In the sleepy town of Blue Lake, murders don't happen—until Martha Zimmerman's body turns up.Jazz has the kind of face strangers trust, which makes her good at two things: blending in as a seemingly normal Earth resident and extracting information that helps solve crimes. When Detective Slade reluctantly brings her into Blue Lake's first murder case, neither the town nor Slade himself realizes they've just invited an alien to the investigation.As the evidence points to some...

These flash fiction and short stories were inspired in different ways. The flash fiction stories were the result of word prompts provided by a lovely and strange little website called Garden Gnome Publications. Allen Taylor is the editor and he's got quite a good mix of the weird and the strange on his website. I urge you to check it out if you have the time.The short story titled The Name Collector was inspired by an invitation to dinner with fellow church members – a husband and ...

Ten bodies. One beach. Zero answers.Janet Shields is a local reporter, not a detective — at least, that's what everyone keeps reminding her. But when another body turns up face-down in the sand at Sunset Cove Beach, it carries the same chilling signature as a past murder everyone was happy to forget.Official reports claim drowning. No trauma. No toxins. Case closed.Except it isn't.Because the killer wasn't working alone. The poison was deliberate. The land t...

Carol O'Reilly has been happy living her quiet life, but a lie to her daughter threatens to unravel everything.After fabricating a new boyfriend to fend off endless matchmaking, her daughter's surprise engagement forces Carol's hand. Now she needs to find a man to play the part, and fast.The last thing she expects is to find an unassuming but kind man who's willing to help her with her little charade.As the line between fiction and reality begins to blur, Carol is f...

He didn't know which was worse...a vengeful ex-wife intent on his demise or snotty-nosed brats intent on getting what they wanted. But one thing was for sure, he never expected it would all end like this.

I've been watching over Northridge for centuries. When its founding citizens arrived, seeking escape from persecution, their lives were focused on growing their crops, raising their families and worshiping God.After a few generations however, that changed.Their lips praise God, but their hearts are far from him.Soon, however, the Saints will arise, cast off their apathy and go to war.If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkn...

Breaking up with someone is hard no matter where you're from.Jazz left her home planet in search of a fresh start. Making friends quickly, Jazz put her unique talents to work helping a small town detective discover what happened to a young girl who simply disappeared, leaving nothing behind but her small backpack.With no tips and little clues about what happened to Sarah, Detective Slade grows desperate, enlisting the aid of a young woman he's just met in the hopes of findi...

The America her father remembers is nothing compared to the one Janie lives in now. Few things survived the destruction, but witchcraft remains...something the world can do without.

Before being killed in a car crash Sissy's mother had told her "things aren't always what they seem". Sissy never really understood what her mother meant until she literally stumbled across something that changed how she views herself, the world and her place in it.

Life jumps the rails, runs away from you and there's no catching it up. Not ever.A free short story from Iain Rowan, winner of the Derringer Award for best short crime story."I mean it," the gunman shrieked, and he pointed the revolver at Ward, the end of the barrel moving in tiny circles with the shaking of his hands. "I mean it. One step closer..."Ward stopped where he was. Other than the man with the gun, no-one else was standing. The sun was shining bright throu...

The internationally bestselling book of tongue-in-cheek poetry that set off a trend of feline funniness! Animal lovers will laugh out loud at the quirkiness of their feline friends with these insightful and curious poems from the singular minds of funny cats.The author of the internationally syndicated comic strip Sally Forth helps cats unlock their creative potential and explain their odd behavior to ignorant humans. With titles like "Who Is That on Your L...

Indulge in more scandal in the New York Times bestselling Reverend Curtis Black series as Crutis and Charlotte find themselves slipping into dangerous territory.The infamous Reverend Curtis Black's sordid past is no secret, as his wife, Charlotte, is well aware. But when Curtis' long-time mistress and mother of his illegitimate two-year-old, dies, he and Charlotte have no choice but to raise Curtina together. While the living, breathing reminder of her hus...