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Two bodies in two days is too much. Postal worker Kimberly Walsh becomes a murder suspect when it turns out she had a motive to kill one of those men--and the police don't seem anxious to look for any other suspects.

Demonic elementals, vampires, krakens, werewolves, and other monsters aren't as mythical as many of us believe. They roam the English countryside, playing their games, fighting their wars, and claiming the souls of many humans. Although many deny their existance, the Church of England is not among the doubters. A special branch of the Church, headquartered at the College of St. Van Helsing, battles demons and attempts to save fallen humans before their souls are devoured. Author Vanessa Knipe spins us stories of the faculty and students of St. Van Helsing--of their successes and failures in this eternal battle.

Lawyer Erin Tsong knows how to put on her game face, intimidate an opposing witness, play tough, but there's such a thing as carrying intimidation too far. At least that's what the judge says when she grows snakes out of her head. And Erin finds herself without a job, without a boyfriend, and with the threat of her mother coming to take care of her. Unfortunately, what happens to Erin is not unique--all over America, people are being transformed--and Erin is caught up in the backlash. A human retrovirus has exposed long-suppressed DNA sequences, sequences that carry the genes for vampires, giants, shapeshifters, and even Gorgons. As the world struggles to deal with the consequences of the transformation, Erin finds herself caught in the middle. She's involved in a high-profile legal case, one aimed at classifying the transformed as violent criminals, but she's also threatened by a group of vampires who believe she's a traitor to the transformed community.

Matt Carnecero doesn't fit with his family of shape-shifting predators. For his 'protection' he's sent to the School for Advanced Fae studies. What neither he, nor his family, realize is that the school is far more dangerous than the outside world. With an angry mage, a failed mermaid, and a satyr who's ashamed of his talent as reluctant allies, Matt struggles to survive in a 'school' that's more prison than supportive, and where the most dangerous and deadly rise to the top.

In today's 'everything in a hurry' world of the Internet, there's a new appeal in short-form stories. Author Michael A. Kechula has uncovered a demand for ultra-short (100 word) stories called 'Drabbles.' Telling a complete story in exactly 100 words is a challenge, (in fact, just writing this review has consumed far more than 100 words), but Kechula is sharing his secrets. In a fact-filled self-study guide, author Michael A. Kechula demystifies the creation of the 100 word drabble. He starts at the beginning, with some tips and tricks on developing story ideas and writing an opening hook, continues to the twist, and then goes into detail on how to make every word count. I enjoyed Kechula's concept of a 'word bank, ' with each word being treasured, every word cut from one sentence being returned to the bank to be reused for maximum impact elsewhere in the story. Finally, Kechula takes us through a detailed analysis of one of his own prize-winning stories, explaining how the story evolved from concept through its initial incarnations and finally into the fully realized story, complete with a twist ending.

Nicole D'Angre doesn't expect much for her birthday but being dumped by her dominant husband, James, isn't even on the list. With no skills beyond those of a submissive, Nicole has to find a life of her own. A job at the worst fraternity in town sounds like a sure road to failure, but it's the only job Nicole can find. With the help of sexy librarian Brandon Tiel, Nicole vows to whip the fraternity into shape... and win back her husband's love. When James sabotages her efforts, though, she must chose between submitting to his will, or becoming a dominant herself.

They are A'tuu'shahn'i, the Rim's mercenaries of choice, ancient, enigmatic shape-shifters rumored to be organic machines, possibly from a different dimension altogether. Invincible, implacable, unstoppable-except to an even more ancient, equally implacable enemy from within. For the crew of the patrol ship Baidarka, finding A'tuu'shahn'i warriors on a routine rescue mission is a disaster. Having to work with them is even worse, especially as both human and A'tuu'shahn'i are only waiting for the betrayal they are certain will come too soon.

Monsters Everywhere! The Staff and Students of the Theological College of St. Van Helsing are run ragged keeping ordinary humans ignorant of the creatures that want to destroy civilization. And the creatures seduce black witches and sorcerers to join their side in the never-ending war. Tough luck if you want to help the College and you're not male or the right social background: too many who would be allies are driven to seeking magic from the enemies of the College. Author Vanessa Knipe continues her exploration of the St. Van Helsing universe with exciting fantasy that simultaneously looks deeply into the tortured minds of those who must fight evil... and often themselves.

The fate of the earth, according to his Tuatha masters, depends on Arrius Marcus Niger (Arri) and his legion defeating the enemy in battle. Arri has trained his men, built a powerful Roman-style legion, complete with engines of destruction and even a small cavalry, and is ready to battle, but what happens next? Have he and his legion been abandoned on a distant world. Given the way the Tuatha have played with his memories and his will, is it coincidence that nobody ever spoke to him about what after the battle, or that he never thought to ask? When he gets his first look at the "enemy," Arri and his legionaires have more questions. Clearly they're outnumbered--another lie. Clearly, too, their enemy was seen as disposable by their masters. Which brings up the question, is the battle really just butchery in preparation for hungry aliens to dine. Now that he's away from his Tuatha masters, now that the tampering of his brain has finally stopped, Arri realizes he has more to worry about than a single battle against human foes. His Tuatha masters provided him only a few weeks supply of food, how will his men survive after that. His Tuatha masters sent an all-male army. How will they react when they learn their "enemy" includes hundreds of women? The biggest worry, though, is that the battle was no secret and humans are a much-desired prey. Author J. E. Bruce continues the adventure she began with SNAKESTONE AND SWORD. Bruce really brings the Roman legion to life, with believable use of the weapons and tactics that once conquered our world and might now conquer Arri's new world. Of course, in our world, the Romans never faced flesh-eating aliens in space ships or modern weapons. Far more than a purely military adventure, however, HIDE AND SIDHE digs deep into the personality of a man who makes himself responsible for the survival of the human species on a new world.

Flash fiction consists of writing an entire story in a thousand words or less. This constraint imposes significant restrictions on what the writer can do, but written right, flash fiction tales can pack power way out of proportion to their length. The tricks and techniques needed to write effective flash fiction, though, are different from those used for novel-length, or even traditional short stories. Until now, these tricks and techniques had to be learned the hard way...through the path of rejection. Author and editor Michael A. Kechula has written and sold hundreds of genre flash fiction stories, edited a flash fiction magazine, and mentored many flash fiction writers on their path to publication. He's taken the insights he's gained through years of effort and the many thousands of flash fiction stories he's edited and judged, and distilled them into one volume: WRITING GENRE FLASH FICTION THE MINIMALIST WAY. In this self-study guide, Kechula takes the writer through the definition of flash and genre fiction, gives some useful starting points for coming up with story ideas, shows where the usual rules of fiction may need to be reversed (e.g., in flash fiction, we tell, not show), and provides powerful insight into making every word count...and into eliminating those words that don't pull their weight.

She just wanted to live quietly. The crumbling purple house, wedged into a little-known Dallas neighborhood, seems the perfect place for Gypsy Larabee to hide from her homicidal ex-boyfriend. But the house harbors dangerous secrets, and trying to find the missing homeowner-a psychic named Ruby--proves hazardous to Gypsy's health. It all starts when a neighbor mistakes Gypsy for Ruby. A few chance comments later, Gypsy has located a missing child, and soon she's dealing with a media frenzy, religious-zealot picketers, a violent gang member obsessed with the purple house-and one sexy, persistent reporter determined to uncover whatever Gypsy is hiding. Add to Gypsy's problems her control freak lawyer sister, Petal, who moves in after her husband locks her out of her Highland Park mansion, and the quietly obscure existence Gypsy dreamed of is in fragments.

Roman Centurion Arrius Marcus Niger (Arri) of the 9th Legion hadn't planned on dying in Britain. Lying in a cold bog, abandoned by his officers, and surrounded by dead cohorts. Unfortunately, that's exactly where he is--dying but not dead. Around the dismal battlefield British barbarians and other beings with their own plans roam about, killing...and worse. Dying had its own sort of honor--and Arri isn't sure he wants to survive the loss of all of his friends. The beings who find him don't give him that choice. Arri isn't interested in serving as a slave, but the Tuatha de Danann who "rescue" him need him and are prepared to do whatever it takes to get his help--willing or not. In order to win a ten-thousand year-old war, the Tuatha find they're in desperate need of Roman ingenuity and believe that Arri is the man to deliver. According to them, Arri's intense memories of his now-dead fellow soldiers may be essential in saving human-kind from extinction. Arri doesn't have a problem with saving humanity (well, he's not entirely sure about barbarians). Unfortunately, it doesn't take him long to discover that his rescuers are (a) only marginally human themselves; (b) pathological liars; and (c) so self-absorbed that it isn't completely clear that they'd care whether humanity vanishes as long as they can continue their own parties. Arri struggles to find his place in this alien land, and fights to keep his mind clear in a world where the Tuatha can simply reach into his brain and transform his emotions. Reluctantly, finds himself taking on leadership of an army of humans--Kellsuf, "men of the void," as the Tuatha call them--but he's still not sure he wants to fight a war the Tuatha have deliberately brought upon themselves. Author J. E. Bruce launches an important fantasy series with SNAKESTONE AND SWORD, the first volume in A CENTURION IN THE LAND OF THE FAE. Arri is a damaged but engaging protagonist forced to choose when all of the choices are bad, living in a world where all of the rules are turned upside down. Bruce's background as a forensic archaeologist lets her bring the Early Roman Empire period to life, and the Fae settings are equally well researched and real. Mixing action with thoughtful insight, SNAKESTONE AND SWORD is an exciting read.

Stuart S. Stuart his come to Paris to find artistic inspiration. Instead, he falls for a Mafioso's wife, becomes a murder suspect, gets beat up by criminals searching for millions worth of diamonds, and learns that some of his student works have been fraudulently sold to another Mafia boss...with the promise that they're genuine old masters. Stuart seemingly becomes a magnet for murder. How long, though, before he's the one who ends up dead? Then there's the beautiful, but truth-challenged Maryse Rousseau... Author Michael Paulson writes a first-person story that's simultaneously exciting, side-splittingly funny, and sympathetic.

In Hollywood, all the stars, the top directors, the studio tycoons and, of course the rock stars have replaced their first wives with the younger, newer, hotter model. Everywhere she looks, glitz-writer Nikki Tyler sees trophy wives. Some of them are even her friends... but that doesn't mean she wants one of them to send her their manuscript and ask for help placing it with her publisher. Still, Hollywood is all about connections and favors--Nikki figures she owes it to her friend Tamara to at least look at the project which turns out to be a story of blackmail and murder among the trophy wives of Beverly Hills. Nikki doesn't see much hope, but when Nikki finds Tamara's murdered body, she suspects someone thought the book's sins were more than its lack of literary merit. Nikki sets out to uncover the truth behind Tamara's death--while tooling around Beverly Hills in her Bentley. Interviews with rock stars in rehab, a divorce lawyer who delivers results for men dumping troublesome wives (so they can marry a younger trophy), a secretive cult-like religion that's attracting Hollywood's top talent and Nikki's developing relationship with the detective assigned to the case (a detective who has an interesting secret past) make her investigation a lot of fun. Author John Kane gives us a fun look at modern Beverly Hills where wealth and beauty survive in a continuing struggle, where Hollywood's top names crave attention while fleeing from too much of it, and where just about anything can be bought at a price. Kane humanizes his sleuth, Nikki, by giving her a son she adores, an ex-husband she still gets along with, and a frustrated ambition as a one-time actor. He scatters his clues carefully--giving the reader what they know to solve the mystery, but providing plenty of challenge as well. SOMEBODY IS KILLING THE TROPHY WIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS is Kane's first mystery. I hope to see more. "A hilarious, dishy, and incisive look at the dark side of having too much California sunshine. This comedy/mystery romp could change your life if you stop laughing for a sec and start heeding its morals. Yes, there are some morals!" -- Michael Musto, La Dolce Musto, The Village Voice.

When Martians invade, will they do so with bombs and spaceships, or perhaps with jelly donuts and pepperoni pizza? What's the King of the Whales up to when he asks a con-man to buy pizza for his subjects? If some dead aliens have escaped from Area 51, is there a black market in their body parts? What, exactly, do zombies want... and might they be happier with chocolate chip cookies than human brains? Author Michael A. Kechula has become a leading voice in the modern 'flash' fiction world (even writing the book on how to write genre flash fiction). These super-short stories combine everyday situations with bizarre twists, delivering a combination of laughs and contemplative the 'what if?'. MARTIANS, MONSTERS AND PEPPERONI PIZZA offers 100 of these stories, many previously published in magazines but gathered here for the first time.

Railroaded to prison by an ambitious lawyer, shafted by a political judge, then terrorized by guards and attendants, Dr. Matt Hightower dreams of revenge. When he is finally released from prison, he uses all of his training and skill to get vengeance, culminating with his plan to Kill A Judge.

Seeing ghosts has always been something of a curse for Annie Neeter but when talking to a ghost makes her a suspect in an attempted murder, she realizes it's gone too far. Still, does she have any chance of convincing the sexy police detective she isn't crazy. Unfortunately, the head of the local mob is a believer and he's thinking of all sorts of ways she, and her ghosts, can help him make crime pay.

It seemed like a brilliant plan. To entertain her young son on his spring break week, and to get back into the dating world, youthful widow Sally Cartwright advertises on a dating site, requesting that the dates put together an outing entertaining both to her and to Timmy. She never dreams that her ad will look like an invitation to every werewolf, vampire, ancient god or demonic force in England. Unfortunately, because Timmy was saved by his father's sacrifice, the dark forces see in him the potential for incredible power. Because she advertised herself, the Church of England's militant wing, the Theological College of St. Van Helsing, can do nothing--there are rules that govern the behavior of both dark and light. Mike Rider, though, is prepared to break the rules. Sally was his first love and he still cares for her. Unfortunately for him, Sally still hurts from their breakup and wants nothing to do with him. As the dark forces close in, though, Sally and Mike are forced to work together to save their own lives and those of Timmy, Sally's son. Author Vanessa Knipe continues her stories out of the St. Van Helsing Theological College with an exciting and emotional tale of a young mother trying to save her son from forces beyond her imagination. Her past history with Mike gives the story added emotional impact and Knipe's fully envisioned world of England and its magical forces grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go.

Lawyer Chambers Elliot is suspicious of the supposed priest in his office. But the priest's story of an old murder rings true and Elliot finds himself sucked into a case that pits him against a gang of con-men and Texas's crime boss, Salvator Portello. Hardboiiled mystery action.

A plague sweeps through Jacksonville in Northern Europe. Virtually everyone in the city is temporarily disabled, even hospitalized. Everyone except a small number of 'reverse effect' people. These people seem to benefit. The International Investigation Agency sends its top agents to track down the problem--but their activities seem hampered--as if someone in the trusted upper reaches of the Agency was sabotaging, even betraying them. A billionaire businessman, his too-beautiful mistress, the coldblooded inspector, the hotheaded deputy of the Agency, and a mysterious doctor all become suspects, players, and possible victims as the Internationa Investigation Agency does its best to track down the truth.

Deep in the heart of the Carpathian Mountains, in Transylvania, lies an castle once home to a nobleman who warred with the church, bound his servants with a curse of silence, and ruled his lands with a grip of iron. Lord John Erdely has been dead for centuries and his castle now a haven for tourists. Or so, at least, is the claim. Under the editorial direction of Lea Schizas, six authors tell what happens to these tourists.

England may look like a peaceful island, but it swarms with ancient forces: old gods hungry for a touch of worship; mysterious spectres that can grant wishes, no matter how destructive those wishes might be; pre-historic cultural memories that can raise hungry spirits; and then there's the mysterious haunted washing machine unhappy with the new detergents. To combat evil forces, the Church of England calls on a special breed of men (yes, they're all men--and that is part of the problem). The Theological College of St. Van Helsing trains its students to combat evil forces--except when those students go renegade and fight their fellows. With St. Van Helsing restricted to men only, women with talent lack a place for proper training, which makes them both dangerous and tempting targets for dark forces. Penny Bailey finds herself confronting a hungry fertility god, a misdirected love-spell and the horrors of the perfect diet. Author Vanessa Knipe continues her stories out of St. Van Helsing (after WITCH-FINDER) with another strong series of adventures. Knipe writes with a compelling mix of darkness and tongue-in-cheek humor. While theological students confronting evil by calling phrases from the Book of Common Prayer sounds amusing, Knipe makes it both real and dangerous. More so even than in WITCH-FINDER, darkness underpins these stories--the title, HARD LESSONS is definitely hard-earned.

Abandoned on a medieval-technology planet, Jake Borenski wants nothing more than to return to 'civilization.' But as he learns about the planet, he realizes an entire civilization may vanish unless he does something about it.

A young woman is rescued by two men--and attracted to both. Her choice, between the beautiful golden man and his dark and brooding friend, sends reverberations throughout time.

In Romania, in the heart of the Carpathian Mountains, lies a huge castle. Once, the castle belonged to a powerful noble family--and memories of their deeds and hatred for the church linger on. Some say the castle is haunted. Others doubt any sort of haunt, but the castle has been unlucky for centuries. When a group of Americans receive invitations to visit the castle on a day trip, though, it seems like simply a fun adventure. Until, that is, some of those legends of the past begin to take on a very real, if sometimes incomplete, life. Authors William Koonce, Eric Keith, Marcia Berneger, and Charles Mossop (under the direction of editor Lea Schizas) combine to deliver the story of the fateful visit to the castle of the one-time ruler, Lord Erdley. Each tells a different part of the story, from the viewpoints of various individuals on the tour, and each sheds a different light onto the fateful events that created those legends--and that continue to linger to affect the present day.

Zombies have invaded the U.S., but one political party is hoping to promote brotherly love. A young girl sells nice dreams for a nickle, but be sure to read the fine print. Gorillas teach kindergarten, or deliver unexpected refrigerators. Magical gypsies deliver predictions that have uncomfortable ways of coming true. People unhappy with their own lives can enjoy someone else's past for a cheap price...but be careful of the sudden ending. In the land of the novel-writers, poets beware. From zombies to space aliens to fortune-telling gypsies to ancient and magical statues, author Michael Kechula delivers 71 complete stories of speculative fiction. Kechula has become a leader in 'flash fiction, ' super-short stories that contain characters, dialogue, and a complete plot, all within a very small number of words. In THE AREA 51 OPTION AND 70 MORE TALES OF SPECULATIVE FICTION, Kechula shows why he's been so successful.

When her husband divorces her publically and in the most humiliating way possible, Heather Montag says some crazy things. Which explains why the police come calling when Montag is murdered. Assisted only by new friends from a trailer park and a teenage girl from a program Heather is assigned to as community service, Heather has to find the real killer--or risk Texas's all-too-common lethal injection.

If he hadn't turned into the rest stop, Deacon Bishop wouldn't have heard about the hundred million dollars--or gotten involved with his favorite Mafia family. But he stopped--and gave a woman a lift. A few miles later, Bishop is injured, his car exploded, and the woman is dead--with shots from Bishop's gun through her head, Bishop was involved. He could have done without the dead woman and the injuries, but a hundred million dollars is worth a bit of grief, and the private investigation business doesn't often turn up that kind of money.

A retrovirus mutates human DNA--exposing long-suppressed 'junk DNA, ' and manifesting supposedly magical creatures. When vampires, trolls and werewolves rage out of control, only the Warders stand against darkness. Except, as warder Danielle Goodman finds, sometimes reality is more complicated than myth

Attorney Paul Newton knows to stay away from psychological cases. This one, though, grabs him and makes him want to do something. His client developed multiple personality disorder as a result of childhood rapes. The MPD actually helped her until an unscrupulous therapist began messing with her mind (and her body). But Newton doesn't count on facing a lawyer who believes in his client every bit as much as Newton believes in his own. Exciting courtroom drama, writen by a former attorney.