Publisher: Short Stories
Three tales of women being abducted by aliens that like to conduct inter-species breeding and birthing experiments! The first story involves puppies, the second a foal, and in the third, a human produces a little baby alien.
The first time Daisy Ellery killed a man with a pie, it was an accident. Now, it’s her calling. Daisy bakes sweet vengeance into her pastries, which she and her dog, Zoe, deliver to the men who’ve done dirty deeds to the town’s women. But if she can’t solve the one crime that’s not of her own baking, she’ll be out of the pie pan and into the oven. Parking her Pies Before Guys mobile bakery van outside the local diner, Daisy is informed by Frank, the crusty diner owner, that someone’s been prowling around the van—and not just to inhale the delectable aroma. Already on thin icing with Frank, she finds a letter on her door, threatening to reveal her unsavory secret sideline of pie à la murder. Blackmail? But who whipped up this half-baked plot to cut a slice out of Daisy’s business? Purple-haired campus do-gooder Melly? Noel, the tender—if flaky—farm boy? Or one of the abusive men who prefer their pie without a deadly scoop of payback? The upcoming statewide pie contest could be Daisy’s big chance to help wronged women everywhere…if she doesn’t meet a sticky end first. Because Daisy knows the blackmailer won’t stop until her business is in crumbles.Show book
"Life-Line" is a short story by American author Robert A. Heinlein. Published in the August 1939 edition of Astounding, it was Heinlein's first published short story.The protagonist, Professor Hugo Pinero, builds a machine that will predict how long a person will live. It does this by sending a signal along the world line of a person and detecting the echo from the far end. Professor Pinero's invention has a powerful impact on the life insurance industry, as well as on his own life.Show book
Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin was born on the 1st July, 1804, in Paris, France, to an unconventional family who were from different classes—her father being from noble lineage whilst her mother from rather more modest origins. Following her father’s early death, Sand was raised by her aristocratic grandmother at the family estate in Nohant, which she later inherited at 17. The house and surrounding countryside was a profound influence on her writing which often highlighted pastoral themes and the natural world, particularly in her later, possibly most critically, acclaimed novels. Sand’s life and writings were unconventional and very progressive. At the age of 18, she married Baron Casimir Dudevant, with whom she had two children. However, the marriage was unhappy, and Sand left in 1831, moving to Paris to pursue her literary ambitions. This point also marked her adoption of the pseudonym ‘George Sand’ to help her in the male dominated world of publishing. Her first major novel was ‘Indiana’ (1832). It was a critical success and there now followed a series of successful novels which established her as more famous and successful than Victor Hugo or Honoré de Balzac. Her writing, a blend of romance and realism, had an effortless spontaneity which neither sacrificed style or form and tackled the complexities of politics, society, and gender. Sand was a bohemian. She wore men's clothing, smoked cigars, and engaged in several high-profile romantic relationships including Prosper Mérimée and Frédéric Chopin. She was a staunch advocate for social justice, women's rights, and workers' welfare and championed democratic and socialist causes. As a Republican she supported the 1848 Revolution and was a member of the provisional government. Despite criticism for her lifestyle and feminist views she continued her literary career across novels, plays, essays, and memoirs. Her defiance of societal expectations and her commitment to social and gender equality continue to inspire readers and writers alike, cementing her place as a central figure in the history of French literature. George Sand died on 8th June,1876, at her childhood home in Nohant and was buried in the private graveyard there. She was 71.Show book
LOCAL POLICE SAY SHE’S A RUNAWAY. BUT YOU KNOW YOUR DAUGHTER, SHE WOULDN’T DO THAT. SHE MUST BE IN TROUBLE. DESPERATE. You frantically search for her. Asking strangers around town if they’ve seen her… your precious daughter. All you need is a glimmer of hope that she’s safe. When teenager Leanne Churcher stormed out from the family home after another clash with her mother, she went to stay with a friend. She’d left the family home under a cloud before; after a day or two she always came home. Always. She usually just needed some time to cool off. After all, teenagers can be like that. Right? When after a few days she didn’t return, and no trace of her can be found, the family begin to panic. The police assume she’s an angry teenager whose run away. Why wouldn’t they? There's no evidence to suggest foul play of any kind. Adam Churcher knows his daughter wouldn’t run away. He investigates her disappearance himself. After all, who can you turn to when the police won’t help? But when Adam starts to uncover the truth nobody believes him, not even his wife. Suddenly the focus is on him and he feels helpless and ill-equipped to handle the pressure. He needs a helping hand from retired Chief Inspector Hardy. Will Hardy take seriously what Adam has learned of Leanne's disappearance? DON’T GO HOME: a twisty and engrossing Chief Inspector Hardy story. Follow how one father’s self-belief and determination uncovered the truth surrounding his daughter’s disappearance.Show book
Get ready to be tantalized by "Playful Sexy Surprises," a sizzling collection of six spicy romance stories. Each story is a delicious adventure, where passion and unexpected encounters lead to unforgettable moments of desire and delight. In one captivating tale, a citywide blackout becomes the backdrop for a steamy meeting between two sapphic strangers, their chemistry igniting as the lights go out. Another story takes you on a journey with a young couple visiting a small town for a summer theatre performance, where the thrill of the show spills over into a passionate rendezvous in an empty parking lot. Under the blazing summer sun, two wives transform the mundane task of washing a dirty car into a tantalizing display of sudsy seduction. The collection also features playful escapades with candy, adding a sweet twist to a spicy interlude. From impromptu trysts to playful outdoor adventures, "Playful Sexy Surprises" offers a variety of fun and entertaining tales that will leave you breathless. Dive into this collection and let Giselle Renarde take you on a journey of love, lust, and delightful surprises.Show book
Vsevolod Mikhailovich Garshin was born on 14th February 1855 in what is now Dnipro in the Ukraine, but then part of the Russian Empire. After attending secondary school he studied at the Saint Petersburg Mining Institute. Wars between and on behalf of Empires were a regular feature of the decades then. Garshin volunteered to serve in the Russian army at the beginning of the Russo-Turkish War in 1877. He began as a private in the Balkans campaign and was wounded in action. By the end of the war, in 1878, he had been promoted to officer rank. By now Garshin, having previously published some articles and reviews in newspapers, wished to devote himself to a literary career. The decision made he resigned his army commission. His time as a soldier provided rich experiences for his early stories. His first ‘Four Days’ was related as the interior monologue of a wounded soldier left for dead on the battlefield for four days, face to face with the corpse of a Turkish soldier he had killed, gained him early admiration as an author of note. He wrote perhaps only 20 stories, but their influence was immense, although in these more modern times he is barely remembered and lives in the more prolific shadows of others. His characters are superbly worked into stories that come alive in the intensity and reality of his prose. Garshin’s most well-known story is ‘The Red Flower’, also known as ‘Scarlet Blossom’ and is easily amongst the first rank of stories dealing with mental health issues. Despite early literary success, he himself experienced periodical bouts of mental illness. In one such bout Garshin attempted to commit suicide by throwing himself down the stone stairs leading into his apartment building. Although not immediately fatal, Vsevolod Garshin died as a result of his injuries in a St Petersburg hospital on 5th April 1888. He was 33. In this war-set story a young man questions his own character and that of the tumultuous world around him.Show book
