Do you believe in fairy tales? Ana McShay hasn't since she was a child. That is until she finds herself trapped in a realm of fairy tale reality and must find a way back home to Ireland and her sick child.

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Buddy Cullen, a rising young professor of journalism in Cleveland, Ohio in 1995, uncovers a bizarre secret. A demon curses the Cleveland Indians – and Buddy’s recently deceased grandfather captured the wicked spirit in several photos. Buddy enlists Erika, one of his students, to help root out the truth. They discover an entity far more sinister and powerful than they had imagined.

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The EGO OF COOL is a hardboiled screen story styled thriller set 45 minutes into a future manipulated by deception, desperation, and despair. THE COP: Officer Vickey Worthey works 4 the nearly unstoppable Gov-Corp monstrosity called the Truth Maintenance System. The last Work Order went bad, real bad. It got her killed, a cloned heart, and an E-ticket ride to the Twilight Zone. THE CRIMINAL: Juan Sanchez, 4 days out of prison and with debts to pay, immediately joins a mercenary gig directed by a mildly insane Colonel McLove. Juan wants 2 change, but he is El Alacranro, a scorpion hunter, a killer of killers, and can never change. THE CASUALTY: Switch is the Biological flesh around “the Wire,” a piece of Outlaw Technology fetal graphed to brainstem. The memory is fuzzy, but the bruises testify 2 violence as she hits reality hard, prison cell top bunk as a Blank, no file, no record, and no past, except a conviction of Murder.

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After achieving everything in her life that she has set out to do Alexandra is left feeling empty and uninspired. A crumbling marriage and a baby complicate things as she nears her thirtieth birthday and the prospect of an unfulfilled life.

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After her husband of 16 years left just before harvest time, Liz Bergen had to find a way to get her 13 acres of grapes picked and made wine. Once that task was accomplished she had to get the wine into bottles, labeled and sold in order to keep her farm and feed her two young children and she had no idea how to accomplish the daunting tasks. Plus, adding to the stress was the pressures of paying her ex husband his share of the land. Where was the money going to come from? After another sleepless night Liz concocted a plan and set out on a journey that would change her life forever. Along with Bobbi, the young mother who had come to the farm to get away from her twin toddlers a few hours a week for the sake of sanity, Liz stood at school bus stops and knocked on neighbors’ doors asking local women for help. Without any knowledge of winemaking they came. With clippers in hand, snipping clumps of grapes, they each began a new journey. The vineyard seeped into their blood.Through all the jobs, through each season, one where Liz almost lost an arm in the press and another using women's lingerie in place of oak barrels they built an award winning winery, the first in Pennsylvania with a woman as sole proprietor and a woman winemaker. Flourish is fiction based on a true life story and a real working winery. I want feedback on everything! Do the characters capture you? Do you want to read on? Is it "agent ready?" Can you see the vineyard, smell the grapes, hear the voices?

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In 2157 sentient non humans fight for emancipation.

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This is the beginning of a modern love story, set in Qatar, a small country in the Middle East and the male protagonist is trying to escape the family pressure to get married. I'd like to know if the story is engaging and if the characters are interesting.

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Sex, lies, and standardized test fraud at an upscale suburban private school – as seen through the eyes of a “fish out of water” divorced working class mom, whose 12-year-old genius son has been recruited by the headmaster for nefarious purposes.

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What if your worst nightmare turns out to be a beautiful dream? 'A woman in a long, grey dress stopped me as I strolled beside the River Miljacka in the centre of Sarajevo. There was a hole the size of a clenched fist in her chest.' A young journalist from Sarajevo is reluctant witness to history in the making. Only a great love can bring her from war despair to a land of plenty - from Sarajevo to Singapore. Based on true events, 'Sarajevo Walls of Fate' is a fictionalized account of a long journey from war to peace until the mystery is solved and the silent screams stopped. Will a long lost child find his roots and peace?

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Is this a good start or not. What jars?

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A both thrilling and chilling view of the world after "infection" through the eyes of everyday people. Would love any feedback at all, I hope you enjoy it.

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When young Sarah Whitlock started her new life after college she soon met the man of her dreams. After a suspected confession by Carl they continued dating and soon married. The morning after their first night together a terrifying event happened that changed her life forever. She spent many years of her life searching for her one true love only to find him and other lost souls of her past in a bizarre coincidence. Soon danger will come to them all and Sarah must wonder if she should have never begun her search. It is impossible to comprehend my storyline by the first three chapters. It is much more intriguing as it continues and some readers will cheer as familiar characters begin to emerge. I need help with commas - where to put them and where I shouldn't, redundancy, content.

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The lives of two boys intersect in the year 2169 where the Interplanetary Championship in the game of OrbWars could mean disappointing ruin for one and galactic glory for the other.

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In 2169 the game of OrbWars is the galaxy’s favorite pass time. Professional league and school team play fill the airwaves. OrbWars came about as a result of an actual war, fought over decades on various planets and moons in our galaxy. The fight was for control of a resource in the form of orbs more precious than gold.

Toby is one of two protagonists. He’s a twelve-year-old boy raised in a loving family with every advantage. However, he’s feeling pressure from his coach and father to lead his school to victory in the Interplanetary Championship. Although he’s privileged and attends the prestigious Lodestar Academy on Mars, he struggles to make friends and has teammates who are constantly hounding him about his playing ability.

Chance, also a twelve-year-old boy, is the second protagonist, an orphan from the moon Titan. He has a guardian named Don Caliban and is living on Uranus. Chance attends the lousy Wahoo International Star School. Lacking a family and many close friends, he desires to be the best pathfinder he can.

Both boys earn the position of pathfinder on their OrbWars team and end up facing off against each other in the Interplanetary Championship. Winning for Toby means making friends at school, as well helping his father and coach relive their glory days. For Chance, winning would mean validation as an athlete plus a scholarship to Lodestar Academy. Days before the Interplanetary Championship, Chances guardian turns his world upside down by revealing he is not an orphan at all.

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Cordelia Baxter will be eighteen forever. She was savagely murdered in her bedroom twenty years ago and has been in spiritual limbo ever since her parents moved out and left the house abandoned after her funeral. Everything changes when a new family buys the house and Julian Cahill moves into the room where she died. Cordelia soon learns that there are worse things than being dead: Falling in love with someone who is alive.

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In the land of sun, surf, and celebrity, someone is murdering Catholic priests, and the lives of three of Southern California’s citizens have become hopelessly intertwined. Dizzy, a homeless ex-Marine wanted for desertion, has been running for years. Haunted by his memories of Iraq and the girl he had failed to save there, he has run from the military and toward the solace only the bottle can bring. Now, after a jogger finds him standing next to the body of a butchered priest, Dizzy is running from the law. Detective Patrick McConnell is an honest homicide cop in a corrupt division. He knows Dizzy from the streets, and despite the fact that all the evidence points to him as the killer, McConnell believes the homeless man is innocent. Hindered by the shady cops in his division, he races against time to clear Dizzy’s name and learn the true identity of the killer before he can strike again. Father Peter Sewell has recently been recently released from a mental hospital, where the state had sent him after the priest claimed that the Virgin Mary had ordered him to commit a sexual assault. Now living under the name Kelly Cochran, he will, through Her divine guidance, mete out justice against those who have defrocked him. Psychological crime thriller FOR THE BLESSED VIRGIN is 94,000 words.

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The days are gone when the morning alarms were the gun shots. But the world War 2 Veteran opens his mind and goes back in time. They say all is fair in Love and War. But he learns that love is only fare thing the GOD has created in this world. Feedback: All kind of feedbacks are welcomed

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Thanks in advance for reading ... I'm looking for feedback on my character development and momentum within the opening chapters. I want to keep things interesting, but I also want to slow things down and focus on each character. Do the chapters work? Or is it all just a big yawn? Thank you.

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The free city of Anderholm prospered at the crossroads of kingdoms, its gates open and its citizens engrossed in wickedness and scandal. Two scholars have come to change its fate. One seeks an ancient treasure, while the other longs to bring back the Age of Magic. Between them stands Shadyia, a pawn in their game who becomes the key to their ambitions. For men, she is an insatiable seductress. For women, an envied rival. For one, a loyal friend. Passionate and cunning, she is Shadyia, a Sister of the Silver Rose. A whore with pride.

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A traumatic event at the age of twelve sends Lia Copeland, the leading light in this dark tale, to a dismal, gloomy place. Yet Lia isn't totally aware of this. Her brain has erased the incident from memory, leaving her to constantly wonder about the abiding pain lodged in her chest and her tendency to fear the new or unknown. Well-meaning parents, in an effort to protect her, conspire to keep her in the dark. It is her friends who become her unwitting champions. Through their lives-and the trials they endure-she's able to gather the courage to move on with her own life.

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Lindsey Lohan has had three rehab admissions, but the Steinmetz family is praying that Matt's admission to Goldmont, a psychiatric/substance abuse facility, will be his first and last. Matt, a student at a prestigious school in Florida, is addicted to Adderall, a drug prescribed for his Attention Deficit Disorder. His admission is fraught with mishaps as medical personnel procrastinate beyond his family's wildest dreams. To what lengths will his parents go to help Matt control his addiction? Josh Steinmetz leaves home to live in a hotel near Matt's college for three months. Mom, Becky, learns to deal with medical insurers and college student disability services, as an alphabet soup litany of medical and educational laws bar parents from acquiring information from colleges and medical facilities without student consent. The prevalence of Adderall on our college campuses and its use and abuse by students with and without ADD makes this story an unfortunate, but timely topic. While the characters and names of facilities are fictional, the story is based on true life events. I am seeking any and all feedback regarding the quality of my writing to how to get published.

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This is the emerging story of a unique girl whose life has led her down a strange path. Amanda is a vet whose specialty in exotic animals spreads from her easy communication with them and lack of patience with humans. As the story unfolds, we discover why she was socially isolated as she grew up, and what she is capable of. I am looking for any feedback on this story. All constructive criticism is welcome (I am the queen of typos!)

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I've posted these chapters before. Since then I've scrubbed them as best I can. They are now posted for the strongest start thingy. Any suggestions for improvement are welcome.

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Looking for constructive criticism:) Karen Phillips’ life is heading in a direction she has finally chosen for herself – a direction far away from her now estranged father. But one phone call and an unfortunate sense of obligation, forces her to put everything on hold. Her father, Stanley, president of the one and only bank in the small Missouri town she grew up in, high functioning alcoholic, notorious dirty joke teller and main source of Karen’s growing mental health bill, needs her. Reluctantly, Karen sets off to care for her father who now lays in a coma after an accident at a cocktail party. With the support of her roommate, Sarah, a newly outed transgender person with a strong maternal instinct and a Margaret Thatcher sense of fashion, she slips back into the role of the daughter of a drunkard. Karen arrives at the hospital of her old hometown to find that Stanley’s situation is dire. She is forced to make the difficult decision to have him taken off life support. He dies shortly after. With an awkward goodbye to a father she really never knew, she is left feeling numb. Determined to get things in order as soon as possible, Karen begins the task of organizing Stanley’s belongings. But the arrival of Stanley’s overbearing sister, Janet, complicates matters when she tries to convince her that Stanley’s accident was not accidental. Karen decides to investigate, managing to upset most, if not all, of the locals. A brief but torrid affair with a townie, a harrowing escape from an attempted break-in at a trailer park and a narrow miss from being killed by angry drug dealers follow, leaving Karen wondering what she has gotten her self into since Losing Stanley.

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I HAVE REVISED THESE CHAPTERS, SO IF YOU HAVE READ BEFORE, PLEASE CHECK OUT AGAIN...OR READ FOR THE FIRST TIME! THANKS 10/29/11 A tale of four Mystics born at the same precise moment in time. Namaste was created from the mating of a Nompaier Royal, and a Mystic healer. Quinn, Claddagh and MacDara were created by the Mystic gods to protect Namaste and keep her from fulfilling the Nompaier prophecy. These four lives exist on the moon planet of Agro in the village of Shee. As they mature, various powers become evident to the Mt.Kilkenny clan of Mystics. The species that intertwine with these four are the Nompaier, the legendary Vampire and of course, we Humans. The planet of Zellastar in the year 2255, still in the colonization mode unwittingly welcomes the colony of Vampire from planet Earth. These creatures, led by the noble Count Nikola Agoston, arrive without fanfare in the dark of night. They lay claim to the dense woods beyond the village of Kilashandra. The Nompaier exist on the planet Sollemara. Their surroundings are reminiscent of medieval times with large and small castles on green rolling hills, horse drawn carriages carrying elegantly clothed men and women. I do hope you will take the time to read these few chapters and comment. Your opinion is very important to me. Thank you Namaste C.J.Cullen

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The King-is-Dead is an historical novel. The events in Judea prior to the arrival of the Romans are rooted in the struggle between Queen Salome Alexandra and her brother Shimon Ben Shetach on one side and King Alexander Yannay on the other. The events in 1980 center on the search by archaeology professor Avner Amram for information on the Queen and her success in saving the Sanhedrin. These two periods are described in an entertwined way. It starts in 112 BCE with eight year old Shimon Ben Shetach encountering three horsemen. When he returns a lost money pouch, he is rewarded with a gold bracelet which he gives to his sister Salome. In 1980, Archaeology Professor Avner Amram examines a parchment and a few coins minted by the Hashmonean King Alexander Yannay. I am interested in any comments - gramatical, sentence structure and any historical information of that era.

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Under contract with Iconic Publishing! Expected release date 2013.

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In the semi-small town of Cedar Creek, some people don’t care to lock their doors, even though the woods hold secrets and the children are terrified to venture into them. The warm sense of security is shattered for Majesty Alistair, a feisty but grief-stricken teen, when she uncovers a mass murder plot deep in the thick. She struggles to find and defeat the would-be-killers before they act, but they have an agenda far bigger than she ever assumed. Violence rocks the town, leaving residents reeling and drawing Majesty into the middle of it all. With danger always pressing, police seemingly getting nowhere and those closest to her looking guilty, she continues hunting and charges into an evil web, but the truth and her actions threaten to haunt her forever, especially since she’s left with blood on her hands, the blood of someone she loves.

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Joan Middleton lives for her son and grandchildren to the point that she has little life of her own. She feels responsible for them and works with the universe to protect them. But nothing is powerful enough to save them from a terrible and bizarre accident which leaves Joan wracked with guilt. Her only reason to carry on living is to look after nine-year-old Dusty, the only survivor of the disaster, and especially to keep the child's stepmother, Stella, from having sole control over her welfare. The style of this book is literary comedy (I didn't know whether to place it in 'humour' or 'literary ficiton')and the humour is wry and sometimes full of pathos. The spelling is UK English and I welcome any feedback as I know there is much expertise on this site. Thanking you in advance, Keen

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Fringe Benefits is the story of a successful executive who enters the strange new world of ‘at home motherhood’ after the abrupt loss of her job. As a new writer, I'd love any type of feedback.

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<<<< I'm quite happy for people to dip in and out at random chapters. Please don't feel the need to wade in at the beginning and plough through methodically. This is written for YA in the 15-20 age bracket.>>>> What if 'losing your mind' wasn't just an expression? After Mark disappeared, seventeen year old Louise's world fell apart. When she first meets Jack she has no idea that her brother is still alive and that she can help to get him back. As she enters Jack's world she becomes immersed in danger, but desperate to bring Mark home she fights her fears and the terrifying reality which Jack shows her. Jack thought he was prepared for everything - life has shown him too much - but he wasn't prepared for Louise. All open & honest feedback welcome please :o)

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Twelve women are dead! Now, a thirteenth is missing as an unpredictable serial killer stalks the usually small, peaceful town of Eau Bouease, Louisiana, in Lucky Thirteen, a suspense packed thriller coupled with a twist on the impact of love other than romantic love. From a small town in Mississippi, Larkin Sloan is a dedicated teacher who finds herself in a struggle for her life against a sadistic serial killer bent on ritualistic sacrifice. When she awakes chained to a bed by a mysterious man, Larkin realizes she is the thirteenth intended victim in a string of brutal slayings. As Larkin works to convince her captor to set her free, Detective Raiford “Ray��? Reynolds investigates twelve horrific murders. He becomes obsessed with finding the thirteenth victim before she becomes another statistic. Along with his partner, Special Agent Christine Milovich, he investigates the thirteenth disappearance of a woman who seems to have nothing in common with the other twelve victims and discovers the impact of love from a source he never knew existed. Captive, captor, and law enforcement join forces to defeat a sinister killer in a rollercoaster of intrigue, deception, and tumultuous relationships. Lucky Thirteen will keep readers on the edge of their seats anticipating the next turn of events. Feedback desired--whatever you think needs to be said. Strength of topic, dialogue, character development, etc.

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The title may change. It's just the first things that jumped to mind. Looking for the usual, nits, plot holes, anything confusing. Thanks

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I welcome all critiques. This is my umpteenth rewrite, and I want it to be the next to last, with your help. Thanks for your time. MATCHLESS, set in Colorado 1880, is based on the real life of old prospector, Horace Tabor, who makes the biggest silver strike in history and becomes wildly rich. He buys hundreds of mines and businesses and catapults his career from mayor to governor to US senator. But, Tabor divorces his pioneer wife, and marries Baby Doe, a dazzling Irish beauty half his age, in Washington with the president in attendance. The uproarious scandal ruins his reputation and career. Even though society shuns the Tabors, they build Denver a monumental Tabor Grand Opera House and bring Broadway theater to the West, entertaining Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt, Lily Langtry, and Buffalo Bill. But in 1893, they face the Silver Crash, and the Tabor’s empire crumbles. The Tabor’s are penniless. They have one hope left; the Matchless Mine.

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They tried to kill me. I was only protecting my wife's good name. I was insanely mad with jealousy. Now I can only smell and hear the world around me. I was a good man before this happened... why me? Why did this have to happen to me? Think you have bad neighbors? Wait until you meet Robert Rubio's. No zombies, no vampires, no supernatural events... only a very wicked human monster who will go to the extremes to achieve resolution for his perverted idea of love.  ÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷

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NEW TITLE!! (Formerly "Otherwise Engaged.") Thank you to all who helped me to edit my NANOWRIMO 2010 novel, which I have spent the last few months editing. I've posted it as a *new* work here in case you'd like to compare the old version with the new. ALL comments and nit-picks are GREATLY appreciated! This one's headed for publication if it's the last thing I do, so please help me tidy it up if you can. Thank you!

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Evan Barrett is a trader at Beckman, White & Forester, a stockbrokerage suspected of money laundering on behalf of a Mexican drug cartel. FBI agents coerce Barrett into uncovering evidence to build their case or face charges on an unrelated illegal trading scheme.

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SHADOW WOLF SERIES: Remembrance (Cameron&Sophia), The Three Kingdoms (Aedan&Kathleen-no longer Bianca), Cursed (Ian&Kirrah). BOOK 1: Remembrance: Sophia considers her life pretty much normal, that is until she befriends a gigantic wolf, who happens to push her down a waterfall. Technically, the fall wasn’t so bad and she would have forgiven her four legged friend, but when she emerges from the water, she finds herself several hundred years in the past, in Scotland of all places, abandoned by the wolf. Lucky for her, she is rescued by a handsome Scotsman, or so the arrogant lout says. Really, what’s wrong with the man? One minute he drives her mad with his kisses, the next he accuses her of being a witch. Cameron’s nights are plagued by dreams of a spirit, begging him to remember something long forgotten, and his days are tormented by a lovely stranger, who very well could be a spy from the enemy clan. What is a laird to do? Keeping the lass will only anger his mistress and cause him great distraction at the time of war, but the thought of sending her away leaves him barren. When Sophia saves his life, he learns that maybe there is more to life than empty passion and the sound of clashing steel.

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When arts and entertainment reporter Annie Zwick is threatened with becoming a headline instead of writing one, she's presented with some impossible choices. Write the story that could finally make her career, or risk losing Liam, the love of her life. Complicating matters is that Liam is her story. Tapped to write a human interest piece for the Arizona Sun, Annie must penetrate the ragtag band of immigrants protecting him. But Liam has other ideas. Charismatic and irresistible, she finds herself falling for him. That isn't all she finds. A guarded past, an aversion to the press, and an idyllic home in Dublin that sits empty. It's only when Annie makes her way to Ireland that she gets her answers. But she also discovers the consequences of becoming part of her own story.

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Regardless of the outcome of the Stronest Start competition, I'm seeking feedback as to the aspects of my writing and the ability to hook the reader to want to read the next chapter. I'll tell you right now, the killer is NOT who you think it will be from reading the early chapters!

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Under contract with Iconic Publishing! Expected release 2012.

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Entry for Strongest Start. This is an expansion of an earlier short story. Looking for any suggestions to improve characterization, flow, plot, description, etc. SciFi is not my main genre for writing so fire at will, lol. Thanks. PS: For any who have read any of the story previously, I have changed the character name of "Master Kremlin" to "Klyugin" and given him a first name also, "Kirill". Hope it's not too confusing.

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This started out as a few short stories. I'm now trying to weave them into a cohesive novel. The first three chapters introduce characters and settings from a frozen wasteland to an errant pirate ship. I've re-worked it a bit with the help of some reviews and this is the second draft. I'd appreciate any thought you have. Thank you.

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This book tells the stories of three amazing women who lived in northern California in the early 1900s. Ellen VanValkenburgh was a suffragette who inspired Susan B. Anthony enough to be used as an example in the more famous woman's speeches of 1872. Her granddaughter, Eva VanValkenburgh, was one of the first women to own a photography business in California. Her early images of Inverness are prized today. Eva's aunt Emily Williams was a reknowned architect. Together with her life partner, coppersmith Lillian Palmer, they built homes in three counties. I APOLOGIZE TO READERS WHO ARE IN THE MIDDLE! I REARRANGED THE CHAPTERS SO THAT THEY ARE IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER SO THAT ALL OF ELLEN'S STORY COMES FIRST. DOES THIS WORK BETTER? ONCE YOU FIND YOUR SPOT, THAT IS?

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This is a thriller set in the near future. Night Killer is the second in a three-book "Killer" series. This chapter describes the strange mental illness suffered by a United States Senator and the resulting suicide.

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In the mid-nineteen-fifties, the narrator, James Cresscourt, is a big, handsome, virile private eye aged 32 waiting in his seventh-floor office to be gainfully employed when the gorgeous Cynthia walks in to engage his services. With the initial meeting, Cynthia is more than content and James is more than agreeably aroused. They agree to meet again to "sign a contract" that evening. Before that evening assignation, the private eye runs into a body - very dead - in the foyer of his office building. Cynthia could have something to do with it, though what James does not know. That evening,in May of 1958, with passports, airline tickets and the rest all ready, the eager private eye commits himself to travel the world starting the next morning as Cynthia's husband, but with certain limitations on his husbandly role - and rights. The story can only get more fascinating from here on - or at least the writer hopes so. Any considered or wild, off-the-cuff comments of any kind are welcome, whether favourable or not.

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In the year 1749 Nadir Shah of Persia invaded Delhi and defeated the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Nadir Shah took the famous diamond, Koh-hi-noor and the fabled Peacock Throne back to Tehran in Persia. But he also took an untold wealth of diamonds, rubies, emeralds and gold in three bronze chests that never made it to Persia. Somewhere in a cave in the hills of Afghanistan lies a fortune waiting to be found. The key to the treasure is a calfskin map. In present day Istanbul, Ralph Beaumont and Laura Connelley are on vacation. They rescue an Arab with multiple stab wounds who has sought sanctuary in a mosque. Ralph says, "Instead of being 'water boarded' he must have been 'knife boarded' by the Turkish mafia." The man mumbles something about being on an archeological search with an English professor. What did they find?

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This is a very rough, very raw, still evolving work in progress. The characters are communicating effectively in my mind, I just hope to translate their interactions effectively onto paper. ***** Chandler Jones and Dino DiGallo open a cafe at the ripe age of 22 years of age. Their similarities are many, having been best friends for the past 17 years, but their ideas and motivations for success develop different paths, opening a gap between them. Cappuccinos, lesbians, multinational wannabe gangsters and a murder investigation follow, adding chaos to deteriorating relationships, both personal and professional. How will it all end? Based loosely on my own experience, this is a departure from what I consider my 'typical' style / genre. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated - please be brutally honest about what you like / dislike and areas of improvement. Thanks. Allen

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Under contract with Iconic Publishing! Expected release, August 2012. See the book trailer on YouTube. Type in Kydd Dustyn...

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What happens when an American Hellion meets A half Scottish Devil? Nothing short of trouble…. Wild and free spirited Tiana Twain, American heiress, has no intention of letting any man rule her life, especially an Englishman. She plans on returning home to Virginia after the London season, claiming her inheritance and living happy without male dictation. Yet when danger follows her from the continent, she is thrown together with the irresistibly handsome Callum, Viscount Branton and sparks fly. Callum is in need of a proper English wife with nary a smudge on her reputation or he will lose his inheritance. He finds such a lady in Lady Amelia, whose cousin is an American hellion of the first order, and the only woman who stirs his roguish heart. Unknowingly, Tiana made a powerful enemy, one with secrets he would kill to protect. When Tiana is nearly abducted, Callum knows he would do anything to protect the willful heiress, even give her his name in marriage.

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Operation Sarnia is the first in a series of books covering the adventures of young Jeremy Brock. In this first book, readers will see how Jeremy enters in to S.O.E. (Special Operations Executive) service after his island of Guernsey is attacked by the Germans. He is tasked with the highly dangerous mission of infiltrating his own island - now occupied by the Nazi. I welcome any comments - most specifically those in dialogue.

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Harlie Steele is a single mother overcoming the emotional scars leftover from the violence of her abusive marriage. When this small town girl meets a rock icon, their whirlwind romance helps her regain her lost sense of self worth. Lex Callatori pulls her into his tempestuous life of paparazzi, tabloids, and bodyguards, sweeping her into a love so deep and sensual that she will never be the same. But all is not perfect in their new paradise. Determined to have the object of his desire all to himself, a stalker threatens to tear the couple's world apart, becoming more obsessed as their devotion to each other grows stronger. If his identity is not discovered in time, their very lives could be destroyed. (Romantic Suspense)

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Under contract with Iconic Publishing! Expected release 2014.

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Most of the dialogue is Civil War Southern dialect.

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Fifteen-year-old Cate is fuming at the sucky ‘we r ova’ text from her loser ex when everyone around her suddenly freezes. Breathing, but still like statues. As she picks her jaw up off the ground, three teenagers appear out of nowhere. The trio are suspicious of Cate but decide to ignore her. One hoists a bus over his head while another safeguards the future leader of the free world. Their words, not hers. The third one disarms a bomb planted under Cate’s bus. Then after decapitating someone from the crowd they vanish. To avoid appearing insane Cate says nothing... to anyone. The teens show up at her school. No one is frozen this time, but everyone at school acts like they've know these strangers for ever. It’s like they’ve always been there. What the hell? When she accidently brings a dead cheerleader back to life, Cate discovers this weirdness is because she’s going to be a Timesurfer. In fact, she’s like the chosen one for Team Evil, who use their magical powers to manipulate history. She’ll have to fight against the other Timesurfers who protect history. Like Austin. One killer smile from him and she was hooked. If she joins him she’ll be stripped of her ability to raise the dead and sent back to her vanilla life. Doing the right thing and getting the super hot guy should make her decision easy. However, creating zombies and being important bad-ass sounds well... awesome. When the ultimate bad-boy, Jonah, arrives he starts pressing all Cate’s buttons. Team Evil is looking way more tempting than Cate could ever have imagined. I've have reposted chpt 1 to 3 for the strongest start competition with all the edits so they tie onto the end. Tess xx

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Greg knows changes are coming. Samantha has no clue. Soon they will meet and together they'll discover that their fates need major re-work! This is a YA fantasy with romance elements.

Thank you for reading . . .

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Young adult urban fantasy. There's something unusual about Christian, the new guy at school. As Jordan gets to know him better, and learns the reason he moved to her small town in the first place, she discovers that he is from the mysterious Celtic shadowland and that the magic of his world has brought the two of them together for a reason. Thanks to everyone who took time to read this. Your comments have been invaluable. I am rewriting, so if you read this before I'd appreciate hearing what you think about the changes I've made. As always I appreciate all feedback.

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'Siege of Jericho', left Stilman Lind as President of the US, and into a steady uphill fight to rebuild the economy. He'd had a rough start in his unexpected tenure as President. This story picks up three years later - there had been an election, and Lance Phillips is the new President. Mister Lind - all too happy to be away from Washington - began structuring his new life as a private citizen. However, dramatic events will change those plans.

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After due consideration and research,I find that I am in the midst of writing a NOVELLETTE. Which according to my dictionary is usually between seven and ten thousand words long. Several reveiwers think the chapters are too short, and should be combined. They are probably right, I'm really a flash fiction writer and most comfortable when things move along at a good clip. I have written nearly ten thousand words in twelve chapters. A one thousand word chapter seems long to me. Thanks for bearing with me, Flo and Tucker. RLVS

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Feedback please! I respect the writers here, and I have thick skin. Every comment means so much to me! Thanks Justin

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PROLOGUE The limit of the universe may be compared to the confines of imagination, and reality is as changeable as an Indian summer. Think of the universe as an infinite medium for existence. Imagine our world as just one point in all of that vastness. A point of reference, a traveller may use for navigation on a journey of imponderable dimensions, bounded only by the limits of rational thought. Imagene is another lonely landmark: a place where magic is as remarkable as a card trick. A world not so unlike our own, boasting: thick forests; beautiful countryside; babbling brooks that offer the weary traveller cold, sweet refreshment. A place where animals of varied description and disposition are resplendent in their primal surroundings. Like so many worlds Imagene is burdened with a host of humanoid beings, cursed to fight amongst themselves, so often because of their differences, sometimes because of the very similarities between them. Imagene is a place of magic: having no technology and its destructive accompaniment. The power there is magic: to be drawn from the very ground itself. This power is greater for some and its demands upon the body and soul even greater. And when a great magic-user travels from one world to another; the outcome meant beasts of nightmare, creatures of myth and folklore would walk upon the virgin paths of an innocent world.

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Emily Eleanor Walcott grew up living between two sets of parents and did not feel safe or “at home” with either family. She’ll tell you it was like having parents who live in different foreign countries and speak strange languages she never understood. Emily is eight when her mother slips into alcoholic depression, neglects her daughters, and leaves. Her father marries Rosellen, but her violent son terrorizes Emily and her sister, Lucy. When Emily is ten she goes to live with her mother, but she is mentally imbalanced and unable to care for her daughter. All The Secret Things, also a heartwarming and humorous story, reveals Emily’s courage as she succeeds in school, leaves home for college, and falls in love. In 1955, unmarried and pregnant at eighteen, she causes a family scandal when she keeps her son instead of putting him up for adoption. Then she develops severe anemia, but her blood type is so rare she needs transfusions from a family member to save her life. During the search for her birth family, she discovers secrets about them that change her life and break her heart. My novel explores the complexities of family secrets and lies, and even murder. It reveals sibling cruelty and the painful differences that can separate daughters from mothers. It relates Emily’s healing journey as she discovers the power of faith and forgiveness and realizes that family bonds are not always formed by birth or blood—but by love.

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Emily has been missing school because her alcoholic mother doesn't come home to take care of Emily and her sister Lucy.

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Emily Eleanor Walcott grew up living between two sets of parents and did not feel safe or “at home” with either family. She’ll tell you it was like having parents who live in different foreign countries and speak strange languages she never understood. Emily is eight when her mother slips into alcoholic depression, neglects her daughters, and leaves. Her father marries Rosellen, but her violent son terrorizes Emily and her sister, Lucy. When Emily is ten she goes to live with her mother, but she is mentally imbalanced and unable to care for her daughter. All The Secret Things, also a heartwarming and humorous story, reveals Emily’s courage as she succeeds in school, leaves home for college, and falls in love. In 1955, unmarried and pregnant at eighteen, she causes a family scandal when she keeps her son instead of putting him up for adoption. Then she develops severe anemia, but her blood type is so rare she needs transfusions from a family member to save her life. During the search for her birth family, she discovers secrets about them that change her life and break her heart. My novel explores the complexities of family secrets and lies, and even murder. It reveals sibling cruelty and the painful differences that can separate daughters from mothers. It relates Emily’s healing journey as she discovers the power of faith and forgiveness and realizes that family bonds are not always formed by birth or blood—but by love.

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Just days ago, Madelyn Jacobs thought not getting into any of her top three colleges or snagging the guy who serenaded the summer stars were the biggest nightmares in her life. That was before being raped by her best friend’s boyfriend. That was before being put in a coma by the jealous bitch when she misinterpreted the scene. That was before trying to function after waking up all broken and torn, only to have a demon or something bust into her bedroom and tag her as The Keeper of some freakin’ list.



When the first person of ten dies in her presence, that’s way weird. The second time, it’s bloodcurdling. She can't avoid people, she tries. She can't run, she tries. An unseen hand always ushers her to the next demise, randomly shows her the list, in windows, in mirrors, on scraps of paper, even behind closed lids, and makes her feel more powerless than ever. And the sweet singer she loves now stands at number seven. As tattered as she is, can she find a way to break the curse before others die and the lover of her heart is gone forever?



*Strong language

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Atticus Wynn and Rosemary Sanchez's relationship was already strained by their cultural and political differences, but now Atticus's Ex, the enigmatic Claire Rousseau, has burst back into his life, trailing a wake of mayhem and murder, and wielding an explosive secret about Rosemary who has a tragic secret of her own . . .

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What’s playing on your iPod? For sixteen-year old Grayson Grainger, it’s his father’s voice from beyond the grave, guiding his son to avenge his death. Months after his death, Grayson finds his dad's iPod and a connection is restored. Acting on the lyrics, he straps on his dad's firefighter gear and stops a petty crime, outsmarts a pushy jock and wins the heart of altar girl Evelyn. Grayson's medicated mom also takes comfort in the clergy, in the arms of a promiscuous priest with a lust for grieving widows. When the evil priest's affections turn to abuse, Grayson turns into Super G and realizes that not only are the lyrics controlling his fate, they're connecting his father's death to the priest. In the end, Grayson must decide between acting on his dad's final foreboding wish or listen to his own voice and seize his own destiny.

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With the attack that almost cost her life, Brenna James finds herself in a world that she never expected. Hunted and afraid, she's in for the fight of her life.

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Darci Shelton gives herself just one year to make her new flower shop a success, but she must come to terms with the shop's resident ghost while struggling to put Petal Pushers in the black. This full-length book is broken into twelve chapters, one for each month, with stories about her customers woven in. Some chapters were longer than 5k so I had to post them as continuations. Darci's plant profiles at the end of each chapter contain things that will tie into the novel and give some extra info about some of the lesser characters. Plus I thought this would give the readers interested in flowers a little bonus. Any and all comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated. NOTE: The heart of this story is the same, but I just revised it to add the POV of the Ghost Lady. She promised to haunt me until I let the readers hear what she had to say, so I think you'll enjoy it.

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Chapter 1 of A Lazy Incompetent Life records the birth and pre-school life of the "hero" in Rosewood and Coolangatta/Kirra in south-east Queensland, Australia. It also records the political, economic and social environment which he knew - with increasing sensitivity - up to and including 1927. Later chapters recall the narrator's experiences in World War Two, in love and marriage, in career and in illness and health.

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ELECTRICITY CITY is a sequel to THE ANGELS (628pp, Book Surge, Dec. 2007). EC has been revised and thoroughly edited in May 2011. Inspector Richard Allard, acting director of the Surete du Quebec's organized crime squad, travels to Qingdao, China for a conference on the international operations of so-called biker gangs. Disfigured in one of what appear to be one of several coordinated assassinations in China and Canada, he recovers after a long set of surgeries. To protect his life, Allard's death is announced. When he actually disappears, the Chinese Public Security police seem privately unconcerned. They have problems of their own. There appears to be a internal coup d'etat in the planning stage that will return China to a purer political state. Somewhere near the Russian-Chinese border, a terrible revenge is being plotted by a mysterious figure who will not be denied one last chance to make his life count.

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This novella is about a woman coping with her sister's terminal illness. Her emotional journey if full of tender moments and occasional happiness, guaranteed to warm your heart. [There's a total of 14 chapters.]

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Dumped by his girlfriend and betrayed by his father, slacker Rudie Chikauski spins into a summer odyssey on the island of Nantucket where run-ins with freaky locals and a love affair with an older woman teach him to become the man he’s never had the courage to be - himself.

Rudie outsmarts a misguided carpenter and a salty Public Works supervisor to earn the painting contract at the island rest home. He also earns the love of Jule, the Home’s laundress, who has her own challenges to face including a distant husband, a fortieth birthday, and an illness she can’t fight alone.

With the help of three friends and the Home’s resident elders, Rudie matures with the summer coming face-to-face with rival painters, proud nudists, raging bonfires, serious crunchers (big waves), and potential death by crucifix. At summer’s end, he makes a decision that will complete his transformation and point the way to new beginnings.

Thanks for looking in!

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Lisa Kaamp operates a small childcare business out of her home in the sleepy little town of Nogeksum, Michigan. Highly respected and known for going the extra mile for her daycare kids, Lisa thought she had handled every daycare emergency possible. But nothing prepared her for the nightmare she now faced. Lisa awakes one morning to find herself bound and gagged, four strange men in her home, and the daycare children being held hostage in the next room. Terrorized by her captors as the authorities work to meet the ransom deadline, she tries negotiating with the men for the release of the children, and soon realizes that at least one of them has no intention of letting anyone go. With the deadline quickly approaching, Lisa must do the unimaginable to protect the children and get everyone out alive.

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THIS IS A SEQUEL. This is also raw, a work in progress. I'm taking a risk here, going out of my comfort zone by putting up something that's not yet finished. I’m hoping you’ll see some growth from me in this. Sapphire Reign takes place almost 10 years after Kings & Queens. I’d appreciate reviews from readers, who've read my first book, since they can (hopefully) see what I’m doing differently and if it’s working, but anyone is welcome to read this. However, since it is a sequel, spoilers abound. So only proceed if you have no intention of reading Book 1.

In a world where wickedness is exalted and even children know the sting of suffering, Majesty is trapped in anguish five months after her young daughter's death in a preschool gas explosion. When she receives a bizarre glimmer of hope that her little girl may still be alive, she fights heaven and hell to reclaim the happiness that's been stripped from her. But with so many enemies, maybe someone is determined to make Majesty pay. Or maybe her daughter really is gone forever.

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Modobenny has been twisting my arm. She has finally convinced me to begin the process of coalescing these stories into a novel format. Some of the chapters are simply cut and paste from the Short Story postings. Others are new. As always, have at it with suggestions. Lord knows, I wouldn't let any of you off the hook. Thanks again, to all who have helped me get even this far. I couldn't have done it without you. Scott

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