Speculative Fiction The Ultimate Collection


Book Description

A collection of some 23 speculative fiction short stories including science fiction, alternate history, science fantasy and an alternate reality story. About the Author David Scholes is a writer and also works as an economic (and occasionally actuarial) consultant to various Australian government departments. This collection of short stories is his sixth science fiction book. He has also written two novellas and three earlier collections of short stories




The Grove


Book Description

Entering the woods is forbidden. To go in can mean a fate worse than death. At least that’s what seventeen-year-old Laura has been told. But living in a new town with nothing to do, she ignores her mother’s dire warnings and explores the forest near her home. The trees entice Laura deeper into the woods. A mysterious, soothing voice calls her name, and she becomes lost. When a young man finds her, she thinks she’s saved. But he insists their meeting is more than a coincidence. For centuries, his colony has been waiting for a savior. With his alluring eyes and gentle smile, Laura almost believes his crazy story. Caught between worlds, and with her life at stake, she doesn’t know who to believe or trust. Her heart tells her one thing and her head another. Is it her destiny, or will her fate only postpone the inevitable?




Forge of Faith


Book Description

The Boundary. The greatest feat of magic in the history of Madryn. An impenetrable barrier raised to imprison the Darklord Lorthas and bring an end to the long and bloody MageWar.With the Boundary weakening, Madryn is collapsing into chaos. Betrayed by one of the six Great Houses, Prince Martyn of Alrendria finds himself besieged in Kaper, struggling to maintain control of the city and hold together a crumbling alliance. As his pleas for aid go unanswered, he wonders who he should fear more: those he knows to be his enemies, or those he trusts to be his friends.In the shadow of the Boundary, Jeran Odara fights to restore order to the mountain fortress of Dranakohr. Opposed by the Darklord, labeled a threat by the Mage Assembly, and faced with a burgeoning magical Gift few understand, Jeran must find the proper path and force the Races of Madryn down it. But how can he instill faith in his followers when he has none himself?




Black Edelweiss


Book Description

When a 20-year old Waffen-SS veteran of two years' combat against the Soviets and Americans is confronted with the awful, undeniable truth of the Holocaust, he must reconcile it with his pride in his comrades' battlefield sacrifices. The author served in SS Mountain Infantry Regiment 11 Reinhard Heydrich, part of 6th SS Mountain Division Nord. The book is mostly an account of his extensive combat service against the Soviets in northern Karelia and Finland, with a shorter section describing combat against the Americans in the Vosges and in the Saar-Moselle triangle. Voss reflects on the totality of his wartime experiences, from the origins of his reasons for enlisting in the Waffen-SS to his experiences in US captivity. The result is a compelling and honest account.




Magpie's Ruin


Book Description

The lands have enjoyed years of peace, prosperity and growth. Princess Kai returns to her home of Raelis after years of self-imposed exile. She brings dire news of a threat rising, one that can destroy all that has been. She discovers Raelis embroiled in political turmoil and unprepared to face the growing danger. Kai begins a quest in search of allies and seeks support from the vanished races and those hidden from sight. Travelling through vast and distant lands, the Briar Rose must use all of her strengths, both evident and arcane, to convince the many races to unite. Her past is not left behind, and soon Kai realises that to overcome the present danger, she may have to pay the ultimate price.




A Sword Forged


Book Description

The world of Arith is a fractured land with a splintered people. But humanity is recovering, for the demons have been locked away behind the Wall, and those that shattered the land with the Sundering have not been seen for so long they are now considered only myth and legend. But on the eve of a great storm, three people will gather together to fight an evil that makes the land's previous tormentors pale in comparison. A warrior who hides his face, a barbarian woman with the power of the wolf, and a boy who hasn't yet discovered himself will be the keys to survival in a battle prophesied nearly two thousands years before. It was this prophecy, however, that started Arith's torment and downhill slide toward destruction. It was this prophecy which created the demons and set the chain of events into motion that forced the High Ones to Sunder the land in their departure. And now, three heroes who've only been seen in one man's prophetic vision will have to overcome their own trials in order to forge themselves into the needed weapons capable of fighting off an insane evil intent on devouring all of Creation.




Twelve Moon-Cycles


Book Description

Determined to start fighting back against the Kostinian Empire, Dale Ronas takes the two royal children in his charge to take command of the few dispirited and struggling battle-orphans hiding in the heart of the forest.




Chained


Book Description

To work off a family debt, 10-year-old Hastin leaves his desert village in India to work as a circus elephant keeper but many challenges await him, including trying to keep Nandita, a sweet elephant, safe from the cruel circus owner.




Illinois Bell Magazine


Book Description




The Edmund Fitzgerald


Book Description

Leaving port from Superior, Wisconsin on a sunny November day, the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald is looking forward to a routine crossing of deep Lake Superior. Heading for a port in Cleveland, the giant transport ship is loaded with ore that will be used to build cars. But disaster is building in the wind as a gale storm begins to track after the great ship. This suspenseful retelling of the last hours of the doomed vessel pays homage to all sailors who traverse deep waters, in fair skies and foul. Atmospheric paintings from award-winning artist Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen bring the story to life.The author of the best-selling books The Legend of Sleeping Bear and The Legend of Mackinac Island, Kathy-jo Wargin aims to help young readers notice the most intricate details of a story by adding the nuances that create magic and wonder in a good tale. She lives in the woods of northern Michigan with her family. The Edmund Fitzgerald is her 10th book with Sleeping Bear Press. Born in the Netherlands, Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen, or "Nick" as he prefers to be known, studied at the Royal Academy of Arts in Holland. He immigrated to the United States in 1976. The Edmund Fitzgerald is Nick's 13th children's book with Sleeping Bear Press. The Legend of Sleeping Bear was Nick's first book and has sold more than 200,000 copies.