Novel excerpts: Thrillers

by Calum MacLeod

THE BROTHER 1 Alexander placed the handset back in its cradle. T...read more

by Bernie Dowling

I blame the eighties for the strategic thinking of youth of the nineties. Blame the eighties for everything and you can't go far wrong. In the eighties, Melbourne rocker Jo Jo Zep sang something about his baby getting him ...read more

by Db Bourgeois

DECEPTION The Beginning Floyd jerked awake from his late dinner doze. Something exploded nearby shattering the quiet night and set off the neighborhood dogs in a barking frenzy. He gripped the arms of his porch re...read more

by PC Marks

Broken Family Ties excerpt: Hurricane Alicia Brooks Grandma never left the table. She was clutching the seventh picture to her heart. Her mason jar of ice water was half empty. Charles was sitting by her side. ...read more

by Jennie Bennett-Mills

The Key to Destiny INTRODUCTION The steamy tropical air bore down heavily on Eric Collins as he stood motionless on the jungle floor of the South Pacific island. A machete hung loosely in his hand, perspiration bea...read more

by Jeremy Schell

I could feel the warm sun beating down on my legs, while the shadow of the tree keep my chest and face away from the inviting light. I felt myself falling in to the waiting arms of sleep when a voice carried over the groun...read more

by Ray Harris

Mirror Lines I smile as I realise I am somewhere that I know well. It feels like home and it's warm and comfortable, so it is. Everything is familiar; the curtains are red, yellow and blue with squares and lines repeati...read more

by Rachel Johnson

She pulled the car over to the side of the road, just ahead of where she had seen the body laying. Her hands were trembling as she tried to pull the keys from the ignition. Her cell phone lay on the passenger seat. She loo...read more

by Zoe Ellison

The rain continued relentlessly all day long and into the evening. Zoe was thankful for Father reading to them, for it passed the time and gave her a feeling of security and warmth. Before she knew it, the grandfather cloc...read more

by Cheryl Kottke

Elizabeth Dorsett opened the back door to her small cottage and set her purse on the kitchen counter. She has lived here for about three years now. It isn't the greatest but it's comfortable. Her closest neighbor is abo...read more

by Lady Cynthia

Chapter 20 Daniel heard the screams and quickly mounted Seashore. He didn't know what he could do but he couldn't ignore it There wasn't time to go back to the ranch for help a...read more

by Jill Jacks

Alicia waltzed into the diner big as life at 3:45am. She was tall and shapely. She was often complimented on her voluptuous figure. Her response was "Mama blessed me with booty." Alicia had creamy golden brown skin, th...read more

by Emily Gee

Rosalyn Stone was frozen; her cheeks were burning, her nose like ice and her fingers almost numb where they clutched the straining handles of her shopping bags. She wanted so much to put them down, just for a moment, to gi...read more

by Billy Par

Shivering in the bitter cold, the sickly smell of flesh discomforted the dark assassin. He still gripped his blades, ever so tightly, for he knew the fate that was sure to come to him. But what he did not know was when. Pe...read more

by Candice Kelley

She walked along the trail leading to the old quarry, inhaling the scent of the pine trees and the enjoying the colorful show of wildflowers. She contemplated climbing the unmarked trail that led to the top of the 1,000 fo...read more

by Lee Welch

BALLAD FROM THE EXIT WOUND INN: Chapter 1 I got to work early the day I died. It had been raining all night; By morning it was a steady drizzle. I parked my '68 Charger in the space closest to the record store where ...read more

by Susan Roark

The Dream Taker The stench in the air caused Klaine to stumble for balance. The odor was one that she could not identify; it was very potent with a metallic aroma that left her senses reeling. She did not want to walk f...read more

by Bruce Wachob

Groundscore :Chapter One The brief overnight relief of cooler air did little to squelch the stench of the magic city. The overwhelmed resources of South Florida have been pushed beyond the breaking point. This once pris...read more

by Vikki McMahon

Lauren tossed fitfully in her sleep. In that limbo between dreams and wakefulness, she heard the sounds of an approaching thunderstorm. Normally, those sounds were better than a lullaby, but she had not been able to doze...read more

by Queenie

Scarlet blood slowly trickled off of the end of her fingers. A puddle was beginning to form on the floor of the veranda. Looking up at the ceiling fan clinking and knocking at each turn of the blades, Tasha thought of how ...read more