These books are chosen from among those independently published works of fiction for which we do not possess excerpts, but have the best ratings from other sites. Where possible we provide links to sites where samples of these books may be read.
Ripple by Tui Allen
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / animal / environmental / time travel
Have you ever wondered what goes on in the great marine intellects of the whales and dolphins? What wonders might they have achieved during the tens of millions of years of planetary rule they enjoyed before humans came down from the trees?
Recently, forces from the universe decided that the time had come for humans to hear the defining story of their planet. This book is that story. Are we the last intelligent beings in the developed universe to hear it?Live awhile in Ocean Mind. Be prepared to forget your human material obsessions as you slip away and dance the waves with the young female dolphin Ripple. A divine narrator of the Hereafter sweeps you from Ripple’s life in the unimaginably distant past to the not-so-distant future where you can see Ripple’s impact on modern humanity. Follow Ripple as she negotiates the beauties and horrors of the ancient oceans and falls in love with the fighter Cosmo in the wild surf of Point Savage. Be there beside her when love stimulates her to a single achievement which brings renown to this planet, changes the universe forever, exalts the angels and ensures Ripple’s fame will outlive the planet itself.
Recently, forces from the universe decided that the time had come for humans to hear the defining story of their planet. This book is that story. Are we the last intelligent beings in the developed universe to hear it?Live awhile in Ocean Mind. Be prepared to forget your human material obsessions as you slip away and dance the waves with the young female dolphin Ripple. A divine narrator of the Hereafter sweeps you from Ripple’s life in the unimaginably distant past to the not-so-distant future where you can see Ripple’s impact on modern humanity. Follow Ripple as she negotiates the beauties and horrors of the ancient oceans and falls in love with the fighter Cosmo in the wild surf of Point Savage. Be there beside her when love stimulates her to a single achievement which brings renown to this planet, changes the universe forever, exalts the angels and ensures Ripple’s fame will outlive the planet itself.
Borrowed Wings
by Regina Puckett
Genre: Children’s, Fantasy
Baby Dragon wants to fly more than anything else in the world, but his head is too big, his stomach is too round and his wings are too small. Mother Dragon is more than happy to let him borrow hers. Borrowed Wings is a story about the circle of life, and how eventually, we all need help from someone else.
Little Mountain by Bob Sanchez
Genre: Crime
Sambath Long was a Cambodian refugee, and now he’s an American homicide cop. Sam’s investigation of a brutal murder unearths painful memories that threaten to tear his own life apart.
Blue Fire Burning by Hobb Whittons
Genre: YA / fantasy
Winner of Fantasy Book Review’s YA Book of the Month September 2011: Read more here
Read FREE excerpt on Smashwords here
…cried Tahn, scrambling back onto his cough drop. … xt wn h he M five erlin
Then, with a little less than seven minutes left, calamity struck Bellana when
…
Then, with a little less than seven minutes left, calamity struck Bellana when
…
Fill your sails and begin an odyssey that will take you beyond the reach of time and tide forever in Hobb Whittons’ Award Winning, action-packed fantasy.
Demonic forces are tearing Wadjamaat’s three realms apart, and the planet’s telepathic guardians, the Pahleen, are running out of time.
With Nocturnia and her goblin hordes bleeding the life-force from his world, King Kilron finally solves the riddle set long ago by the evil sorceress but there is a ‘sting in the tail’ … and it’s human.
With Nocturnia and her goblin hordes bleeding the life-force from his world, King Kilron finally solves the riddle set long ago by the evil sorceress but there is a ‘sting in the tail’ … and it’s human.
‘If only she could remember her true real life and what had happened in it to cause her to be stuck in her dreams. Was she even a writer? That thought struck her hard. She could have just created that fiction from her imagination, too. She was having an identity crisis. Who was she really? Was she any more real than any of the other dream images that played through her mind? Then she focused on one of the main themes of her recent dreams – the bad man who had kidnapped her. Maybe that kept popping up because it had a grain of reality to it. Maybe she had truly been kidnapped. Maybe she was still unconscious in this guy’s basement. Oh, God. That must be it, she thought. But she had gotten away from him in every dream scenario, too, hadn’t she? Maybe she had escaped, but was brain dead. No. She wouldn’t be able to dream if that were the case. The only other possibility was that she was in a coma? If so, for how long? Her intuition said that felt right, that she was in a coma. If only she could remember what happened.’Dreams take us to other worlds and dimensions. But what brings these dream about? Are they pieces of memory from our past? And how much do we actually contribute to what happens when we dream? Are we able to add and delete characters. Even during a nightmare, are we able to defend ourselves by conjuring up defense weapons?In the case of Marie, where is she? Who is she? Who is Murphy? How did he get into Marie’s dream? Is everything really a dream or is she simply lost in another world? How will she find her way out of her dream and back into the real world? Can Murphy go with her? What is she trying to accomplish and why is everyone telling her she has to wake up?They say you dream nightly but only remember a few. I have no idea if that’s true but I do know that after reading Deadly Lucidity I’ve found myself wondering more and more about the dreams I do have and do remember. And as with the character Marie, wouldn’t it be nice to start a dream, wake up, go back to sleep and restart that dream? Sometimes yes. Sometimes no.
Sari Caste by Catherine Kirby
Genre: Contemporary / Feminist / India
The story unfolds in present day Calcutta around a woman named Manasa. She is one of many children born to her parents, with whom she is counted as a daughter with no true identity of her own. Manasa’s escape from the everyday nothingness in her Bengali village and her innocent quest for a better life takes her on a dangerous, self-reliant journey into a dark and sinister world where trust and love are bought and sold. Along the way, Manasa must make snap decisions about the people she meets; all the while knowing that one mistaken judgment could kill any chance she has of survival and sink her into a soulless, gaping abyss from which there would be no return.Manasa’s search for freedom shines a harsh and realistic light behind the many walls and dusty curtains that would otherwise disguise and block from the outside world the tragic lives of women who never found favor with their families or those who suffered the loss of that status for one reason or another. It is a way of life that is foreign to most, but this heart wrenching story quickly acquaints readers around the world with India’s Sari Caste.
Footprints in the Sand
by Rebekah Hatcher
Genre; Crime /thriller
Callie Andrews is content with her life, until she gets a phone call telling her that her twin brother is in an Iraqi prison. When Mark Wilson contacts her and tells her that his father has also been taken captive, her organized life is suddenly turned upside down. As they uncover more information, they soon realize that the company their family members worked for is not what it appeared, and the kidnappings may not have been as random as they seemed. Callie and Mark’s own lives will soon be in danger as they race to rescue their loved ones. As Callie and Mark travel around the world, staying one step ahead of the men trying to keep them from discovering the truth, they find that they may have been brought into one another’s lives for an even larger purpose. Can Mark’s faith inspire Callie to turn back to God after spending so long running from Him? Can Callie’s beauty and love help Mark heal from the heartbreak of losing his fiancée and learn to open himself up once again? Their journey brings up questions of love and faith for each of them as they make Footprints in the Sand.
Meggie Blackthorn by Elizabeth Jasper
Genre: Children’s / historical
No. 1 in children’s & historical categories on YouWriteOn: Read FREE excerpt here
Early 1960s – Newcastle, UK
When eleven-year-old Meggie’s feckless Dad doesn’t pay the coal man and they have no hot water, she decides to take matters into her own hands. With her younger brother, Jack, she sets off to find the free coal she knows can be found in the pit heaps opposite their village. When she and Jack return home from their adventure, she’s in big trouble.
Meggie passes the eleven-plus examination and is sent to live with her grandparents who own a newsagents in Newcastle. She soon finds herself in an ever bigger mess. Billy Fish and ‘The Codmother’ are ripping off Meggie’s grandparents. With her new friend, paperboy Dave Spedding, she tries to help, but finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation.
Growing pains, a new school, dealing with Billy Fish’s threats against her grandparents and coping with long-hidden family secrets stretch Meggie’s resourcefulness and strength of character to the limit. (66,000 words)
Sweet Blood of Mine (Overworld Chronicles #1) by John Corwin
Genre: YA / paranormal
4.79 · Find FREE excerpt on Smashwords here
From Mega Nerd to Super Stud.Justin Case and women do not mix. Man boobs, a love of Kings and Castles, and being tight with the “nerd” crowd certainly don’t win him any points either. After rescuing Katie, his crush, it turns out she might not be the girl he thought she was, while Elyssa, the school’s Goth Girl, turns out to be more. Can high school get any more confusing?Determined to improve himself, he joins a gym and meets a sexy girl that just oozes a “come hither, Justin” vibe. Until she attacks him in the parking lot, and Justin realizes she’s no ordinary girl but a being with supernatural speed and strength. After a narrow escape and an excruciating migraine headache, he wakes up with supernatural abilities all his own: speed, strength, and the ability to seduce every woman he sees.While that might sound like the perfect combo for any hormonal teen, Justin is a hopeless romantic who wants his first time to be special. Is that too much to ask for? But he doesn’t know what he is or how to stop his carnal urges. One thing is clear: If he doesn’t find answers there are other more sinister supernaturals who would like nothing better than to make him their eternal plaything and do far worse than kill him.
Traphis: A Wizard’s Tale
by James D. Maxon
Genre: Fantasy
A year after the death of his father, fifteen-year-old Traphis stumbles across his father’s hidden collection of books. Forbidden from learning magic at a young age, he resolves to read the books in secret. Doors to a dark and formidable world begin to open, and a treacherous adventure awaits both him and his newfound friends. In their journey to fight the power of lies, betrayal, and greed, they discover that no matter how well they master their magic skills, they are powerless without the most important skills in life, such as the abilities to trust, care, and forgive.
Madness and Murder by Jenny Hilborne
Genre: Crime
View FREE excerpt here
Frustrated by the rising body count and lack of evidence, veteran homicide detective, Mac Jackson, questions his own ethics when he risks the life of an innocent young woman to trap a cunning and sadistic serial killer. Known for his uncanny precision with a hunch, he’s all too aware that, this time, the stakes are much higher if his gamble fails to pay off.Jessica Croft, withdrawn, vulnerable, and emotionally scarred, moves from Sacramento to begin a new life in San Francisco with her twin brother, Judd. Ninety miles from the sinister, shameful secrets of her past, and the madness that tore their family apart, she hopes to find tranquility, maybe even love. However, her chance for happiness is short-lived when she suddenly finds herself the target of a relentless madman with a deadly agenda.Loath to continue living a life of fear, Jessica tells no one when she takes a bold risk to draw him out; dangerously unaware of the trap he has already set for her. Now nothing may be able to save her except the accuracy of a hunch.
Street Creds by Zach Fortier
Genre: Mystery/ thriller /memoir ‘/true crime
Read free excerpt here
Street Creds is a look inside the world of street gangs and the cops that work them. Zach Fortiern worked the street for many years before he entered the Gang Task Force, joining it with the idea that he could rise to the level of violence of any banger he encountered – a really stupid idea. He wanted to “earn back” the respect of the citizens for the police; he grew up in this city, and he worked its streets the best way he knew how, feeling that he had a firsthand understanding of what the citizens were experiencing. The increasing frustration at gang crimes, drive bys, robberies, never feeling safe with your kids in your own neighborhood - he wanted to do what he could to make that fear go away.
Once he was inside the task force, though, the reality was a rude awakening for him. The task force was poorly managed and staffed by detectives mostly out for themselves, and the internal politics made success incredibly difficult and almost impossible – almost, but not quite.
Once he was inside the task force, though, the reality was a rude awakening for him. The task force was poorly managed and staffed by detectives mostly out for themselves, and the internal politics made success incredibly difficult and almost impossible – almost, but not quite.
Blind Veil by Michael Lorde
Genre: Crime
How can an unreported crime that occurred forty years in the past,and across the country, affect a New York City Cop today?Can a seemingly innocent boat ride forever change the life of a former Marine?Find out when a Police Officer meets an eccentric scientist who claims to hold secret knowledge that has been hidden from the rest of society.Is this all truly happening, or is he slowly losing his grip on reality? Unfortunately, neither conclusion between the two worlds is better than the other as the clarifying line between reality and impossibility slowly disintegrates, turning his world upside down.He must dig thirty years into his past; deep beneath the veil and the mesh of murder, lies and deceit to find answers.Follow the trail of events that will forever shape his future… and maybe yours.
Renegade Paladins by Y. S. Pascal
Genre: Science Fiction / Thriller
Singularity Channel viewers may recognize Hollywood actress Shiloh Rush as Ensign Tara Guard from the sci-fi TV series Bulwark, but nobody knows Shiloh is leading a double life. Haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her beloved older brother, Shiloh hopes to track him down by following in his footsteps as a secret agent for the Zygan Federation, an intergalactic empire still hidden from Earth. During this quest, Shiloh and her British co-star Spud, also a Zygan agent, fly into space–for real–to stop terrorists and invaders who could destroy the Federation and kill millions throughout the universe. Sent back in time to Earth’s Ancient Middle East to save the life of a young prophet and prevent Earth’s destruction, Shiloh and Spud stumble on a diabolical conspiracy and barely escape with their lives. Their assignment sabotaged, Shiloh and Spud discover the villains’ real mission, face powerful enemy fighters from warrior planets and traitors from their own ranks, and race against time to save Earth.
Double-take Tales by Donna Brown
Genre: Short story / crime
Read free excerpt here
Three dark, sardonic short stories that will have you expecting the unexpected:In “Poison,” a psychologically abused wife discovers that her husband’s nut allergy may be the solution to all her problems.In “Round Trip,” a five pound note passes through desperate hands, greedy hands and tired hands before coming full circle…accompanied by a big surprise.In “C’est La Vie,” the police bungle a murder investigation under the watchful eye of someone uncomfortably close to the killing.
Purple Knot by Raquel Byrnes
Genre: Crime /detective /Christian
Read free sample here
When her best friend is murdered, Reyna Cruz doesn’t believe the police have the whole story. An investigator by trade, she has the talent to track Summer’s killer, but when clues lead to a family connection and a vicious gang, she suddenly becomes the hunted. At the end of her rope, Reyna must decide to trust the God she believes abandoned her.
1106 Grand Boulevard
by Betty Dravis
Genre: Romance / contemporary
Will Billie Jean find true love and happiness?All her life, Billie Jean Sloane, a charismatic, exquisite, small-town beauty, has been desired and spoiled by men. At sixteen, following a tragedy involving her first husband–”the love of her life”–she is heartbroken. Unable to forgive or forget, her parents take drastic measures to keep them apart.The vain, yet innocent, Billie Jean–one of seven siblings–is swept from her humble beginnings at 1106 Grand Boulevard in the Midwestern town of Hamilton, Ohio to a luxurious life-style in Phoenix, Arizona and other fascinating locales… through a World War II marriage and a Mafia scare in Sacramento, California… to vicious seduction at Lake Tahoe… to the fabulous wealth of the “San Francisco Sinclairs,” real estate and jewelry tycoons. Then back to her hometown to search for her first husband.This story takes you through Billie Jean’s seven marriages and sixty-four years–1933 to 1997–of happiness and tragedy. Always searching for her first love and her childhood, the enchanting child/woman captivates many men along the way, each wealthier than the one before … each sending her scurrying back to 1106 Grand Boulevard, a trail of broken hearts in her wake.1106 Grand Boulevard is the story of passions that last a lifetime; of family love and betrayal; of spousal abuse and sadistic child abuse; a story of Billie Jean’s desperate search for happiness, self-worth, and maturity … a story of people needing people and people using people.
The Matchmaker’s Mark
by Regan Black
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Regan Black is known for crafting dark, edgy, action-packed paranormal romance novels. The Matchmaker’s Mark proves she has an equal talent for writing on the lighter side of paranormal romance.
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When you’re ‘more’ than human, finding your soulmate isn’t as easy as answering a few quesitons online. It’s best to track down Campbell Consulting, a.k.a. the Matchmaker.
In Charleston, South Carolina half-elf Lily has a birthmark her elders vow is a mystical promise of true love. So far she’s yet to encounter Mr. Right in either the elf or human realms.
Dare, a wood elf, has led the Matchmaker’s security team for years. In town on a simple errand, when the Matchmaker disappears his future is turned inside out.
And Amy Campbell is a completely human English professor about to discover the true magic of the family business
If I Were Your Monster by Scott Nicholson & Lee Davis
Genre: Children’s / picture Book / Fantasy
A father tells a bedtime story to his young daughter, sharing different kinds of spooky creatures and teaching her how to overcome fear. In this fully illustrated tale, the monsters are protectors against the bullies and mean people of the world. A great read-aloud book for youngsters or a fun journey into e-book art.
Black Beast: A Clan of MacAulay
Novel by R.S. Guthrie )
Genre: Crime / Detective / Mystery /Paranormal / Horror
Goodreads star rating 
4.64 42 ratings · 22 reviews
4.64 42 ratings · 22 reviews
Decorated Denver Detective Bobby Macaulay has faced down a truckload of tragedy over recent years. The death of his partner; the loss of his own leg in the line of duty; the companionship of his beloved wife to cancer; his faith in God to his inner demons.After the man who ruined his leg and killed his first partner is executed, Macaulay becomes the lead detective investigating the Sloan’s Lake murders. The method of killing in this double-homicide is so heinous it leads Macaulay and his partner down an ever-darkening path—one that must be traversed if they are to discover the evil forces behind the slaughter.Just when Bobby Macaulay is questioning the very career that has been his salvation, he will discover a heroic history buried within his own family roots: The Clan MacAulay—a deep family lineage of protectors at the very core of a millenniums-long war against unimaginable evil.
Tom Fleck by Harry Nicholson
Genre: Historical / Romance
Read FREE excerpt here
‘Sharp as quivering hares are the Flecks. We’ve eyes and ears for things other folk miss.’ Much later, in the aftermath of Flodden, a young man finally understands his father’s words. The year: 1513. The place: North-East England. Tom Fleck, a downtrodden farm worker but gifted archer, yearns to escape his masters. He unearths two objects that could be keys to freedom: a torque of ancient gold and a Tudor seal ring. He cannot know how these finds will determine his future. Rachel Coronel craves an end to her Jewish wanderings. When the torque comes to rest around the neck of this mysterious woman, an odyssey begins which draws Tom Fleck into borderlands of belief and race. The seal ring propels Tom on a journey of self-knowledge that can only climax in another borderland – among the flowers and banners of Flodden Field.
A King in a Court of Fools
by Larry Enright
Genre: Children’s / Humour / Science Fiction / Mystery
A King in a Court of Fools begins with a book — The Book of Tom — a journal writing assignment from Tom Ryan’s sixth-grade teacher, Sister Jeanne Lorette. That’s what she called it. Tom called it punishment. In it, he chronicles the adventures of the Caswell Gang, a group of siblings and friends with two things in common — their love of adventure and their allegiance to Tom, their king.The 1950s book was misplaced a long time ago, and all the children have since grown up, but Harry, Tom’s youngest brother, still remembers it and retells for us one of its stories in a nostalgic, heartwarming, and humorous way that will have you wishing for adventure, too.
Dark Mind by Jennifer Chase
Genre: Thriller
Read free excerpt here
A Serial Killer Plagues an Island ParadiseVigilante detective Emily Stone continues her covert pursuits to find serial killers and child abductors, all under the radar while shadowing police investigations.Emily searches for an abducted nine-year-old girl taken by ruthless and enterprising slave brokers. Following the clues from California to the garden island of Kauai, she begins to piece together the evidence and ventures deep into the jungle.It doesn’t take long before Emily is thrown into the middle of murder, mayhem, and conspiracy. Locals aren’t talking as a serial killer now stalks the island, taking women in a brutal frenzy of ancient superstitions and folklore. Local cops are unprepared for what lies ahead. In a race against the clock, Emily and her team must identify the killer before time runs out.
Laugh Now by Rahiem Brooks
Genre: Crime / Erotic
4.47 · Laugh Now is the story of Kareem Bezel, whom by 22-years-old has made it to the top rung of the New York fashion industry; and, he has done everything to get there, including: fraud, theft, receiving stolen property, theft by deception, embezzlement, and identity theft. His crafty spree of thievery props his older brother, Andre Bezel’s illicit drug business into the cross hairs of corrupt DEA Agent Lucas McKenzey.
Set in Philadelphia and its suburbs, Laugh Now, proposes that, although you’re taken out the ghetto, if you were born to be a hustler, that’s what you’ll do.
The story shifts to New York, where the brothers attend Columbia and New York Universities. But before they graduate, Andre is under suspicion for murder, a rogue city councilman is poisoned, and Andre’s first business partner – a white kid, who worked for McKenzey – has been tortured and murdered.
Set in Philadelphia and its suburbs, Laugh Now, proposes that, although you’re taken out the ghetto, if you were born to be a hustler, that’s what you’ll do.
The story shifts to New York, where the brothers attend Columbia and New York Universities. But before they graduate, Andre is under suspicion for murder, a rogue city councilman is poisoned, and Andre’s first business partner – a white kid, who worked for McKenzey – has been tortured and murdered.
Shark & The Wolf: Predators and
Prey by Daniel D. Shields
Genre: Fantasy /Allegory /Animal /Romance
Read free Excerpt here
Shark & The Wolf: Predators and Prey is an allegorical novel about the exploitation of animals for the mere purpose of human sustenance and entertainment. “An amazing and totally unique read. If you are a fan of adventure, billiards, sharks, wolves or animal rights, then this book is for you…a modern fable written for an adult audience.” Amazon Customer Review – DW SmithIt takes place in a world where certain species of animals have evolved both intellectually and physically side by side with humans. In its own small way it gives a voice to the other species we share this planet with.
The novel addresses contemporary themes such as slavery, human and animal trafficking, love, friendship, greed, revenge and of course romance.
The novel addresses contemporary themes such as slavery, human and animal trafficking, love, friendship, greed, revenge and of course romance.
Book Synopsis: In Las Vegas, Nevada, Shaw, billionaire casino magnate and self proclaimed world’s greatest showman, nears completion on the massive Serengeti Resort & Casino. Its amphitheater, the largest man made structure ever built, seats 500,000 spectators and covers an enclosed area of 1.5 miles. The arena floor is being transformed into an authentic slice of African savanna for the show Predators and Prey which will savagely pit animal against animal in the bloodiest gladiatorial spectacle ever created for human entertainment.In Key West, Florida, Shark, the world’s only Great White pool playing shark, gets hustled by the evil animal slave trading hyena, Old Jack, who dupes Shark into believing his girlfriend, a hot fox named Vixen, is in Fiji and needs his help retrieving a treasure. Old Jack’s real plan – lure Shark to Fiji, use him to retrieve the submerged treasure, and then capture Shark, and sell him to Shaw, for use as the star and main attraction in the world’s most brutal show. ”Come One – Come All To See – The Only Great White Shark In Captivity.”Shark is forced to battle animals and his human captives before trying to rescue his girl and seeking revenge on those that have wronged him. Will he succeed?’Shark will stop at nothing to protect his friends in this exotic world where humans remain the dominate species and animals are forced to be their obedient servants.
Hexult by Perry Aylen
Genre: Children’s /YA / Science Fiction / Adventure
No.3 in teenage & science fiction categories on YouWriteOn: View FREE excerpt here
When the seas rose and the world froze, much knowledge was lost.
Mysterious twins, Jacob and Elya, shipwrecked in Hexult, discover their superior understanding of science is mistaken for magic by the superstitious islanders.
With the aid of Aulf the mailman and his fiery crewmate, Ingar, the twins must overcome terrible tragedy and danger, to save their reputations and their lives.
Blood Awakening (Nicole Kennan #0.5) by Wenona Hulsey
Genre: YA / paranormal
4.29 · Nicole, a small town Alabama girl, and her best friend Kat take a weekend trip to Panama City, Florida. Kat looking to have a good time and Nicole hoping to escape the pain of losing her mother for a little while. Little did Nicole know, the escape would awaken a ancient power that is hidden in her blood. A power that evil wants for its own and will do whatever it takes to have it.This short story is a look into best friends’, Nicole and Kat, life before a centuries old grudge and Nicole’s emerging powers rips them apart. A power that Nicole wants no part of as it brings her to her knees and forces her to walk away from her small town life and everyone she loves.
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