A short story about a young man sitting at home babysitting a little kid who is sick.A story told by Astor Court the building in New York City that Mia lives. Mia is an imaginative and grown-up fifth-grader. One snowy day she offered to help her neighbor, an old lady, Mrs. Goldenrod who was struggling, carry her shopping bags home. Mrs. Goldenrod invited Mia in for tea and they learned delightful things about one another. While Mia was there she became fascinated by a statue of a black dog. That statue was Mister Pepper and was given to Mrs. Goldenrod by an actress friend. Mister Pepper was to be given as a gift to the courtyard garden. Mia left to take her dog Bubbles for a walk. When Mia and Bubbles returned the found Angelina in the courtyard garden deciding the placement of Mister Pepper. Angelina, who was Mrs. Goldenrod's niece had taught Mia so much about animals. Angelina gave Mia a magic red collar and instructed Mia to place it around Mister Pepper's neck. Then Mister Pepper could tell Mia and Bubbles his secret.The day of the annual courtyard barbeque Mia did as Angelina had instructed. She and Bubbles learned why Mister Pepper was now of stone. He was happy in the garden where he "wants everyone to think of him as a friend - the friend who will be waiting for them no matter what. "The building, Astor Court ends the story saying that Mrs. Goldenrod was right in that if people would be polite to their friend as well as their enemies, the world would bea better place. And he would like to add - "polite to the things of the world that don't breathe or move. One never knows how a little polite attention can make all the difference to that brick, or furniture, or statue..."

Lawrence Foster Brickem finds himself standing on a cliff with no memories of how he got there. He dives into the water below and starts a journey through a strange land that changes all the time. He must remember his past and uncover the secrets of this new land in order to find a way home. Lawrence soon realizes that he is different than others, but he has no idea how different he really is.In the 1800s, a young man escapes a former gang by robbing them and running west to start a new life. Under an assumed alias, he poses as the town doctor and tries to fit in to the wild frontier. Soon enough, his old life catches up to him and he's forced to defend the towns folk who have taken him in as family against the old gang who wants to kill him and get their money back.

A man has a recurring dream where he is going through a tunnel. Every night it gets worse but he can't figure out its meaning. He hopes its innocent, but the world is a dangerous place, and it becomes more dangerous everyday.Once upon a time I was fishing away when a man appeared across the creek from me. He sat down on a large rock holding an acoustic guitar. Yes sir! Yes sir! He was wearing all black with a fedora, silver chains around his wrists, his mouth was stretched in a large wide smile that went from ear to ear. A white tie hung down to his waist with gold buttons in the middle. Not a single word was spoken between us and we did not even acknowledged that the other person was there. Something was odd about this man. Yes sir! Yes sir! Butterflies seem to be flying around his head as if they were being pulled in by his gravity. He was an eerie man. I do not even think my twisted mind could make him up. His presence wasn't erotic, but it was a sick pleasure.

Mith and Ludus leave their secluded town for the first time as part of a coming of age ceremony. Upon leaving they come across a guide who helps them on their way. Once at their destination they find that everything and everyone is frozen in time. Mith and Ludus learn that the world around them is much stranger than they ever thought, and it is up to them to solve the mystery and save their home.Mith and Ludus are about to leave their secluded town for the first time as part of a coming of age ceremony that all fourteen year olds must complete. Having never been out on their own before, they are frightened and excited. Just a day out they realize that it is going to be harder than they ever imagined. Lucky for them they happen upon a guide, Mitchum. He tells Mith and Ludus that there is so much more to the world than what they know. This becomes ominously clear when they arrive at their destination and find that everyone there is frozen in time. Mith and Ludus must grow up fast as they discover the secrets of their home and the golden roses, which are magic objects that control the life force of every living creature. It is now up to them to travel across their large island to stop those responsible and protect the last golden rose.

Hazel Winbolt is a ten year old girl with a very sick mother. Her father sends her to live with her grandmother so she is out of the way. Hazel finds herself in a very old and mysterious house with a grandmother she has never met. Strange things begin to happen to Hazel when little animals start coming out of the little brown box she has from home. Are they good or bad? Only time will tell.Hazel Winbolt is a ten year old girl with a very sick mother. Her father sends her to live with her grandmother so she is out of the way. Hazel finds herself in a very old and mysterious house with a grandmother she has never met. As the days progress she is certain that something strange is going to happen. Floors creak and shadows travel up walls when there is nobody there. This is nothing compared to when small animals start appearing out of a little brown box she has. What do they want? It is up to Hazel to find out in the short time she has before returning home.

Bessie does not know what to do when she gets abducted by aliens. The beings tell her that she has to stop an invasion because they think that every human has super powers. Bessie tries to tell them that she doesn't but they do not want to listen. She then sets out to find the person responsible for her being there, hoping that he can get her home before she has to actually stop an invasion.The author's mother has always been present in her daughter's consciousness, manifesting in front of her eyes at times. In this second story in the series mom tells her own story, luring her daughter into a world created to the daughter's liking, made of childhood fairytales, memories, and dreams. Mom tries to encourage her daughter, disheartened by the harsh realities of her surrounding life, to adapt a different point of view towards life, one in which the future is more bright and colorful. Will the mother succeed?

The sequel to Hardin's War. Hardin's life has changed dramatically, and now he finally knows who is behind the killings of the Humurom hunters. As time passes in Azureland Hardin is certain that things are only getting worse in Humurom. He must decide if he wants to risk his life and the lives of others to save the stubborn Humurom's, or let them go as he enjoys his new life in a new world.In een dystopische toekomst neemt Het David Effect ons mee naar Holland-onder-de-zee waar geavanceerde computer- en biotechnologie strijden met de gevestigde orde om voor eens en altijd uit te maken wie een bepalende stem krijgt in het lot van de mensheid.Mike Jansen schrijft voor de Engelse en Nederlandse markt en publiceert verhalen en boeken op de Engelse en Nederlandse markten. Dit verhaal is eerder verschenen in de Vierde Ragnarok bundel van Babel Publications.

Thaddeus Minnow accidentally gets transported to a strange world, and he's not the first. This sort of thing happens, but nobody knows how to send him back. Thaddeus will attempt to be the first person to find his way back home.AMY PLEBThis book features three stories all based around the life of a girl called Amy Pleb.The Big StormAmy Pleb is to anyone who knows her a normal 9 year old girl who lives in Cogan on the Fogan with her parents Calamity and Arthur. But Amy has an unnatural fear of storms. She has harboured this fear for as long as she can remember. She recalls it all starting when her father Arthur told her the story of the big storm he endured when he was a small boy. This had generated an interest in Amy which had turned into an obsession and then complete fear.A few days before Amy’s birthday, although she doesn’t know it her worst fears are about to come true. The weatherman forecasts the worst storm ever is heading their way. Amy becomes distraught and retreats to her bedroom with her beloved cat Tilly in tow. But the skies don’t darken and the rain doesn’t start as predicted so Amy begins to relax believing the weatherman must have got it wrong.But then out of nowhere a massive clap of thunder echoes around the village, the skies light up with lightning and the rain pours down. Amy thinks this is the end for her and her family.The Tall TowerAmy Pleb is going to stay with her Uncle Lawless in Fogan for a week. Near where her Uncle lives on the outskirts of Fogan is the Tall Tower, on a large hill surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs, the only access is up a series of some one hundred steps. Amy asks her Uncle if he will take her up there but he tells her no and that she is forbidden to go up there because it’s haunted.Amy meets up with her friend Katie Bench who lives next door to her Uncle. Amy and Katie talk about many things but then start to talk about the Tall Tower. They decide to go for a walk and end up at the foot of the Tower. They notice a fence and a no trespassers sign and Amy is ready to turn round and go back but Katie jumps the fence and begins to climb the steps. Amy follows as she is worried for her friend. Once inside the Tower they see a huge door which is open. Katie being quite headstrong continues up into the Tower with a reluctant Amy behind her. Once inside they hear noises and become quite frightened and then a ghostly figure appears.Amy is unable to tell her Uncle what has happened in the Tower as she knows she has betrayed his wishes. But before long events take a turn and she has to admit to him what she has done to save her friend. The Week of DisastersAs every child knows sometimes in life things don’t go according to plan, it’s just one disaster after another. But for Amy she really does have a bad week. It starts with a bad day at school, an awful grade, a telling off from the head teacher and a smelly class mate. She has a bad hair day, a spot that she cannot get rid of and has a fall out with her best friend over a boy. She tries to read a book but has interruption after interruption. Her parents threaten to ground her for good if she does not tidy her room. She meets up with a flatulent ferret, loses her new kitten and to top it all her dad falls off a ladder.

Three very short science fiction stories. Each is only around eight hundred words.This story is fiction, however it is based on a collection of events that actual happened to me or some of my musician friends during my 50 years in the music industry.The story takes you back to the late 50's and through to the early swinging sixties, when the musical world suddenly awoke to the sounds of a new musical revolution that was emerging from all parts of England. Johnny Morris and the Convertibles were part of that revolution that took them on one hell of a wild ride, as they slowly made their way to the top of their profession. While enjoying the brighter side of life along the way, they often fell victim to the darker side, that lay in wait, and in the end, it became their undoing.This is a personal account of how Johnny Morris remembers his rise and fall.

All Hardin has ever known is the inside of a bomb shelter. His people hid there over one hundred years ago when a war tore apart the world outside. They send hunters out to look for food, but they are hunted by the enemy to this day. As conditions grow worse inside it is up to Hardin to make a plan to journey outside and confront the enemy once and for all.All Hardin has ever known is the inside of a bomb shelter. His people hid there during a nuclear war, and were too scared to ever leave. When the food began to run out they saw no other way and so opened the doors to the outside to find it destroyed. Hunters have searched in vain for years and chance getting killed by the enemy over one hundred years after the world was destroyed. Hardin finds that his people's ways are only leading to the end of them all. Hardin gets a team together and leaves the shelter hoping to make peace with the enemy and save his home. What he discovers is greater and stranger than he ever thought possible.

Royden Doble and his family recently moved into a strange building called the Discovery Apartments. He soon realizes that this building is filled strange tenants including aliens and monsters. In fact his family are the only humans there. Royden learns a lot, but as things get treacherous he has to decide if he wants to stay or leave. Unfortunately for Royden, the decision isn't his to make.So, I Ate my neighbor's elephant. It didn't taste very nice. So, I say sorry to him in the best way I can; by using poetry.

Young Ackerley has only ever known the small town life on the edge of society. That is until his brother takes him to a large castle to live out the remainder of the war brought by horrible invaders from the north. It is here that Ackerley makes his first friends, learns the history of the kingdom, and helps a lonely princess. All while the threat of attack looms ever larger.It’s late summer in 1901 and Joseph Albers is a man in trouble: he bet everything on a Kentucky coal mine, but soon after his mine collapsed the family and friends who followed him from Atlanta began falling to smallpox and yellow fever. In a desperate attempt to save what’s left of his town – and his dream of making it big in coal country – Joseph hunkers down at the crossroads, hoping for a midnight meeting with the devil.Instead Joseph encounters the ancient, ageless god Charley Cat, and finds himself surrounded by the demons, legends, and creatures of myth who travel with him. By the time their parley has ended, the fate of Piquette will have changed forever.