Gordon Havers thought that he was the last man on Earth – after a virus killed off everybody else. So he lived on much as he had before the pandemic that wiped out humanity, eking out a living as a trapper in the Canadian Rockies. But one day, there is a knock on the door of Gordon's log cabin. And when he opens the door, he finds an attractive young woman on his doorstep to his infinite surprise. So perhaps Gordon isn't the last living human being after all? And maybe there is still a future for the human race. There's only one problem. Joanna Creed isn't human… This is a novelette of 13400 words or approx. 45 print pages altogether.
When a priceless Fabergé egg goes missing from a locked room in the London townhouse of Russian oligarch Yevgeny Ivanov, everybody quickly suspects Eva Hart, Ivanov's cleaning lady and single mother. But Detective Inspector Helen Shepherd has her doubts about this theory, for Eva Hart has no motive, since the egg is unsellable on the free market. But what does Eva's little daughter Emily know? And what happened to the egg? This is a mystery novelette of 7500 words or approx. 25 pages.
1956. After a sock hop at the local high school gym, teenagers Betty and Cody drive out to Lovers' Lane together. Betty knows only too well that good girls don't go to Lovers' Lane with boys. But Cody is her one true love and besides, he swore that he'd love her forever or may he be struck down where he stands. But then, an alien invasion shows Betty just what Cody's word is truly worth… This is a short story of 6200 words or approx. 20 pages in the The Day the Saucers Came… series, but may be read as a standalone.
Every morning, Brett finds blood on his sheets and mysterious puncture wounds on his body. But as he tries to trap the "night pricker", as he calls his unseen assailant, he's in for a surprise… The house at Green Corner has been standing there for fifty years now, surrounded by a tall fence and even taller hedges. And at dawn, bats flutter around the overgrown garden. No one has ever seen the owner of the house, let alone spoken to them. But early one morning, paper girl Maddie decides to venture beyond the tall hedges on a dare and finds something very unexpected… Two modern vampire tales by Hugo finalist Cora Buhlert of 5000 words or approx. 18 print pages altogether.
Philon, heir to a pirate empire, is determined to take a wife. And not just any wife either. No, he has set his eyes on Arianna Delora, a green-eyed beauty with a tongue as swift as her blade. Unfortunately, Arianna also happens to be the only child of his father's mortal enemy, but such details do not deter Philon. Tonight, Arianna is supposed to undertake the sacred ritual that will turn her from a girl into a woman. This ritual is the most important night of her life, but Arianna is uncertain. She enjoys the free life of a pirate and she does not want to give it up for the so-called joys of womanhood. Nor is she thrilled when Philon, son of her father's sworn enemy, suddenly shows up at the ritual, babbling about making her his wife. This is a short story of 4800 words or approx. 16 print pages.
They seek a treasure and find a monster… Thurvok, the sellsword, and his friends Meldom, thief, cutpurse and occasional assassin, the sorceress Sharenna and Meldom’s sweetheart Lysha are on the hunt for a legendary pirate treasure, when they find themselves marooned on a desolate isle. To add insult to injury, there is no treasure on the island. There are, however, monsters… This is a short story of 5400 words or 20 print pages in the Thurvok sword and sorcery series, but may be read as a standalone. Includes an introduction and afterword.
When observing a magical ritual in the woods, make sure to take precautions… If you try to summon a demon to grant you your heart's fondest desire, you'd better get your Latin right… When studying ancient grimoires, it's never a good idea to actually read the contents out loud or you might just cause the end of the world… Following your grandma's heirloom recipe might just conjure up something other than marinara sauce… Four short humorous horror tales of rituals gone very wrong by Hugo finalist Cora Buhlert of 5800 words or approx. 20 print pages altogether.
When her boyfriend dumps her four weeks before Christmas, Hannah throws herself into holiday preparations in order to dull the pain. But nothing seems to help, until Hannah quite literally bumps into Owen, while Christmas shopping. Hannah and Owen hit it off immediately. But Owen is nursing an old grief of his own… This is a short and sweet holiday romance of 5900 words or approximately 20 print pages.
1956: Judy is the designated town slut of Stillwater Creek. After getting thrown out of a sock hop at the local high school, Judy winds up going to the movies with bad boy Hank instead, where a science fiction double feature is playing. However, before the first reel of the second movie is through, the night is interrupted by a very real invasion of flying saucers from outer space… This is a novelette of 8500 words or approx. 30 pages in the The Day the Saucers Came… series, but may be read as a standalone.
Roads are interstitial spaces, their only purpose to take you from one place to another. In most cases, roads only connect two places in the real world. But occasionally, a road crosses the borderline into the unknown. That’s when things can come through, terrible things that lurk by the side of the road for the unwary traveller. A car full of drunk teenagers on their way home from a festival encounter something terrible in the woods of Northwest Germany… Nina delivers newspapers in the wee hours of the night and pays no attention to the pets that go missing in the neighbourhood… or the strange sounds echoing from the sewer grilles… On a lonely country road in northern Spain, a truck driver encounters the ghosts of a terrible past… So buckle up and get ready to meet the horrors that lurk by the side of the road. But be careful, because every encounter with them might be your last… This is a collection of three tales of roadside horror of 9500 words altogether by Hugo winner Cora Buhlert.
The Netherlands in the year of the Lord 1571: The young widow Ann lives alone with her little son Florentijn in a house at the edge of the woods. From childhood on, Ann has been told to never ever go alone into the woods. But when her little son runs away, Ann has no choice. She must venture into the forest to save Florentijn from the creatures that live in the woods surrounding the village of Doodenbos. This is a historical horror short story of 3000 words or approx. 12 pages.
1956: Bernie Stetson is a burglar, robbing suburban homes while their owners are not at home. Bernie's latest raid takes him to the subdivision of Shady Groves. But things quickly go wrong. First, the house Bernie is robbing turns out to be not as deserted as he thought. And then, a flying saucer from outer space appears in the sky above Shady Groves… This is a short story of 3600 words or approx. 14 print pages in the The Day the Saucers Came… series, but may be read as a standalone.
During a holiday in Belgium, college students Evan and Matt decide to explore an uncharted cave in the Ardennes. Also along for the ride is Evan’s sister Kate, who has been tasked with looking out for her brother since early childhood. Deep inside the cave, Kate, Evan and Matt stumble upon a portal to another world. But does this portal represent the greatest adventure of their lives or a terrible danger…? This is a science fictional tale of terror of 3800 words or approximately 15 print pages by Hugo finalist Cora Buhlert.
Sixteen tales of Christmas by Hugo winner Cora Buhlert. Romance, cozy fantasy, murder mysteries, pulp thrillers, science fiction, post-apocalyptic fiction, horror and humor – we have all that and more. Watch young people find love in the pre-holiday shopping rush at Hickory Ridge Mall, at a Christmas tree lot, on the parking lot of a shuttered outlet mall and at the one bar in town that’s open on Christmas Eve. Experience Christmas in Hallowind Cove, the permanently fog-shrouded seaside town, where strange things keep happening. Watch as Santa’s various helpers unite to depose him. Massachusetts 1695 AD: Follow apprentice witchfinder Matthew Goodson and condemned witch Grace Pankhurst, as they try to dodge both witchfinders and a creature that lives in the woods and hunts around the winter solstice. Follow Detective Inspector Helen Shepherd and her team as they investigate the death of a robber dressed as Santa Claus as well as a wave of thefts at a Christmas market. Meet Richard Blakemore, hardworking pulp author by day and the masked crimefighter known only as the Silencer by night, as he fights to save an orphanage from demolition in Depression era New York City. Watch Alfred and Bertha, an ordinary married couple, as they decorate the Christmas tree and live their marvellous twenty-first century life. No one ever expected the robot apocalypse to begin in the little town of Brighthaven. And no one ever expected it to involve murderous robot turkeys and their even more terrifying brethren, robot Santas that fire laserbeams from their eyes. Experience Christmas on the space colony of Iago Prime as well as after the end of the world. Enjoy sixteen novellas, novelettes and short stories in six genres. This is a collection of 136000 words or approx. 420 print pages. Contains the following stories: Christmas Gifts Christmas Shopping with a Broken Heart The Crappiest Christmas Ever Christmas Eve at the Purple Owl Café Driving Home for Christmas The Bakery on Gloomland Street Revolt at the North Pole The Solstice Horror A Bullet for Father Christmas Santa’s Sticky Fingers St. Nicholas of Hell’s Kitchen The Tinsel-Free Christmas Tree The Robot Turkey Apocalypse Invasion of the Robot Santas Christmas on Iago Prime Christmas after the End of the World
Before Kurval became King of Azakoria in the year of the forked serpent, he was commander of a mercenary company in service to his predecessor King Orkol. While helping to bring the rebellious northern provinces back under Orkol's heel, Kurval is ordered to hang twelve innocent young women as an example to the rebels. Kurval is disgusted by Orkol's cruelty. But can he find a way to save the twelve young women from the gallows? And dare he defy King Orkol? The new sword and sorcery adventure by two-time Hugo finalist Cora Buhlert and her occasional alter ego, 1930s pulp writer Richard Blakemore. This is a novelette of 14200 words or approx. 50 print pages in the Kurval sword and sorcery series, but may be read as a standalone. Includes an introduction and afterword.
Who would you ask for advice if your new boyfriend suddenly starts howling at the full moon? Where does a teenaged vampire turn, when his hunger starts interfering with his love life? How can a reanimated corpse find friends? Where would you complain if you were the victim of a zombie attack in the city park? How does a ghost find out who murdered her? Where do you go if you're a demon sick of sending souls to hell? Letters from the Dark Side is a collection of short epistolary tales in the style of a True Confessions magazine of 4000 words or approx. 15 print pages altogether.
Once, Anjali Patel and Mikhail Grikov were soldiers on opposing sides of an intergalactic war. They met, fell in love and decided to go on the run together. Now Anjali and Mikhail are trying to eke out a living on the independent worlds of the galactic rim, while attempting to stay under the radar of those pursuing them. When they are hired to retrieve a shipment of bootleg medical nanobots, it seems like a routine job at first. But it quickly turns out that they are not the only ones who are after the nanobots. And their client has an agenda of her own. This is a story of 5100 words or approx. 20 print pages in the "In Love and War" series, but may be read as a standalone.
Cadet Anjali Patel had hoped for something more exciting than guard duty for her first mission with the legendary Shakyri Expeditionary Corps, the best fighters in the Empire of Worlds. However, this boring job quickly turns hot, when an enemy convoy comes up the mountain pass Anjali is supposed to guard. This is a prequel story of 4500 words or approx. 18 print pages to the "In Love and War" series, but may be read as a standalone.
When her car breaks down after midnight on Christmas Eve, Laura thinks she’ll never make it home for the holidays. But then fate sends Laura her very own Christmas angel in the form of hunky truck driver Jonas… This is a short and sweet holiday romance of 8400 words or approximately 30 print pages.
All Constance Allen wanted was to dance with her fiancé at the annual charity ball for police widows and orphans. But when your fiancé is Richard Blakemore, the man hiding behind the steel mask of the mysterious vigilante only known as the Silencer, even such simple wishes are often thwarted. And so Constance finds herself stood up at the ball, while Richard is out hunting Baron Tormento, a villain who terrorizes the city and blackmails powerful men – by torturing young girls to death. At first, it's just another case for the Silencer, albeit a particularly grisly one. But it quickly gets personal, when Richard's friend police captain Justin O'Grady is kidnapped. And soon Constance finds herself facing Baron Tormento's spikes of death… This is a novelette of 14700 words or approx. 45 print pages in the Silencer series, but may be read as a standalone.
It's Christmas… five months after the Yellowstone supervolcano erupted, blacked out the sun and covered most of the western US in ash. Thirteen-year-old Natalie, her younger brother Liam, baby Olivia and family dog Bud are among the few still holding out in the evacuation zone. Day to day survival is hard enough, but Natalie is determined to give Liam and Olivia an unforgettable Christmas… after the end of the world. And who knows, maybe they'll even get a true Christmas miracle… This is a post-apocalyptic holiday novelette of 10000 words or approx. 35 print pages.
When Caroline Murray is found dead in an underground parking garage with a needle in her arm, the case seems clear. Caroline died of a drug overdose. However, everybody who knew Caroline insists that she was vehemently opposed to drugs and would never have taken any. And what was Caroline doing at 544 Grant Road, a building to which she had no known connection? Detective Inspector Helen Shepherd is quickly convinced that Caroline Murray's death was not a simple drug overdose. But who had reason to want Caroline dead and why? This is a crime novelette of 7700 words or approx. 24 print pages altogether in the Helen Shepherd Mysteries series, but may be read as a standalone.
Once, Anjali Patel and Mikhail Grikov were soldiers on opposing sides of an intergalactic war. They met, fell in love and decided to go on the run together. Now Anjali and Mikhail are trying to eke out a living as mercenaries on Metra Litko, an independent world on the galactic rim, while attempting to stay under the radar of those pursuing them. Anjali and Mikhail are working a routine bodyguard job. But things quickly go awry, when an assassin bypasses all security measures to shoot the wrong target… or does he? Anjali and Mikhail set off in pursuit, only to find themselves confronted with a figure from Mikhail's past who could threaten their newfound freedom. This is a novelette of 8000 words or approximately 27 print pages in the In Love and War series, but may be read as a standalone.
Bullet Holes Once, Anjali Patel and Mikhail Grikov were soldiers on opposing sides of an intergalactic war. They met, fell in love and decided to go on the run together. Now Anjali and Mikhail are trying to eke out a living on the independent worlds of the galactic rim, while attempting to stay under the radar of those pursuing them. When a seemingly routine courier job turns out to be a trap, Anjali is hit by a so-called smart bullet, a Republican weapon that slowly and inevitably kills its victims. Mikhail is given a choice by his former commander Brian Mayhew: Surrender or watch the woman he loves die in excruciating pain. It is a choice between two equally horrifying fates. But maybe, there is a third option… Bonus story: Shipbound Pilot Pietro Garibaldi is angry to be stuck aboard the freighter Freedom's Horizon, holding the fort, while everybody else gets to enjoy themselves on the rim world of Varishka. What annoys him most is the sneaking suspicion that he wasn't chosen to keep watch at random, but because he is considered unreliable, someone who cannot be trusted in port. But when trouble comes calling, it becomes clear just why Pietro and his crewmate Sabrina Cho were exactly the right people to stay aboard the ship. These are two interconnected stories of 10000 words or approx. 35 print pages altogether in the "In Love and War" series, but may be read as standalones.
Two old soldiers share a coffee and fight for their lives The Republic of United Planets and the Empire of Worlds have been at war for eighty-eight years now. But nonetheless, Colonel Brian Mayhew, deputy commander of the Republican Special Commando Forces, meets with his Imperial counterpart General Roderick Crawford to discuss an incident that’s a problem for both of them. For two of their elite soldiers fell in love and ran away with each other, an embarrassment to the Republic and the Empire both. However, this secret meeting is not as secret as the two men think. And so Mayhew and Crawford are soon fighting for their lives side by side… This is a novelette of 9500 words or approximately 32 print pages in the In Love and War series by Hugo finalist Cora Buhlert, but may be read as a standalone.
In the year of the forked serpent, Kurval came from beyond the sea, slew King Orkol and became King of Azakoria. On the day of his coronation, Kurval consults the oracle in the temple of the goddess Ashvarya, where he is supposed to gaze into a magical jewel called the Tear of Chronos, hoping for a vision of the future. But before Kurval can receive his vision, a young woman named Stella suddenly appears in a flash of light in the inner sanctum. Not only is Stella a deadringer for the goddess, she also wears the Tear of Chronos around her neck. Can Stella help Kurval retain the throne he's barely won? And is she truly a goddess or just an imposter? The new sword and sorcery adventure by two-time Hugo finalist Cora Buhlert and her occasional alter ego, 1930s pulp writer Richard Blakemore. This is a novelette of 13500 words or approx. 45 print pages in the Kurval sword and sorcery series, but may be read as a standalone. Includes an introduction and afterword.
The Lords of Angilbert have been a thorn in the side of the Kings of Azakoria for decades, refusing to pay taxes or to accept the authority of the throne. King Kurval of Azakoria inherited the conflict with the Black Knight of Angilbert from his predecessor. Determined to bring the Black Knight to heel once and for all, Kurval besieges Castle Angilbert. But when he finally comes face to face with the mysterious Black Knight, he's in for a shock. The law demands that the Black Knight be executed for treason. However, Kurval does not want to sentence the Black Knight to death, especially once he learns that the Lords of Angilbert have a very good reason to hate the Kings of Azakoria. But is it even possible to find a peaceful solution or can the feud with the Black Knight of Angilbert end only in bloodshed and death? The new sword and sorcery adventure by two-time Hugo finalist Cora Buhlert and her occasional alter ego, 1930s pulp writer Richard Blakemore. This is a novella of 33400 words or approx. 112 print pages in the Kurval series but may be read as a standalone. Includes an introduction and afterword. Warning: This is a dark story, which contains scenes of a violent and sexual nature.
Thurvok, the sellsword, and his friends Meldom, thief, cutpurse and occasional assassin, the sorceress Sharenna and Meldom’s sweetheart Lysha set sail for the sunken city of Nhom’zonac, looking for the lost treasure of the Sea Kings. But they have to get past the Lovecraftian horror guarding the city first. This is a short story of 5300 words or approximately 19 print pages in the Thurvok sword and sorcery series, but may be read as a standalone. Includes an introduction and afterword.
Rebellion is brewing at Santa's compound at the North Pole. The elves and the reindeer both are overworked, underpaid and angry, so they unite to take down Santa. However, there's still Santa's most fearsome enforcer, the horned, clawed and fanged holiday monster known only as Krampus… This is a short holiday horror story of 3900 words or approx. 14 print pages by Hugo finalist Cora Buhlert.
Once, Anjali Patel and Mikhail Grikov were soldiers on opposing sides of an intergalactic war. They met, fell in love and decided to go on the run together. Now Anjali and Mikhail are trying to eke out a living on the independent worlds of the galactic rim, while attempting to stay under the radar of those pursuing them. When they are hired to retrieve a weapons prototype from an abandoned planet, it seems like a routine job. But it quickly turns out that the planet is not as empty as they had thought. And soon, Anjali and Mikhail find themselves caught in a deadly chase across a radioactive wasteland. This is a novella of 27500 words or approx. 95 print pages in the "In Love and War" series, but may be read as a standalone.
1956: On the surface, Rosemary Wilson is a happily married wife and mother, enjoying a perfect life in the quiet suburb of Shady Groves. But the house on Azalea Avenue harbours a dark secret, for Rosemary's husband Don is an abusive drunk, who vents his frustrations on Rosemary and their three children. After nine years of abuse, Rosemary finally decides to leave Don. But her plans of escape are interrupted, first by Don coming home early from a weekend hunting trip and then by the appearance of a flying saucer from outer space in the sky above Shady Groves… This is a novelette of 10400 words or approx. 38 pages in the The Day the Saucers Came… series, but may be read as a standalone. Content warning for domestic violence.
Once, Anjali Patel and Mikhail Grikov were soldiers on opposing sides of an intergalactic war. They met, fell in love and decided to go on the run together. Now Anjali and Mikhail are trying to eke out a living on the independent worlds of the galactic rim, while attempting to stay under the radar of those pursuing them. After a run-in with a Republican spy on the rim world of Metra Litko, Anjali and Mikhail need to get off planet fast. So they sign on as security aboard the freighter Freedom's Horizon, which is supposed to transport a valuable cargo through pirate infested space. But they have far bigger problems than pirates, for the Republic of United Planets sends no less than three battlecruisers after them, commanded by none other than Colonel Brian Mayhew, Mikhail's former superior and now their most determined pursuer. The chase culminates in a stand-off in orbit around Metra Litko, where Anjali and Mikhail have to make a fatal choice. Fight and endanger the innocent crew of the Freedom's Horizon or surrender and face death and worse at the hands of the Republic. This is a short novel of 55000 words or approximately 185 print pages in the "In Love and War" series, but may be read as a standalone.
Once, Anjali Patel and Mikhail Grikov were soldiers on opposing sides of an intergalactic war. They met, fell in love and decided to go on the run together. Now Anjali and Mikhail are trying to eke out a living on the independent worlds of the galactic rim, while attempting to stay under the radar of those pursuing them. But when Anjali and Mikhail stumble upon a protection racket during a routine shopping trip, they have to make a choice: Lay low to avoid attracting attention or stay true to their personal ethics and intervene? This is a story of 6700 words or approx. 23 print pages in the In Love and War series, but may be read as a standalone.
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