DEPLOYMENT VIETNAM -Part 1

DEPLOYMENT VIETNAM -Part 1

Herb Blanchard

Herb Blanchard

Deployment Vietnam is based on the author's two tours in Vietnam in the 1960's with the US Navy's Seabees. It relates his experiences in construction of roads, helicopter pads and maintaining Highway One, "THE STREET OF NO JOY", during the rainy seasons of the late 1960 's. He details how the Seabees dealt with not only rain and mud but also the Viet Cong's mines and sniper fire.DEPLOYMENT VIETNAM Part 1 only tells part of the story in its 86,000 words. It is a historical and multicultural novel about the American Navy Seabees and what they did and accomplished in Vietnam.A Navy Seabee veteran of over 4 years when he volunteers for a tour of duty in Vietnam in late1966, Dan Lee Davis was 26 years old and a second class heavy equipment operator. He had been operating construction equipment as a civilian and a Seabee for over fourteen years having grown up around farming and road construction. He did one tour on NAS Adak Alaska with a mobile construction battalion (MCB) for 8 months where he ran a bulldozer stripping the treacherous tundra overburden to open an area where they could mine laterite to be used as fill and from another hill to expose hard rock where the blasting crew could blast to be sent to the rock crusher. He then transferred to overseas shore duty at MCAF, Futemma, Okinawa for over three years. While at Futemma, Dan met a Eurasian bar girl whom he lived with for almost three years In October of 1966 Davis went through military training, a basic jungle warfare course in Port Hueneme, CA before joining an MCB that was on its way to Vietnam for deployment.Dan survives a VC mortar attack in April of 1967 just before going on R & R to Okinawa.Dan and Suzie, his Eurasian lover had decided to go their separate ways when he left Okinawa for Port Hueneme and sea duty. They did not communicate from October of 1966 until he went to Okinawa on R & R in April of 1967 and Dan accidentally found she had changed bars and towns on Okinawa. They both discovered that separating, no contact, was not what either wanted and reconnected. Just before Dan goes back to Vietnam they decided to marry after Dan’s Vietnam tour is up.Dan’s best friend, Brad Burgess is killed by a VC placed mine on Highway 1. Dan arranges to take Brad’s R & R to Okinawa so he can visit Brad’s Okinawan fiance who is carrying Brad’s baby. Dan and Suzie spend time together and reinforce their commitment to each other.Suzie and Dan are befriended by a Marine sergeant, Steve Lars and his Okinawan wife Reiko who are stationed on Okinawa.Dan extends his tour in Vietnam and is transferred north to the Hue/Phu Bai area. When he’s transferred he gets a 30 day delay enroute so he can return to Okinawa to spend that time with Suzie He catches hops back and forth to Okinawa but cannot get direct routing from Vietnam to Okinawa nor from Okinawa to Vietnam. A five or so hour trip ended up taking two days going north and becomes an overnight trip going back to Vietnam.
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The Adventurer's Guild: #1-Jaikus and Reneeke Join the Guild

The Adventurer's Guild: #1-Jaikus and Reneeke Join the Guild

Brian S. Pratt

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Jaikus and Reneeke are ordinary lads whose dream in life is to become a member of The Adventurer's Guild. But to become a member, they must be able to lay claim to an Adventure worthy of the Guild. They quickly realize that doing such may be harder than anticipated. Tagging along with a seasoned Group of Adventurers as "Springers" they set out only to later learn that Springers-Spring the trapFlash fiction is a type of storytelling in which the author must tell a full and satisfying story in 750 to 1000 words. A fabulous challenge and an art form that lent itself perfectly to the romantic "Junior Matchmakers" tale. Enjoy my gift to you!
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  • 249
Last Tales of Mercia 1-10

Last Tales of Mercia 1-10

Jayden Woods

Historical Fiction / Science Fiction & Fantasy

The first Norman castle is being built in Engla-lond--whether the Anglo-Saxons want it or not. Set in the Dark Ages of Engla-lond, the "Last Tales of Mercia" are ten short stories featuring real historical figures and characters from the "Sons of Mercia" series. All ten stories form a prequel to the novel, "Edric the Wild." Though strongly connected to the series, they can be read independently.Flash fiction is a type of storytelling in which the author must tell a full and satisfying story in 750 to 1000 words. A fabulous challenge and an art form that lent itself perfectly to the romantic "Junior Matchmakers" tale. Enjoy my gift to you!
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  • 520
The Siege Of Apuao Grande

The Siege Of Apuao Grande

John Muir

Outdoors & Nature / Science / Naturalism

The first novel involving T.A., a tourist to the Philippines, seeking romance, becomes inextricably involved in an armed uprising at an isolated tourist resort, part of a national rebellion. Unsure what to do, he is foolishly guided by the actions of his fictional heroes in the many novels he has read. Then, at a loss, he teams up with a mysterious ex-pat permanent resident of the island.This is the first of three novels involving T.A. Returning to the Philippines to reunite with his girlfriend, and return to their isolated island tourist resort to rekindle their romance, he becomes an unwilling and inexperienced participant in a national armed uprising. He is only aware of the local events and initially thinks he has stumbled on a massive drug-smuggling operation and is unsure if, of how he should resist. Untrained for such events, initially he is guided only by the actions of the fictional characters in the many novels he has read. A mysterious ex-pat, permanent resident on the island, reluctantly takes him under his wing and T.A. tries not to be a burden as they try to save themselves and as many tourists as they can.
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  • 601
Falcondell (The Devil's Son)

Falcondell (The Devil's Son)

S J Crabb

Chick Lit / Contemporary / Romance

What happens when you go to school with the ultimate bad boy? Grace Gray soon finds out as there isn't a hotter girl around than her and despite her attempts to stay hidden with Ash Knight around it proves impossible. The trouble is Grace has a secret that must be protected at all costs because if it is discovered then there will be Hell to pay.New school, new family, new life? Having moved around all of her life Grace longs to settle down and live life as a normal girl. The trouble is she is far from normal and is protecting a secret that must never be discovered. So who’s great idea was it to send her to live in a town rooted in fear and at the mercy of the Knight family? Jake Knight rules the town through violence and intimidation and nobody gets in his way. His nephew Ash is the leader of the most feared gang in the area and is used to getting what he wants. It’s never difficult for him as there is not a hotter guy around than him and he just takes whatever or whoever he wants. Grace has other ideas though and vows to keep well hidden from him by joining the “Invisibles.” With her cousin Gabe as her protector she cannot fail - or so she thinks.However Ash soon discovers that not everything in life is easy and he finds himself in unfamiliar territory. Fighting demons of his own he is drawn to Grace like a moth to a flame. His evil girlfriend Skylar is not about to let him go easily and you would not want to get on the wrong side of her. No, High school is never easy and what happens at Falcondell is the stuff of nightmares. If you like a good High school romance with a bad boy to die for then this is for you. Can somebody who is so good ever be with somebody who is completely evil? Ash and Grace are at opposite sides of the spectrum and this year changes them both forever.
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New Bridge to Lyndesfarne

New Bridge to Lyndesfarne

Trevor Hopkins

Fantasy

Set in the present day, New Bridge to Lyndesfarne follows Kevin, a talented but lonely forty-something who is commissioned to design a second bridge between the Two Worlds. Accompanied by Tanji, his guide and interpreter from Lyndesfarne, Kevin inadvertently discovers a conspiracy to destroy the bridge which puts their lives in danger.A compilation of new adult and young adult contemporary and paranormal stories.There are moments in life that take you by surprise - an outcome you weren’t expecting, an instant connection with a virtual stranger, or those warm tingles of new love. No matter what happens, you are certain that you will never be the same. Step inside and join these best-selling authors as they offer you a glimpse into the hearts and minds of some of your favorite characters. From dystopian to paranormal to contemporary romance, this collection provides a taste of all that you love.Written by Anna Cruise, Carlyle Labuschagne, Charlotte Abel, C.L. Foster, Delphina Henley, E.L. Todd, Kelly Risser, Kristina Renee, N.L. Greene, Randi Cooley Wilson, Sharon Rose Mayes and Susan Burdorf
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  • 805
The Luck of the Irish (In Love)

The Luck of the Irish (In Love)

Ginger Voight

Romance / Humor / Mystery & Thrillers

A lonely, bitter waitress from New York finds a wee bit of Irish luck courtesy of a cranky Leprechaun.A compilation of new adult and young adult contemporary and paranormal stories.There are moments in life that take you by surprise - an outcome you weren’t expecting, an instant connection with a virtual stranger, or those warm tingles of new love. No matter what happens, you are certain that you will never be the same. Step inside and join these best-selling authors as they offer you a glimpse into the hearts and minds of some of your favorite characters. From dystopian to paranormal to contemporary romance, this collection provides a taste of all that you love.Written by Anna Cruise, Carlyle Labuschagne, Charlotte Abel, C.L. Foster, Delphina Henley, E.L. Todd, Kelly Risser, Kristina Renee, N.L. Greene, Randi Cooley Wilson, Sharon Rose Mayes and Susan Burdorf
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Certain

Certain

Kris Kendall

Kris Kendall

There are moments in life that take you by surprise - an outcome you weren’t expecting, an instant connection with a virtual stranger, or those warm tingles of new love. No matter what happens, you are certain that you will never be the same. Step inside and join these best-selling authors as they offer you a glimpse into the hearts and minds of some of your favorite characters.A compilation of new adult and young adult contemporary and paranormal stories.There are moments in life that take you by surprise - an outcome you weren’t expecting, an instant connection with a virtual stranger, or those warm tingles of new love. No matter what happens, you are certain that you will never be the same. Step inside and join these best-selling authors as they offer you a glimpse into the hearts and minds of some of your favorite characters. From dystopian to paranormal to contemporary romance, this collection provides a taste of all that you love.Written by Anna Cruise, Carlyle Labuschagne, Charlotte Abel, C.L. Foster, Delphina Henley, E.L. Todd, Kelly Risser, Kristina Renee, N.L. Greene, Randi Cooley Wilson, Sharon Rose Mayes and Susan Burdorf
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  • 313
Pebbles from a Northern Shore

Pebbles from a Northern Shore

Peter D Wilson

Science Fiction & Fantasy / Horror

A baker's dozen of stories, some very short, some quite long, of times past, present or possible future, ranging from an imagined childhood, through adolescence and maturity, to old age, death and beyond. Mostly optimistic and light-hearted though with an occasional touch of the weird or macabre.The loss of a child's pet leads to grief but eventual acceptance; two stories offered to a magazine raise questions of which is fact and which is fiction; the tale of a wise and beneficent Empress with a surprising origin is recalled through her gift of a child's bauble; showing off to impress a girl has grim results; the romance between a mediaeval serving-maid and the page of her lord's best friend interacts through a roughly-executed fifteenth-century portrait with present-day occupants of the same castle; machinations in the rivalry between two church choirs, and their involvement with a murdered Russian oligarch, climax in the resolution of a long-standing quarrel; an ancient musical instrument passes through a succession of modern families until it reaches the player for whom it is destined; misunderstandings by an over-confident novice missionary, stranded in the wilds by the illness of his mentor, lead to horrifying blunders; an elderly man, reminded by a simple melody of his youthful infatuation with a friend's sister, revisits the site of a 1920s house-party associated with her and at last achieves peace; the psychological significance of a particular recurrent dream is recognised after many years; a curious ring given by a French aristocrat to his executioner during the Terror proves surprisingly helpful; and a deceased author, entertained by the characters in one of his uncompleted stories who have finished it themselves, is finally reconciled with a long-lost love.
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  • 758
Charlie Needs A Cussbomb

Charlie Needs A Cussbomb

Daniel Whittman

Daniel Whittman

Spoof on a high strung man about to blow his top. Funny short storyThere's a certain intimacy about the word "embedded." I don't know who came up with it, but once it was in common usage, we talked about it endlessly in the pub. Embedded, being there, part of the action, eyewitness news on the front line. Embedded became a term shared by the media and the military to describe correspondents who were carried to war as an extra mural member of a fighting unit, journalist as warrior, and it was hoped, certainly from the military standpoint, that this symbiosis, a new quirk on the old Stockholm syndrome, would rub off on the reporters and ensure that coverage swayed towards the soldiers' point of view. Sure there was huffing and puffing over journalistic integrity and freedom of the press, but if you wanted to go to war there was no better way than embedded.You see the Vietnam War had taught the military a hard lesson. If you have newsmen running around the combat zone, left to their own devices, reporting the kill count as it happens, blood baths like Mi Li Four, then the public appetite for the conflict diminishes in direct proportion to the tv footage of body bags coming home. So if you couldn't muzzle the media, then the next best thing was to get them on board, get them embedded, in the hope that the old adage that it is better to have your critic in the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in, would pay dividends.Not that the military were less than sanguine about the prospect, Imagine how it would have been if there had been reporters embedded at The Somme filing eyeball accounts from the trenches of soldiers eating rats to stay alive, and the criminal lunacy of officers ordering troops over the top into machinegun fire.But those kind of considerations didn't cloud the judgement a couple of centuries ago when the spectre of invasion from across the Channel loomed large, and Napoleon Bonaparte summoned the combined naval strength of France and Spain into the largest battle fleet the world had ever seen; when the course of history hung by a thread. When the nation turned to one man, already hailed as a national hero, to save the day. So this is the story. With all the journalistic technique, the breakneck speed of instant communication technology and the clamour for on scene reporting; with every morsel of the action devoured to satisfy the voracious appetite of twenty four seven rolling news I can tell you what transpired when Nelson set sail for the great sea battle off Cape Trafalgar because I was there, embedded with the fleet.My name is John Pretty, naval correspondent of the Daily Chronicle, and with the benefit of hindsight I have collected all my pieces, the news columns, the features, the e-mails, the tapes and scribbled shorthand notes, into a chronological sequence, translated the arcane patois of the eighteenth century tar into the modern idiom to give you a feel of how Trafalgar played in the press. If you want the unalloyed facts, go to the history books, but if you're curious to know how it felt to report Trafalgar then as Mark Twain put it, turn the page, read the log.
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Embedded@Trafalgar with Nelson's Navy

Embedded@Trafalgar with Nelson's Navy

Roger Busby

Roger Busby

There's a certain intimacy about the word "embedded." I don't know who coined it embedded, part of the action, eyewitness news on the front line. Embedded became a term used by the media and military to describe correspondents who were carried to war.If you want the facts, go to the history books, but if you want to know how it felt to report Trafalgar turn the page and read the log.There's a certain intimacy about the word "embedded." I don't know who came up with it, but once it was in common usage, we talked about it endlessly in the pub. Embedded, being there, part of the action, eyewitness news on the front line. Embedded became a term shared by the media and the military to describe correspondents who were carried to war as an extra mural member of a fighting unit, journalist as warrior, and it was hoped, certainly from the military standpoint, that this symbiosis, a new quirk on the old Stockholm syndrome, would rub off on the reporters and ensure that coverage swayed towards the soldiers' point of view. Sure there was huffing and puffing over journalistic integrity and freedom of the press, but if you wanted to go to war there was no better way than embedded.You see the Vietnam War had taught the military a hard lesson. If you have newsmen running around the combat zone, left to their own devices, reporting the kill count as it happens, blood baths like Mi Li Four, then the public appetite for the conflict diminishes in direct proportion to the tv footage of body bags coming home. So if you couldn't muzzle the media, then the next best thing was to get them on board, get them embedded, in the hope that the old adage that it is better to have your critic in the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in, would pay dividends.Not that the military were less than sanguine about the prospect, Imagine how it would have been if there had been reporters embedded at The Somme filing eyeball accounts from the trenches of soldiers eating rats to stay alive, and the criminal lunacy of officers ordering troops over the top into machinegun fire.But those kind of considerations didn't cloud the judgement a couple of centuries ago when the spectre of invasion from across the Channel loomed large, and Napoleon Bonaparte summoned the combined naval strength of France and Spain into the largest battle fleet the world had ever seen; when the course of history hung by a thread. When the nation turned to one man, already hailed as a national hero, to save the day. So this is the story. With all the journalistic technique, the breakneck speed of instant communication technology and the clamour for on scene reporting; with every morsel of the action devoured to satisfy the voracious appetite of twenty four seven rolling news I can tell you what transpired when Nelson set sail for the great sea battle off Cape Trafalgar because I was there, embedded with the fleet.My name is John Pretty, naval correspondent of the Daily Chronicle, and with the benefit of hindsight I have collected all my pieces, the news columns, the features, the e-mails, the tapes and scribbled shorthand notes, into a chronological sequence, translated the arcane patois of the eighteenth century tar into the modern idiom to give you a feel of how Trafalgar played in the press. If you want the unalloyed facts, go to the history books, but if you're curious to know how it felt to report Trafalgar then as Mark Twain put it, turn the page, read the log.
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  • 587
They Call the Wind Muryah

They Call the Wind Muryah

Gregory Marshall Smith

Horror

During a visit to Planet 505-D, the crew of the Humboldt starts acting strange―shirking duties and responsibilities. The chief engineer objects, but Captain Marie Penski and the rest of the crew tire of his act. Until they get a most unexpected visit from Muryah Abernathy, reported lost on an earlier expedition. Ten years earlier!Soon, the crew falls under her spell...with deadly consequences.During the final visit to Planet 505-D before human colonization begins, the crew of the Humboldt starts acting strange―shirking their duties and responsibilities. The chief engineer, Devin Calloway, wants no part of it, but Captain Marie Penski and the rest of the crew become tired of his attitude. Until the day they get a most unexpected visit from Muryah Abernathy, a woman reported lost on the original mission to 505-D —ten years earlier. Soon, the crewmembers are under her spell, ignoring even their own safety… with deadly consequences.Bonus Content: This 140-page novella (approx. 74,000 words) includes a sixteen chapter excerpt from Hunters, a new horror and contemporary fantasy novel involving modern-day vampires and the human hunters determined to exterminate them once and for all.
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Yo-yo's Weekend

Yo-yo's Weekend

David Brining

LGBT / Gay

When Yo-yo's ring is stolen on a weekend visit to his uncle and aunt in York, he enlists ghosts, statues, clowns, fish, indeed anything he can conjure, to help him get it back. Dodging the forty stone international criminal mastermind Mr Vanilla, the weasly circus owner Truss and the delectable twins Rue and Thyme, Yo-yo needs to recover the ring to avoid being sent back to the nut-house.When Yo-yo's ring is stolen on a weekend visit to his uncle and aunt in York, he enlists ghosts, statues, clowns, fish, indeed anything he can conjure, to help him get it back. Dodging the forty stone international criminal mastermind Mr Vanilla, the weasly circus owner Truss and the delectable twins Rue and Thyme, Yo-yo needs to recover the ring to avoid being sent back to the nut-house where he lives. An all-star cast includes Lily Gusset, the reverse drag artist, Mrs Lollipop, bed-ridden these forty years, Baby the talking blackbird, the custard-pie flinging Lettuce Brothers, Death, him off the telly, the statue of William Etty RA, an ichthyosaur, a weed and a pebble, the voice of Chris Tarrant, a fishy policeman called Constable Kipper, Wee Jocko McTavish, professional Scotsman, and the severed head of the Ninth Earl of Northumberland. Come with Yo-yo on this zany adventure through York past and present, and read a book the like of which you have never read before.
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  • 399
Armed and Fabulous (Lexi Graves Mysteries, 1)

Armed and Fabulous (Lexi Graves Mysteries, 1)

Camilla Chafer

Mystery & Thrillers / Romance / Literature & Fiction

All Lexi wants to do is get through the day at her boring temp job with Green Hand Insurance. That’s until she discovers the vice president, Martin Dean, in a pool of blood and herself at the center of an investigation into insurance fraud.Millions of dollars are missing, the chief suspect is dead and her mysterious, sexy, new boss is not what he seems.All Lexi wants to do is get through the day at her boring temp job with Green Hand Insurance. That’s until she discovers the vice president, Martin Dean, in a pool of blood and herself at the center of an investigation into insurance fraud.Millions of dollars are missing, the chief suspect is dead and her mysterious, sexy, new boss is not what he seems.Recruited by the joint task force working on the case, all Lexi has to do is work out who killed Dean and where the missing millions are. That’s easier said than done when her sister insists upon the baby shower to end all baby showers, her wise-ass cop family just wants to keep her safe, someone keeps leaving her creepy gifts, and all the clues point to a seedy sex club on the wrong side of town.As the bodies start to pile up, Lexi is on a race against time to find the killer and the money, before she’s the next one in the murderer’s sights.Also in the series:Armed and FabulousWho Glares WinsCommand IndecisionShock and AwesomeWeapons of Mass DistractionLaugh or DeathKissing in ActionTrigger SnappyA Few Good Women - - coming soon!
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XIN: The Veiled Genocides

XIN: The Veiled Genocides

Robert Moons

Fantasy / Science Fiction / Children's

We are not alone in the galaxy, but soon we will be.The greatest civilizations in the Galaxy are disappearing without a trace. The future history of our Galaxy has been irrevocably changed.We are not alone in the galaxy, but soon we will be.The greatest civilizations in the Galaxy are disappearing without a trace. The future history of our Galaxy has been irrevocably changed. This is the world Xin wakes up to. Xin, an alien probe of immense power has been buried in the Earth’s crust for millions of years. Helping to release the science probe from its ancient tomb, it leads to one man's journey to the stars. This is their story.
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