Marissa and the traders arrive on the planet Ninovan to trade for crystals. A simple trade but nothing is simple on Ninovan. They find there is no trading at the spaceport. Instead, the crew must travel to a native Trade Center. The natives hate offworlders. Xeres want something from the natives. Marissa finds herself caught between the natives, the military, Xeres, and the rest of the traders.The big corporations have a monopoly on the lucrative planetary trade along the densely traveled trade routes. The Celeste travels on the fringes with the lucky exception of a trade permit recently acquired by the captain. He refuses to tell how he managed to obtain the permit just as he refuses to tell his sources for the cargoes. Thus, it is no surprise that traders consider the Scheralt system as dangerous and a morass for ships. The captain outlines the trade to be a simple short stop. The Celeste is to trade ore for crystals. Problems arise before the crew even lands on the planet. With magnetic storms capable of destroying the ship, Captain Jerupt must drop the crew then break orbit moving to the star system’s perimeter to avoid the magnetic stormsAfter landing, the crew finds they must travel to the native's trade centers to trade for the crystals. The transportation is primitive riding on animals unpleasant normally but exhausting for the crew caused by the planet’s gravity being nearly double the ship's gravity. The trade will just take longer to complete but more than just trade is being plotted and everyone has a separate agenda.The starport commander under the guise of improving port and native relations plants a spy with the traders. Xeres Corporation manipulates and bribes the traders into spying for them. Xeres Corporation wants to learn the shielding manufacturing secretes and to takeover the natives processing plants. The natives, Klarn, will not trade with the Xeres Corporation or cooperate on any level. The other faction is the Kirch. The Kirch came into existence from the Klarn that Xeres forced to work in their plant. They avoid offworlders and hate all offworders wanting them eliminated from the planet.Celeste's crew finds themselves caught in the middle of a power struggle. Xeres Corporation is more than willing to kill to achieve their goals. The natives are defending their sovereignty. The commander wants promoted off the planet and is willing to sacrifice anyone to achieve her goals. The Celeste's crew wants to live long enough to get off the planet. Who will win? The power struggle divides the crew and tests their loyalties. One thing is for certain, trade is not anyone's primary goal.

Thirteen wacky, original, short screenplays, including the one-pager-most-violent-highest-deaths-to-time-ratio film script ever, "The End!"Thirteen wacky, original, short screenplays:THE END: This script for a five-second film (and the film produced from it) is the most violent film script EVER, as measured by a number of deaths to film length ratio!A PERFECT WORLD: The NSA has nothing on you, your Boss, and your boogers.CHERISH THE BACON: Cherish it, Jimmy.GREATER MINDS: With whom do our post-apocalyptic discoverers sympathize, and are they indeed superior?IN THE FOUL SACRILIGE OF THY OATH: Santa?TIME TRAVEL MOUTH: What?!FLAVOR ARCHEOLOGY What??!THE FOOD TRILOGY, EPISODE I: TACO: Paulo believes that song may alter the menu.THE FOOD TRILOGY, EPISODE II: HAMBURGER: Ethan also believes that song may alter the menu.APPLICANT TO HELL: An anonymous victim of Hell's lower echelons examines the contract more closely.THE OTHER: What???!THE CRIME OF PASSION: What results when the Traveler introduces Beethoven to music from beyond his time?THE DARK LORD SINGS, EPISODE I: THE SWIPED AIRS: Darth Sonar discovers and recites the secret lyrics to the STAR WARS saga.

Freshman Matt James attempts to unite his high school to bring down the villainous Joey FontaneQuiet and reserved student Matt James is preparing to start his high school career. Though anxious about beginning high school and getting closer to entering "the real world", he feels at ease knowing that he won't be facing high school alone, until his first true love Victoria unsuspectingly breaks up with him a week before the new year begins. Matt will be tested in his freshman year as he tries to unite the school against drug dealer Joey Fontane and his gang, who have control of the school out of fear. Uniting the school against Fontane won't be easy and will test him and the entire school, but stopping Fontane is something that must be done. Only question is at what cost and how far do you go in an attempt to do what's right?

In this second story of McMurray’s trilogy, Janet Gordon, a young professor of biology, has been invited to a prestigious conference to present her work on the isolation of a cell growth factor. A recently appointed colleague, a “hot shot” protein chemist,who has helped to purify the growth factor turns out to have some unpleasant personality traits which lead to a tragic consequenceFrom Jan Moran, the author of The Winemakers from St. Martin’s Press, comes a riveting novella that’s as rich and irresistible as a fine cabernet wine.Napa Valley, 1956: Years ago, after Juliana Cardona’s fiancé was killed in an army ambush, she didn’t know if she could ever find the strength to risk love again. Now Juliana, who has a passion for winemaking, is determined to build her own business as a wine publicist and create an independent life. But when Juliana holds a press event in San Francisco, she meets a mysterious winemaker, Henri Laurent, who is everything she never thought she’d find again. However, Juliana is shocked to discover that Henri is hiding a long-buried secret that threatens to devastate their budding relationship. In order to find happiness and the life she’d once thought was gone forever, she must find the strength to uncover tragedies and face the troubled past with the man she loves—but only if her heart can risk the chance of love once more.Life is a Cabernet is a companion novella to The Winemakers, a full-length historical romance novel from St. Martin's Press.“Absolutely adored THE WINEMAKERS. Beautifully layered and utterly compelling. Intriguing from start to finish. A story not to be missed.” – Jane Porter, USA Today and NYT Bestselling author of It’s You and The Good Woman“Readers will devour this page-turner as the mystery and passions spin out. VERDICT: A solid pick for fans of historical romances combined with a heartbreaking mystery.” – The Library Journal

Renee Engle never expected to be bitten, to become a monster. But when five year old Jenny clamped rotten jaws onto her left wrist, the infection couldn't help but take hold. Jake couldn't understand, only able to slow the transformation as much as possible. And as the woman he loved turned into a monster from her own nightmares, there would soon be nothing left of Engle.The moon is falling. The shift is tearing apart the transportation infrastructure, and the population is stricken with "moon sickness" - literal lunacy.Charlotte, Lawton, and Fisk are friends. They met in a writing workshop when the news of the moon's fall was only mentioned on the late-night conspiracy shows. While lunar cults pray for the intense celestial coitus of Luna's impact with Earth, all Fisk wants is Charlotte.MOON SICK is a surreal short story by Aniko Carmean, author of MIXED MEDIA and STOLEN CLIMATEs.

what if you had the power to shoot beams of power out of your hands? Skyrid was just an autistic boy until Cithians attacked his hometown, Siraka. Unknown to Skyrid, there is power inside him just waiting to come out. What will happen when his power is released? And, will Siraka ever be return to it's former glory?The moon is falling. The shift is tearing apart the transportation infrastructure, and the population is stricken with "moon sickness" - literal lunacy.Charlotte, Lawton, and Fisk are friends. They met in a writing workshop when the news of the moon's fall was only mentioned on the late-night conspiracy shows. While lunar cults pray for the intense celestial coitus of Luna's impact with Earth, all Fisk wants is Charlotte.MOON SICK is a surreal short story by Aniko Carmean, author of MIXED MEDIA and STOLEN CLIMATEs.

We're all just created, debated, chewed up, eaten, spit out, and repeated by the machine that runs the world.The moon is falling. The shift is tearing apart the transportation infrastructure, and the population is stricken with "moon sickness" - literal lunacy.Charlotte, Lawton, and Fisk are friends. They met in a writing workshop when the news of the moon's fall was only mentioned on the late-night conspiracy shows. While lunar cults pray for the intense celestial coitus of Luna's impact with Earth, all Fisk wants is Charlotte.MOON SICK is a surreal short story by Aniko Carmean, author of MIXED MEDIA and STOLEN CLIMATEs.

The moon is falling, and while some pray for the intense celestial coitus of Luna's impact with Earth, all Fisk wants is Charlotte.The moon is falling. The shift is tearing apart the transportation infrastructure, and the population is stricken with "moon sickness" - literal lunacy.Charlotte, Lawton, and Fisk are friends. They met in a writing workshop when the news of the moon's fall was only mentioned on the late-night conspiracy shows. While lunar cults pray for the intense celestial coitus of Luna's impact with Earth, all Fisk wants is Charlotte.MOON SICK is a surreal short story by Aniko Carmean, author of MIXED MEDIA and STOLEN CLIMATEs.

A smooth talking American evangelist is building a church in a small town outside Vancouver and drops dead in the middle of a sermon.Many people who know and serve him have a motive to kill him. Was it murder or heart disease?Given with love to spread love. Please enjoy!"Empress Famika deLauer, the Queen of Rock, has unearthed the legendary Dark Scroll, the means by which she intends to monopolise the entire world’s music industry. All she lacks in her diabolical plan for domination is the final ingredient to unlock a set of spells that will render her a perfect singing voice.Starting in the Principality of Rock, Isobel Stellar finds herself faced with a serried of grueling musical quests – the only way to stop the bloodthirsty Queen of Rock and her ludicrous Vogue Revolution. Isobel must leave the only life she has ever known and make a perilous journey across the realms of Cathania – to the dance-crazed dangers of La Isla La Diva, then partake in the lyrical madness of Nonqawuse’s Amphitheatre in Mandelaland and finally succumb to the soul-revealing solitude of Mirror City.Join Isobel on a stellar journey of self-discovery in a world where music is more than mere entertainment. The Ubuntu Song makes the bourgeoisie and the rebel – but will Isobel be in time to sing it at the spectacular International Music Competition and save the coveted Double Vivre Award before Empress Famika takes to the stage?"Isobel Stellar & the Ubuntu Song is the first in a series of Proudly South African fantasy-realism novels aimed at a wide crossover market. The author's goal is to outsell Harry Potter and the Twilight Saga with a set of stories that empower and educate the reader, especially children, with powerful shift in human consciousness concepts. "The only way we can really educate anyone is to inspire them to think with their heart."Love liberates. Music liberates. Isobel Stellar carries that flame.

When Brandor is attacked and the great book stolen, the people of this quiet village begin to vanish from existence. Only Darius can save them. But to do so, he must face his past and soon discovers that old wounds and a recent curse throw obstacles in his way. With the help of an extraordinary dragon, he finds his way, only to face the sorcerer who stole the book...and killed his father.There is always hope...when you have a dragon.The precious book of Brandor is stolen, and now the fate, not just of the town but of a destined hero, looms in the balance.Unwelcome in this quiet village, Darius struggles to get by, but now he is Brandor's only hope. With the Great Book gone and no wizard to protect them, the town is being unwritten, vanishing from existence one house at a time...one person at a time. Brandor is trapped, and only he can leave to find the book! Darius soon finds that as he fights to save Brandor, he also struggles to piece together a past riddled with heartache, death, and the discovery of who...or what...he is. With the unexpected help of an extraordinary dragon, Darius sets out on an adventure that ultimately leads him to the final battle. Can he defeat the evil that stole the book and killed his father?

The second volume of random poetry I've written from 2006 to 2011, covering love, sex, hate, angst, frustration, and longing of the soul. The first in a set to be released.Experience time travel and romance in this novella for mature young adults.Virgil was ready to risk danger crossing the prairie to find his father and a fortune in gold. After the long wagon journey to Colorado, his difficulties should have been over. But they were only beginning. Soon he would find himself among among mammoth hunters and falling in love.During his puberty rite, Virgil was given a vision. But now there's danger. Will he live to make his vision real or perish in an age when humanity is extinct? This time travel romance is intended for adults and mature young adults.

Walter Axel knew how to handle a super villain. As Side Winder, a resonator who could turn almost any object on its side, Walter tipped over whatever it took to catch the caped cretins that threatened his city. However, when an old villain claimed to have learned his weakness, Walter soon found himself with a choice to make. Catch the villain for good or reveal his identity.Human life has value. The poor living in the gutter are as valuable as the rich living in a manor. The scoundrel is no less valuable than the saint. Because of this, every life a reaper takes must be redeemed. Raven has lived by this first tenet since she was trained by her father to become a reaper. But since his death, she’s been spending years redeeming the lives she’s taken. By her count, she’s even and it’s time for that life to end. If she settles down and becomes a wife, she might just feel human again. But on the way to the life she thinks she wants, the baron of New Haven asks her to complete a task which she cannot ignore… Just when Raven decides to give up on her life as an assassin, she’s pulled right back in. The Chronicles of Steele: Raven is a steampunk-inspired fantasy set in an alternate universe.

Its a cold night, the children warm themselves by the crackling bonfire. Reluctant to allow the night to end the day, they beg for a story. The Story Teller happily obliges.The Story Teller is tired of telling stories to those that no longer care about the legends of old. He finds himself sitting next to the Nights Guard that just wants him to leave as the children play nearby. The nights are longer, the wind freezing. The children cuddle close to the bonfire, not wanting to surrender to sleep. Begging and pleading, the children get the Story Teller to tell them about the howling they hear in the distance.

Three gifted children: boy genius Eldred, acrobat Lulubelle and disabled visionary Keith are all learning to survive in a world that puts pressure on them to be normal. But, beyond their unusualness, is there another link between them that nobody knows about?A story of ordinary uniqueness. Eldred Jones taught himself to read at the age of five. This would not have qualified him as a child genius, except for three significant facts: Eldred had spent all five years of his life in an oxygen tent, he had not spoken a single word since birth, and the book he was reading was a medical textbook.Three gifted children: boy genius Eldred, acrobat Lulubelle and disabled visionary Keith are all learning to survive in a world that expects them to be normal. Eldred’s parents, baffled by a child who dabbles in complex mathematical equations and designs potentially lucrative recycling systems, wish he could be more ordinary.Lulubelle’s ambition for stardom is compromised by having to be the adult in the relationship with her unpredictable mother. And Keith needs his family to accept that surgeons’ attempts to correct his physical disabilities may not be improving his life.Their stories weave in and out until the three of them finally meet. Despite their differences they find common ground in their unusualness and form a strong friendship.But, in the threads running through their life stories, is there a link between them that nobody knows about?

A sister, one of hundreds not seen for decades, returns with a ship, a crew and dreams of larceny. She plans to steal from a species so alien they speak in scents and colours and cannot comprehend the treasure they carry between the stars. But for Morgan, the cloned son of a genocidal dictator, joining his sister could mean repeating his dead father’s journey into madness and death.Eenralla Land lives in a Dome. That Dome is run by the Government. The Government has a secret. A secret Eenralla gets herself entangled in. It all started when she touched the wall... Eenie's life has been anything but normal, and only gets stranger when she slams her hand against the Dome wall to catch her balance. The rule is broken and her third Strike is coming - until she begins to see flashes of something that isn't supposed to be there. The Government has a secret, but is Eenie ready to uncover it?