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“God’s Songs” is a series of short stories using Rock and Roll’s Hall of Fame, Bob Seger song lyrics as a backdrop. When I first started writing the stories, they were strictly Seger songs. I published thirteen of the fifteen as short stories on TNBW. They came complete with song lyrics and using many of the exact words in the dialogue. If I wanted to consider publishing them in a compilation, two things needed to occur. First, without permission the lyrics needed to disappear. Second, the dialogue using the same words needed to change. This story as a novel accomplishes both. The last problem I encountered, several of the stories exceeded 5,000 words. Curse Sol’s name, but I understand limits, I just think there for other people. I’d never abuse the word limit, maybe once, twice or three times if it was necessary. Okay, I concede the need for word limits, but I don’t like the rule. With that said, several of the stories will run two chapters. When I finished “Even Now” the thirteenth one, God jumped into the story. I didn’t ask him to interrupt, plus at the time, I wasn’t sure I wanted him to disrupt my tribute to Bob Seger. Then, an old friend from high school contacted me. I haven’t talked to her in 36 years. The conversation was amazing as we shared views about God. My next story was “Roll Me Away” and I placed her as the main character, loosely following her life as she related it to me. She read it, loved the story, cried, contacted me, we talked some more, and I realized how deeply I cared for her in high school. On the level, a happily married man can, I still care for her. She inspired me and encouraged me to rewrite the stories. Only this time I wanted to place God in the main character’s life. She became my muse and was completely unaware this had happened. Then she contacted me again and asked me to change her name in the story. Her marriage isn’t as strong as my relationship with my wife, and she feared there would be a problem if her husband discovered whom the story was about. I’ll continue the ruse of using her fictitious name when I say it again, Ashley, I love you. Now, I feel better and no harm done. My wife knows what I mean with those words. With God in the stories, they went from decent to captivating. I can’t clarify why, other than to bestow credit to Him. Read the stories, you can start with any chapter. The name of the chapter tells you the song used to construct the plot. My goal is to present the compilation to a publishing house that specializes in inspirational stories. Ultimately, the plan is 45 songs in three volumes with God front and center. Constructive criticism of all types is welcome and appreciated.

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My first chapter (draft) of my sequel to The Tobermory Incident. All help extremely welcome especially my atrocious punctuation. Thanks. Slainte. Sandy.

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Synopsis - In Celia Reynolds eyes, life is perfect. She has a wonderful loving family including a sister that is her best friend. Her career is skyrocketing and she has more male admirers than she can keep up with. Then, her world is shattered when her sister Gabi takes her own life. As she questions her sister’s suicide and peels back the layers of her ideal life, she realizes that life is not perfect nor is it meant to be. Her journey of self discovery takes her from an elegant 20th floor apartment in New York City to Washington, DC and the Islands of South Carolina. Along the way she learns a family secret that forces her to see her self and her sister in a different light - all with help from some unlikely sources - an orangutan named Nikkee and a Voodoo Priestess named Mira. *** Requests - All I can ask for is honest feedback. Give it to me straight ; ).

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This is a saucy cautionary bon-mot, filled with women who love women, men who love men, and how they all managed to get along in late 1800’s London against the backdrop of the Oscar Wilde Trial. A story reminiscent of Dangerous Liaisons with characters who like to ‘stir the pot’ simply for their own amusement, and those who suffer for it.

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Chief Sam Jenkins began his cool and colorful October with two simple jobs: conduct background investigations on the Prospect City civilian employees working directly with the Police Department and get two of his cops promoted to sergeant. Then one of those civilians turned out not to exist and he met a beautiful Irish girl that caused him all kinds of grief. Would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions and of course, find my nits!

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Mother nature gets her way. What else can one do except enjoy? Spring fever is here.

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Satirical philosophical take on life from the perspective of a 44-year-old, cigar smoking, bourbon drinking, environmentally-conscious, corvette-driving, meat-eating, animal-loving, parent of one, from the wilds of Northwestern New Jersey. Looking for any feedback and general reaction to my first full length literary work. It is not necessary to read from the beginning due to the style, but it does help with some of the references and to get a feel for my overall mental state. Feel free to jump in wherever you like.

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Hi! I've completed an initial rough draft of this YA story. I'm looking for feedback on flow, consistency, believability and whether or not I'm depicting teenage life accurately.

Many thanks and please note that I reciprocate all reviews.

THE STORY

When 16-year old Grayson Black finds his murdered father's iPod in the garage, his troubled teenage life is suddenly filled with purpose. The tunes evoked by shuffle mode channel his dad's spirit and steer him towards his destiny as a superhero.

Meanwhile, under the cloak of Christianity, the villainous Father Billings exploits Grayson's Mom. Grayson also seeks comfort in the church in the form of Altar Girl Evelyn. As his love for Evelyn grows, secrets about Father Billings are revealed and Grayson, aka Super-G springs into action. In a twisted conclusion, the true heroes and villains aren't who they seem.

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I am hoping this is the final revision. I have made major changes, mostly toward the end of the story. I hope to have some old Callie fans stop by and let me know if they like the changes. I also wish to grab some new readers who will let me know what they think.

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A work in progress. I've been playing around with this idea for some time now, and have only recently begun writing it down. This novel deals with multiple issues in modern China - child kidnapping, corruption, politics, prostitution, censorship, widening income disparities, lack of social cohesion, amorality, the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution, the peasantry, migrant work-force - among other topics. Many of the experiences and settings presented in the novel are things/places that I've actually seen. I've been living in China for a couple years now, so I can assure you that it is authentic in many respects. The following chapters have been edited once after I received some amazing reviews. I still consider this novel in the draft stage, as such any and all feed-back is welcome. My apologies to the reviewers who helped my so much in my first postings. I added several chapters and had no choice but to delete my original postings and start all over again to avoid any confusion (for myself and others!). Cheers, Matty

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Feeling melancholy... back to normal :)

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Ed Laputan, a clinical trials project manager, awakens from a Cabernet-induced black-out to find an insistent Benjamin Franklin pounding outside his window. Franklin (almost) helps Ed and his family escape from a potential disaster and disappears. Hallucination? Delusion? When other apparitions offer Ed (not quite accurate) career advice, he suspects he may be schizophrenic. As Ed struggles with mental illness and his bumbling spirit guides, his co-workers start disappearing and his project begins to fail. Can Ed hold on to reality? Can he solve the mystery of the vanishing employees?

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This is the second part to From the Sea. These two stories are intended for C. Lee Brown's A Visitor to Sandahl. I'm interested in any thoughts you might have. however brutal. Thanks.

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(PLEASE NOTE in CHAP 1 I ADDED- Alexandra came to NY to shop for a wedding dress)CHAP 3 UPDATED 3-14; Stem Cell follows computer wiz Alexandra Vit. Blessed with extreme intelligence and, the genetic markings for longevity, Alexandra finds herself the target of pursuit and abduction. Relying on her keen analytical mind and a knowledge of science and technology, she uncovers the reason for her predicament, secrets of the misuse of government power, political cover-ups, the disappearance of her aunt, Alexandra, and about her own genetic gifts. Feedback desired: -Suspense. -character development -Dialogue Do you want to continue reading? Positive comments as to the strength of the piece But I truly appreciate negative comments, as they help improve my writing Thank you in advance Henry

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Life hasn't been kind to Janie. She's always wanted to just disappear, and up until now she's managed quite successfully. When Marcus, a popular boy in town shows an interest in her reality shifts and her past comes back intent on killing her.

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Dane Westwood is a spiritual warrior/vigilante. She possesses the ability to not only see beyond this reality into the world of spirit, but she can see entity attachments in the energy fields of those around her. Dane and her friend June are dispatched on a mission to save humanity by the mysterious Dark Angel. The Dark Angel guides the women and leads them to Costa Rica and a handsome and gifted healer named Gregorio Pappas. Although Gregorio can perform miracles, he is also tangled up in a plot that involves reducing the world’s population. Can Dane and June stop him, or is it Dane’s destiny to play an unwitting part in this devious plot?

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This is the fourth and final segment of my novel "White Swan" - the book has been broken up like this to emulate how the war starts, is fought, and is won - I apologize to those who experience difficulty with it, but th esecret is to read I, then II, then III, and IV. Aloha, and thanks for all your great help.

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Man of means Woman of wants

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This is a group of stories from my past. They are mostly tragic. I'm not really looking for feedback, just wanted to post them. They were written more for therapy than anything else.

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**TO MY CURRENT READERS: I've merged a bunch of the opening chapters, and cut down a lot of information to up the pacing.

**SUMMARY: Paige Dylan has Daddy issues, mainly because she has no idea who her father is. When her obsession with all things Mod (Vespas, trench-coats, go-go boots) leads her to a modernist house in Silver Lake, she meets two guys who inadvertently lead her to the answers she’s been searching for: Randy, a forty-two year old film editor, who looks like a rock-n-roll god, and Nathan, a high-school senior desperate to go to architecture school and escape the demands of his dysfunctional household.

"/>

** First draft is complete now we edit. Looking for big picture impressions, and, since this a character driven novel, whether you make a connection with Paige.

PLEASE BEGIN WITH CHAPTER ONE

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This is an addition to Lee's anthology "A Visitor to Sandahl". Still very rough, please point out places I can tighten up or describe more. It's a very mellow story, no earth-shattering disasters, or terrible cruelties, just a small decision that changes one man's life. Ann and Karen, hope you don't mind my liberties with your stories. Tell me if I got the details wrong.

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Being workshopped as a draft. THIS IS PART 2. PLEASE ONLY READ IF YOU'VE READ PART ONE. THIS story is about LOVE and desire. About moral relativity. i added to the sex scenes today. i hope they come across as i want them to -- sensual, not 'erotic'

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I'm in the mood for BAD poetry. This is what would happen if two menopausal TNBW members ran into each other at Wal-Mart. With apologies to their long-suffering daughters. Oh, and did I say BAD poetry? I meant STINK-UP-A-POETRY-READING poetry. This is truly dreadful!

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A Road of Blood and Slaughter

Follow Artemo, the Killer of Men and Horsa, the Man of Honour as they carve their path through a post-Atlantean world of swords and sorcery.

Also featuring: Zolyana, the Harlot of Sippar; Sargon, a most lethal doctor; Nestor, a sorcerous goldsmith; Sighere the song-singer; Melas, renegade and traitor; and a host of other formidable and memorable characters.

The stories so far:

1 - Blood Oath. Dark doings and double-cross in Sippar, City of Sin. 2036 KC (Kritian Calendar date).

2 - Free Companions. A younger Artemo tangles with a company of brutal mercenaries. 2026 KC.

3 - Killers of Men. Horsa, Artemo, and their part in the fall of Khepri of the Gleaming Spires to the sinister Vesh. Picks up from the events of Blood Oath. 2036 KC.

4 - The Ice Witch. A younger Horsa encounters an ancient horror beneath the icy lands of the far north. 2030 KC.

Currently being written:

5 - Desert. Artemo and Melas guard a caravan heading south from Palmyrene. Follows on from the events in Killers of Men. 2036 KC.

Forthcoming:

6 - The Daughters of Agasaya. Horsa and Lorengri adventure in the jungles of the far south. Takes place after the events described in Killers of Men. 2037 KC.

7 - Blood River. The younger Horsa and Artemo venture into the Hyperborean wastes. Set a few years after The Ice Witch. 2033 KC.

8 - The Nameless City. Artemo and Horsa discover one of the lost cities of the old Atlantean Empire. Set after The Daughters of Agasaya. 2038 KC.

9 - Macae. Artemo's part in the famous siege. Chronologically the first tale. 2022 KC.

10 - City of Sin. Artemo and Horsa go to work for Nestor in Sippar. Takes place immediately before the events described in Blood Oath. 2035 KC.

11 - Atlantis Risen. The Vesh make a new bid for empire. Takes place after the events described in The Nameless City. 2039 KC.

12 - A Hero's Death. The final tale. 2040 KC.

What the fans said:

'wonderful, twisted characters' - Rita Aguilar

'entertainingly ruthless' - Knighthawk

'vivid and disturbing' - Romi Moondi

'magnificent sensory adventures' - Ann Walters

'unredeeming and unrelenting depravity' - Alan Miles

'action, intrigue and lust, what more could a person want?' - C Lee Brown

'I'm surprised Zolyana didn't get raped' - Lou Lou S

'I am now feeling extremely queasy' - Payge Turner

'worthy of the most decadent robber barons' - Sumthinirote

'vivid, brutal' - L.L. Grace

'fraught with danger and conflict' - Crazee Sharon

'scares the crap out of me!' - Flowing Pencil

'compelling' - Unbar

'you sure know how to pen blood and guts' - Susan Stec

'honest brutality' - Rach Elle

'oh good God! Not the pole again!' - Modobenny

'horrifying ... I feel like passing out' - Sara Basrai

'I love it.' - Heidi Presswood

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This came while thinking about how often we allow attachment to the past to hold back our future...until we don't.

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Life- 3 1/2, is a true story surrounding the embezzlement of eleven million dollars. It tells the gritty tale of a young executive and how he inadvertently became involved with Boston gangsters, resulting in his efforts to stay alive and protect his family. It covers a ten year span of embezzlement, arson, FBI investigations, the judicial system and finally prison.

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The Torah, the Koran, and the Holy Scriptures are books of instructions given to the seeds of Abraham. They reveals momentary glimpses into the wisdom of God. The three religions are a unifying system of beliefs that springs from their divinely inspired pages and directs their followers toward an relationship with the same God. The commonality of this one God among the three religions should allow for the unification of their individual followers because the Torah, the Koran, and the Holy Scriptures directs them toward the same God. "IF THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD (JEWS, MUSLIMS, AND CHRISTIANS) WOULD STOP FIGHTING EACH OTHER, THE WORLD WOULD BE AT PEACE! OH GOD I PRAY LET THERE BE PEACE UPON YOUR HOUSEHOLD."

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{{This poem was co-written by Kerry Ughalu Egbeme of Nigeria and Reginald Levi Walker. I read his plea to spread the story of a massacre in Africa. After researching the story and rereading what he wrote, I penned this poem. Help spread the word. '"IF THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD (JEWS, MUSLIMS, AND CHRISTIANS) WOULD STOP FIGHTING EACH OTHER, THE WORLD WOULD BE AT PEACE! OH GOD I PRAY LET THERE BE PEACE UPON YOUR HOUSEHOLD."

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This is a story of a missionary family who goes to the Guatemalan highlands near the Mexican border to spread God's Word to the native indigenous Mam-speaking population. The family is befriended by a local drug lord. Immediately the temptations begin. By the time reality sets in, it is too late and they are trapped in luxury. This is literary fiction despite the young age of the narrator. He is telling the story from the future.

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Every day John L Porter sinks further into despair because of his obsessive lust for his sixteen-year-old niece, Cleo, abandoned as an infant to his care. He has reached the desperate point of provoking his own death so that Cleo will benefit from the proceeds of a life insurance policy. He plans to provoke Oriel Sanborne Wells, the preacher in John L’s church and the nightshift deputy sheriff in Blue Ruby, Virginia, to kill him. John L sees this as Cleo's only salvation from both himself and Wells.

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How life can change when you are cute.

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Flutist, Pamela Miller is enjoying a visit to the Iron Age Fort near Cardigan in Wales, when she is seriously assaulted by a stranger. When she is taken to the local hospital, she sees her assailant get out of a car nearby. Her friend Ariel is to meet her there and they are to fly home to Australia two days later for a concert tour. A new novel which I am feeling my way with. Wonder what this rough first chapter does for anyone?

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